For the tenth time in a row and 15th time in the last 16 years, the New England Patriots clinch the AFC East crown. With a win on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots set a record for consecutive playoff seasons with ten. The Patriots broke a three-way tie with the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts, who both had nine straight postseason appearances.
New England Patriots Clinch AFC East
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The New England Patriots run of success is unprecedented in this era, and this latest division crown is just further proof of that. With the Patriots winning today, they clinched their tenth-consecutive postseason appearance, breaking a tie for most in league history. Peyton Manning’s Colts made it to nine straight from 2002 to 2010, while Tom Landry and Roger Staubach did the same from 1975 to 1983.
Perhaps more impressively, the Patriots are just the second team in all four major American sports to win ten straight division titles. According to Elias, the only other franchise to achieve this feat were the Atlanta Braves. The Braves won their division in 11 straight years, starting in 1995. Additionally, they won their division from 1991 – 1993 and probably would have won it in 1994 were it not for the MLB strike.
While the Patriots may have won the division, they still have plenty to play for the rest of the way. New England is currently in a battle for the final playoff bye in the AFC. Despite holding identical records, the Patriots currently hold the two seed thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Houston Texans. If both teams finish with identical records, the Patriots will get the higher seed. Look for both teams to enter Week 17 with the all-important playoff bye on the line.
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