{"id":39437,"date":"2025-12-10T11:59:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T11:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=39437"},"modified":"2025-12-10T11:59:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T11:59:31","slug":"how-the-patriots-can-clinch-afc-east-title-playoff-berth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=39437","title":{"rendered":"How the Patriots can clinch AFC East title, playoff berth"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<nav aria-label=\"articleLabel\">\n<ol id=\"articleLabel__list\"><\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\">\n<article id=\"arc-KUGMJSMAHNCXHAOBLAS7VT3N7Y\" data-type=\"article\">\n<div>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/resizer\/v2\/PIBQVOZ6HZH2TCFPBXNTDRSVI4.jpg?auth=80d165a9d8a4604b6a502de0df73b3a622243b281eaa5669ab5816e99144d1c0&amp;width=1280&amp;smart=true&amp;quality=90\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, (max-width: 800px) 80vw, 60vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/resizer\/v2\/PIBQVOZ6HZH2TCFPBXNTDRSVI4.jpg?auth=80d165a9d8a4604b6a502de0df73b3a622243b281eaa5669ab5816e99144d1c0&amp;width=500&amp;smart=true&amp;quality=90 500w, https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/resizer\/v2\/PIBQVOZ6HZH2TCFPBXNTDRSVI4.jpg?auth=80d165a9d8a4604b6a502de0df73b3a622243b281eaa5669ab5816e99144d1c0&amp;width=800&amp;smart=true&amp;quality=90 800w, https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/resizer\/v2\/PIBQVOZ6HZH2TCFPBXNTDRSVI4.jpg?auth=80d165a9d8a4604b6a502de0df73b3a622243b281eaa5669ab5816e99144d1c0&amp;width=1280&amp;smart=true&amp;quality=90 1280w\" alt=\"How the Patriots can clinch AFC East title, playoff berth\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p id=\"FMMSNB62NFEDNBHGLEK6RQ22C4\">The Patriots can clinch a playoff berth on Sunday. They can do it a very simple, direct, easy way or a very convoluted way.<\/p>\n<p id=\"7T2XUMIOLZA4NBNG3DFAH4NWXE\">The simple way is to beat the Buffalo Bills at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium. That would clinch the AFC East title too and assure them of finishing no worse than the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.<\/p>\n<p id=\"QV55GP7ARFBY5PAWG6ZA7S6JTQ\">If the Patriots and Bills tie and either the Chargers or Jaguars lose, New England is in.<\/p>\n<p id=\"5K5X4KSPKJCPHLLUVDH7TG7OLU\">If the Patriots tie and Houston or Indianapolis loses or ties, New England is guaranteed a postseason spot. Still there have been two ties in the same weekend, just once in the last 50 years.<\/p>\n<p id=\"PTRDDPBINVALFGMPOSITC66OXY\">If the Bills win, the Patriots can lose and still sew up their postseason, but a tie is required there, too. New England would need Houston to lose or tie and Indy to lose or tie. But they can\u2019t both tie.<\/p>\n<p id=\"4FXYQSWX5VDQLNVBX2DKBFUS3M\">Like the Patriots, the Broncos are 11-2. Denver hosts the Packers at 4:25 p.m.<\/p>\n<p id=\"NRDURS7GTNE3XPZR5V45OECWYM\">They can\u2019t clinch their division yet, but can secure a postseason berth with a win or a tie\/loss with all of the same conditions as New England.<\/p>\n<p id=\"IXTYJW2CQNF6JG5IA5F5YWLWXE\">In the NFC, the Rams can clinch a spot with a win. There are no other scenarios that earn anyone a spot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s a direct path and a not-so-direct path for New England.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-england-patriots"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How the Patriots can clinch AFC East title, playoff berth - Breaking News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=39437\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How the Patriots can clinch AFC East title, playoff berth - 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