If the NFL season ended this week, the Patriots would be visiting the Tennesee Titans in an AFC wild-card round matchup.
New England pulled off a miraculous 10-3 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, with rookie cornerback Marcus Jones delivering a game-winning punt return touchdown in the final seconds. With the victory, the Patriots completed a season sweep of the Jets, who entered the game ahead of New England in the AFC East standings.
The Patriots now hold the No. 6 seed in the AFC standings, moving up one spot from last week. Nothing that happens during the rest of Week 11 can impact New England's spot in the AFC playoff picture, including its hypothetical first-round matchup.
Here are the updated AFC standings:
1. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2, at Chargers)
2. Miami Dolphins (7-3)
3. Tennessee Titans (7-3)
4. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
5. Buffalo Bills (7-3)
6. New England Patriots (6-4)
7. Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)
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8. New York Jets (6-4)
9. Los Angeles Chargers (5-4, vs. Chiefs)
10. Indianapolis Colts (4-6-1)
Sunday night's game between the Chiefs and the Chargers could adjust the standings.
Nothing will change if Kansas City wins. But if Los Angeles pulls off the upset, it would leapfrog New York in the standings while sending the Chiefs to the second seed and the Dolphins to the top seed.
As for the Patriots, they would move into second place in the AFC East (thanks to divisional-record tiebreaker) if they beat the Vikings in Minnesota on Thursday night and the Bills lose to the Detroit Lions earlier in the day. Such a scenario wouldn't really matter, though, as the Patriots and Bills then will face off at Gillette Stadium in the Week 12 edition of "Thursday Night Football."
