HOUSTON -- The Patriots never panicked. Now it’s obvious why.
Back-to-back post-Thanksgiving losses, fallen stars and, gasp, a brief taste of life as the third seed in the AFC, but the Patriots emerged from NRG Stadium tonight as the lead dogs in the conference yet again after easily disposing of the Texans, 27-6.
The Patriots (11-2) clinched a playoff spot for the 13th time under Bill Belichick and have regained their edge over the Broncos (10-3) and Bengals (10-3), who play each other in Week 16. If the Patriots win two of their final three games against the Titans, Jets and Dolphins, they’ll secure a first-round bye for the sixth consecutive season.