We’ll know by Sunday afternoon whether the Patriots will be able to hang onto the AFC’s second playoff seed in order to secure a first-round bye.
It should be a slam-dunk.
In order for the Chiefs to come in and steal the seed away, Kansas City would need to beat the Chargers at home while the Patriots lost to the lowly Dolphins.
If the game were in Miami, all bets would be off, no matter how lousy the competition.
At Gillette? Nope.
There are still a few other shoes to drop as far as the AFC playoff picture is concerned, but the Patriots’ divisional round showdown is still setting up to be one of the more potent matchups in recent years.