Saturday night's loss to the Indianapolis Colts impacted both the AFC East and the conference seeding races for the Patriots.
New England suffered a disappointing 27-17 defeat at Lucas Oil Stadium, squandering an opportunity to move back into first place in the AFC standings. Instead, the 9-5 Patriots now are in third place and can't regain the top spot until Week 16 at the earliest.
The loss also opened the door for the Buffalo Bills to win the AFC East.
Had the Patriots won, they would've had an opportunity to clinch the division when they host the Bills next Sunday afternoon. Now, New England will need some help if it wants to be AFC East champions by the end of Week 16.
It's this simple: If the Miami Dolphins lose to the New York Jets on Sunday, the Patriots can clinch the division with a win over the Bills next week. Otherwise, New England would need a win over Buffalo and for Miami to lose when it visits the New Orleans Saints on Monday, Dec. 27. Regardless of all other outcomes, the Patriots would clinch the AFC East with a win over the Bills next Sunday and a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars the following week.
The Patriots can eliminate Buffalo from AFC East contention with a post-Christmas win. However, if the Bills beat the Carolina Panthers on Sunday and then beat New England next week, they would take over first place and hold the divisional tiebreaker over the Patriots. A lot could be on the line at Gillette Stadium.
As for the quest for the AFC's first-round bye, New England no longer is in control of its own destiny. It needs only one more win to clinch the conference record tiebreaker, but that won't matter if other teams finish with better overall records.
The Kansas City Chiefs are 10-4 after their win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday, while the Tennessee Titans are 9-4 ahead of their Week 15 matchup with the Steelers. If Tennessee loses in Pittsburgh on Sunday, the Patriots would move up to second place in the conference. If the Titans win, the Patriots will stay in third place.
So, the loss to Indianapolis made things awfully interesting. A win would've made it nearly impossible for the Bills to win the AFC East and also kept New England in the driver's seat for the AFC's top seed.
Now, next Sunday's game against Buffalo essentially is a must-win game for Mac Jones and Co.
