Patriots Remain Atop AFC, AFC East as Playoff Race Tightens

New England has a two-game advantage in the AFC East, thanks to some help from and old friend.

Having spent Week Fourteen of the 2021 NFL Season on a much-needed bye, the New England Patriots will begin preparations for their Week Fifteen matchup with the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, December 18. As was the case entering the week, the Patriots remain the top-seeded team in the AFC. However, thanks to an old friend, they now have a two-game lead in the AFC East.

Tom Brady led a 94-yard touchdown drive capped by 58-yard connection with Breshad Perriman to clinch the victory for his Tampa Buccaneers over his former team’s division-rival Buffalo Bills. After trailing 24-3 at the half, the Bills put together an impressive second-half rally sent the game to overtime. Still, old habits seemed to die hard, as Brady once again orchestrated another game winning drive, and in the process, continued his mastery over Buffalo. As a result, the Bills fell to 7-6, and are two full games behind New England in the AFC East, as well as seventh overall on the Conference standings. After their fifth loss in their last eight games, Buffalo has four games remaining against the Panthers, Patriots, Falcons, and Jets.

Following the game, quarterback Josh Allen was spotted during his postgame press conference wearing a walking boot. Allen had his left ankle taped on the sidelines and reportedly had his left big toe checked out, as well, according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk. As he met with reporters on Sunday evening, Allen said he was feeling “pretty sore” but didn’t think the injury was anything to worry about, considering he finished the game. He will undergo tests Monday.

Josh Allen in a walking boot. Says he doesn’t know how serious but he finished game so doesn’t think it’s big deal. pic.twitter.com/7vsT6PQx9r

— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) December 13, 2021

In addition to their lead in the division, the Patriots also entered their bye week as the AFC's top seed. Though their tiebreaker advantage would ensure that the Pats would keep the number one spot in the conference, they now share the same numerical win-loss record with both the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City continued their late-season surge with a 48-9 dismantling of the Las Vegas Raiders. Not to be outdone, Tennessee shut-out the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-0. As Sunday drew to a close, the Patriots, Chiefs and Titans were all 9-4. As previously mentioned, New England retains the Conference’s top spot by owning the tiebreaker with the best in-conference record (7-1), followed by Tennessee (6-3) and Kansas City (4-4).

Though they possessed the number one position in the AFC just a couple of short weeks ago, the Baltimore Ravens continued their decline, following their loss to their AFC North-rival Cleveland Browns. Despite their dropping to 8-5 on the season, the Ravens may have more pressing problems. Quarterback Lamar Jackson left Sunday’s matchup against the Browns early with an ankle sprain. Immediately following the game, ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported that the Ravens expect to know more about Jackson’s status going forward on Monday.

Heading into Week Fifteen, here is a look at the playoff race in the AFC:

1. New England Patriots, 9-4 (AFC East leader)

2. Tennessee Titans, 9-4 (AFC South leader)

3. Kansas City Chiefs, 9-4 (AFC West leader)

4. Baltimore Ravens, 8-5 (AFC North leader)

5. Los Angeles Chargers, 8-5 (First wild card)

6. Indianapolis Colts, 7-6 (Second wild card)

7. Buffalo Bills, 7-6 (Third wild card)

In The Hunt:

8. Cleveland Browns, 7-6

9. Cincinnati Bengals, 7-6

10. Denver Broncos, 7-6

11. Pittsburgh Steelers, 6-6-1

12. Las Vegas Raiders, 6-7

13. Miami Dolphins, 6-7

As for the Patriots, their push for the playoffs will begin on Saturday against the Colts, who sit at 7-6 and are also coming off their bye. The Pats will then return home for matchups against the Bills and Jaguars (2-11). They close their season against the Miami Dolphins (6-7) on Sunday, January 9. The collective record of the teams remaining on their schedule is 22-30, with a .423 winning percentage. At present, only the Tennessee Titans have an easier path to the playoffs by strength of schedule.