The New England Patriots can clinch the AFC East with a win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
If the Patriots lose, they can still at least clinch their first postseason berth in four years.
New England’s playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 15, however, are complicated.
The Patriots, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams are the only teams that can officially wrap up a postseason spot on Sunday.
New England kicks off at 1 p.m. ET though, so with Denver and Los Angeles not playing until the late window, the Patriots could be the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth this season.
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The Patriots clinch a playoff berth with:
- NE win OR
- NE tie + LAC loss OR
- NE tie + HOU loss or tie OR
- NE tie + IND loss or tie OR
- NE tie + JAX loss OR
- HOU loss or tie + IND loss or tie as long as both games don’t end in a tie
The Indianapolis Colts don’t play until 4:25 p.m. ET, so if New England falls to Buffalo, Patriots fans would have to wait until Sunday evening to see if the long-awaited “X” will finally show up next to their team in the standings.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
