The Patriots wrap up their regular season on Sunday still with a chance to get the top seed in the AFC.
New England must beat the Miami Dolphins and the Denver Broncos must lose to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers, with the seed out of reach for them, will rest quarterback Justin Herbert.
The Patriots could get healthier for their finale including the potential returns of Will Campbell and Milton Williams, and Drake Maye has one more week to further prove his case for MVP.
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It’s been a trying 2025 for the Dolphins, who will start rookie Quinn Ewers at quarterback for the third time. With his limited cold-weather experience, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him struggle, especially against a Patriots defense that could be getting some big reinforcements.
New England’s offense has been firing on all cylinders and has scored at least 30 points in three of its last four games. Maye’s 76.5 QBR ranks first in the NFL and the offense is averaging 374.5 yards per game.
The Patriots have a lot to play for going into Week 18, while the Dolphins are just trying to get to 2026.
Final score prediction: Patriots 42, Dolphins 15