The Patriots suffered a defeat against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but their chances of securing the AFC East title remain promising.
New England still has three regular season games remaining, playing the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
Brad Gagnon from Bleacher Report outlined the Patriots’ ideal scenario for the remainder of the regular season.
“Beat the Ravens on the road in Week 16 to show some much-needed resiliency, then clinch the AFC East title by taking care of the division-rival Jets and/or Dolphins to close out the regular season,” Gagnon wrote on Wednesday.
The Patriots can secure a playoff spot with a win or a tie against the Ravens this Sunday. However, New England will need to wait for the outcome of the last two weeks, which will be determined by division opponents, to see if it can clinch the AFC East title.
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New England currently has an 11-3 record, while Buffalo is at 10-4. If the Patriots win their remaining games, they will secure the AFC East title. However, after losing to Buffalo in Week 15, they lost the head-to-head tiebreaker, as the Patriots and Bills split their matchups this season.
The next tiebreaker is based on wins against division opponents. The Patriots have a 3-1 record, while the Bills are 3-2 following their loss to the Dolphins.
Even if the Patriots lose to the Ravens but defeat the Jets and Dolphins, New England will still claim the AFC East title, even if the Bills win all their remaining games.
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Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
