With the majority of Week 17’s action already passed, the New England Patriots playoff seeding is now set in stone. New England will hold the number two seed in the AFC playoffs, earning a first-round playoff bye. The Patriots, at the very least, will host a playoff game during the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. New England has earned a playoff bye every year since the 2010 season.

New England Patriots Playoff Seeding: New England Earns Number Two Seed

The Patriots entered Week 17 with a 10-5 record and holding the head-to-head tiebreaker on the Houston Texans. New England just needed to win against the New York Jets in order to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Patriots took care of business, putting together one of their most complete games of the season in a 38-3 win.

However, the Patriots had to wait for the end of the 4:00 games to know their playoff destiny. While it appeared unlikely, New England remained alive for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Patriots would have needed the Kansas City Chiefs to lose to the Oakland Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers to lose to the Denver Broncos.

Neither scenario happened. Kansas City won in dominating fashion over the Oakland Raiders by a final margin of 35-3. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns, while the defense forced two Derek Carr interceptions. The Chargers, meanwhile, won their season finale, 23-9. Despite an underwhelming game by Philip Rivers, the Los Angeles defense limited quarterback Case Keenum to just one touchdown.

The Patriots will sit out Wild Card Weekend before facing either the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, or Los Angeles Chargers. Houston holds the three seed and will play New England if they win on Wild Card Weekend. Should they fall, New England will face off against the winner of the Ravens/Chargers Wild Card game.

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