FOXBORO, Mass. — The odds remain against the New England Patriots making the 2022 NFL playoffs.
But thanks to Sunday’s win over the Miami Dolphins, that outcome is at least possible for Bill Belichick’s club.
The Patriots’ 23-21 victory at Gillette Stadium kept them alive in the race for the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot. A loss to the Dolphins would have officially eliminated them from postseason contention with one week remaining.
How can New England get in? There are two ways it can clinch a playoff berth next week.
The first is straightforward: beat the Bills next Sunday in Buffalo. That result would make the Patriots the AFC’s third wild card and No. 7 seed regardless of how their fellow playoff hopefuls fare. They would visit the No. 2 seed (either Buffalo, Kansas City or Cincinnati) on wild-card weekend.
Can they do it? Oddsmakers don’t like their chances.
The Patriots opened as 9.5-point road underdogs. They’ve lost five of their last six and three straight against the Bills, including a noncompetitive 24-10 defeat in Week 13. Buffalo still has a first-round bye and home-field advantage to play for, and New England is dealing with some key injuries on both sides of the ball, most notably at cornerback and wide receiver.
A win might not be necessary, however. The Patriots could stumble in Buffalo — where they were blown out 47-17 in last year’s playoffs — and still earn that seventh seed, but only if they get help from a few AFC foes.
If the Patriots lose in Week 18, they would clinch a playoff spot if:
— The New York Jets beat the Dolphins AND
— The Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers AND
— The Jacksonville Jaguars beat or tie the Tennessee Titans
The Dolphins still can get in with a win and a New England loss, but they’ll likely be down to third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson with Tua Tagovailoa in concussion protocol and Teddy Bridgewater reportedly suffering a broken hand during Sunday’s loss in Foxboro.
A Titans victory coupled with a Patriots loss would get both Tennessee and Jacksonville into the playoffs — the former as the AFC South champion and the latter as the third wild card.
The Steelers, who started the season 2-6, kept their unlikely quest for a playoff spot alive with a come-from-behind win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. A loss would have eliminated them and made New England’s path a bit less complicated.
The Patriots did benefit from losses by the Jets and Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, as both officially were eliminated. After Sunday’s results, FiveThirtyEight gave New England a 29% chance of making the playoffs.
Minutes after dispatching Miami to snap a two-game losing skid, Patriots players already had shifted their focus to Buffalo.
“It’s going to be a dogfight in a hostile environment against one of the best teams in the league,” safety Adrian Phillips said. “What more can you ask for?”
The kickoff time for Patriots-Bills at Highmark Stadium has yet to be announced.
