The New England Patriots will take on the New York Jets at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, and the game could have far-reaching implications both for their position within the AFC East as well as the AFC overall. A win could potentially seal the division and keep the chance at the No. 1 seed in the playoffs alive, while a loss might end up dropping the Patriots in both standings.
With that said, let’s take a look at the updated playoff picture before the Patriots’ game in New York.
The Patriots are entering Week 17 with a one-game lead over the Bills and in a position to clinch the division. If they win and Buffalo loses to the Philadelphia Eagles at 4:25 p.m. ET, the division crown will return to Foxborough for the first time since the 2019 season.
Even if that does not happen on Sunday, the Patriots keeping an advantage over Buffalo is crucial. Due to a worse conference record, they would lose their current position atop the AFC East in a tiebreaker scenario.
On the bubble: 9. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
Eliminated: 8. Indianapolis Colts (8-7), 10. Miami Dolphins (6-9), 11. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10), 12. Cincinnati Bengals (5-10), 13. New York Jets (3-12). 14. Tennessee Titans (3-12), 15. Cleveland Browns (3-12), 16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
The Patriots still have a chance to end up as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but it’s a slim one. The team of head coach Mike Vrabel would have to win out to finish at 14-3, while the Broncos would need to drop their regular season finale against the Chargers. That game, however, became a lot less significant on Saturday: due to Los Angeles’ loss to the Texans, the Broncos already clinched the AFC West title, while the Chargers know they will play in the wild card round.
In total, six of the seven teams in the conference are now set. The lone exception is the No. 4 seed, which could still go the Ravens if Pittsburgh finishes 0-2, including a loss to Baltimore in Week 18.