Patriots

New England heads into the regular season finale with a playoff spot on the line. Matthew Judon Patriots-Dolphins Matthew Judon celebrates the Patriots' win ...

The other early consideration looking at the regular season finale will be the statuses of (among other players) Jonathan Jones and Jakobi Meyers. A win in Week 18 at Buffalo against the Bills guarantees a wild-card spot. The sequence ended with the touchdown to Hill, capping a 14-play drive. The 26-year-old’s combined instincts and athleticism have made him a weapon in Bill Belichick’s defense. New England would have even added a third interception had Devin McCourty held on when a miscommunication between Hill and Bridgewater left him all lone with the ball in his sights. Jonathan Jones even created a turnover when Hill bobbled a pass in the fourth quarter:

Teddy Bridgewater completed 12 of his 19 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown and an interception before leaving with a finger injury. Skylar Thompson entered ...

The Dolphins' onside kick, though, was no good, allowing the Patriots to kneel out the clock. But New England's defense came up with another stop, before the offense went on an 88-yard touchdown drive to take a two-possession lead late in the fourth quarter. The Patriots responded with their first scoring drive since their opening possession, though they had to settle for a long field goal attempt for Nick Folk. The Dolphins came back with a touchdown drive of their own, though, driving 75 yards on 13 plays over 7:20 -- a drive that included a fourth-and-1 conversion in Miami territory after a running into the kicker penalty wiped out a Dolphins punt. In this one, the Patriots got on the board first, after Tyreek Hill was ruled to have been out of bounds on a deep third-down pass on the Dolphins' opening possession. Skylar Thompson entered and went 12-for-21 for 104 yards with an interception and a touchdown with 64 seconds left to make the game interesting.

Now at 8-8, the Patriots will travel to Buffalo for the last game of the regular season, where a win will secure them a spot in the playoffs.

The Dolphins (8-8) entered with a chance to clinch a postseason berth with a victory and loss by the New York Jets at Seattle. We've got to find a way to get into the dance.'' Patriots: LB Ja'Whaun Bentley jogged off on his own power after a collision in the third quarter. ... CB Jonathan Jones walked off on his own power after being shaken up late in the fourth. New England beat Jacksonville that season in the AFC championship game. The Dolphins broke the stalemate in the the third quarter when Bridgewater capped a five-play, 41-yard drive with a 2-yard shovel pass to Raheem Mostert that made it 14-7. The third-stringer had an interception and a late TD pass to Mike Gesicki to trim the deficit to 23-21. It left Jonathan Jones and Myles Bryant as the starters at cornerback, with practice squad elevation Tae Hayes providing support in certain sets as New England stuck mostly to zone. Two series later, the Patriots went up 23-14 on Mac Jones' 1-yard TD pass to Meyers. They can lose and still make the postseason with some help from other teams. Nick Folk cut into the lead on New England's next series with a 49-yard field goal. Meyers touchdown in the fourth quarter put the Pats up by two scores.

The Patriots are one win away from a playoff berth, and they have their defense to thank. We share our takeaways from a gotta-have-it victory over the ...

[Mac Jones](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/mac-jones?b) completed multiple passes of 20-plus yards in the first half, including a 24-yard deep ball to rookie Tyquan Thornton on the Patriots' opening drive. The Patriots entered Sunday without three starting-caliber cornerbacks in Jalen Mills, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones. The Patriots had one more offensive burst in them early in the fourth quarter, though. The running game was a relative nonfactor for the second straight week, with The pick-six was Dugger's third of the season and his second in the last three weeks. If they beat the Bills, they'll automatically qualify for the postseason, and they can still make the playoffs with a loss and some help.

Safety Kyle Dugger's emergence as a defensive-touchdown force has his New England Patriots teammates in awe.

We always mess with him in practice that he always has one of the best hands on the team, and just his athletic ability to be able to go out there and do crazy stuff. New England has scored a franchise-record seven defensive touchdowns and on Sunday became the first NFL team since the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers to score one in four consecutive games. The win over Miami allowed the Patriots to stave off playoff elimination. Safety Devin McCourty: “Any time a guy like Dug, one of our best players overall on the team, gets the ball in his hands — third touchdown of the year. But his play over the last month has turned him into a full-blown superstar in the eyes of his Patriots teammates. For Kyle to do that, it was a really unbelievable play.” He was finding his way in the end zone in college, too, but he’s starting to do it in the league now. He’s a ballplayer. … He’s a specimen. He’s now scored two and had a hand in another in the last month alone. He’s just a matchup problem. The week before that, he forced an Arizona Cardinals fumble that linebacker Raekwon McMillan returned for a touchdown.

Facing a 3rd-and-goal, Jones lofted a pass to his left where Meyers went up and snagged it for a touchdown.

That was a great ball, put it in the perfect place so it just worked out.” We had a couple of options on the play. Several plays earlier facing a third-and-five, Jones delivered a perfect ball to Meyers - who leaked out of the backfield - for a 25-yard conversion. “But Mac saw the matchup, similar to the two-point play that we hit... “He put us in the right position to make plays, gave us real catchable balls. Led by Jones, the two plays were key parts of New England’s 11-play, 89-yard touchdown drive to extend their lead to 23-14 on the day. “I looked at Mac and he looked at me and we were just on the same page. “Mac took that when there were some other options on the play. Puts a lot of stress on the defense. It was a good situational play.” Definitely made a great play. Meyers explained it was a moment receivers pray for to be that open.

Dugger's 39-yard swipe-and-score off of Teddy Bridgewater netted the third-year safety his third defensive touchdown this season, something no Patriot has done ...

Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Mac Jones and select players discuss their game against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, ...

We all understand the game plan, we all understand what to do. We show up week in and week out to try to do the best we can. I think we don't want to go out there and not give it our all I think because of the guys next to us. Again, like I said, I think it's the group as a whole, you see everyone is trying to get a block, everyone is trying to lead the guy to the end zone. "It just kind of shows that the mentality is get the ball and go score, get the ball and go score. I knew I had to get into it to get in the end zone." Some of that is timing that we need to get to throughout the week to make sure we're on the same page. I didn't play as good as I wanted to in the middle of the game. MJ: Yeah, I think we have a lot of great older players on the team. We had a couple of options on the play. Q: How big of a spark was Kyle [Dugger] and what he was able to do there for the entire team? It's been a while since we beat them, so it's definitely good to finally get on the right side of that ledger.

The Dolphins arrived in Foxborough with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who are both in the NFL's top 10 in receiving yardage. Hill was second in the league ...

We didn’t really have a lot of coverage mistakes.” “Keep everything in front of you,” Jabril Peppers said. I know they’re going to continue to fight whatever the situation is, whatever the adversity is. He snared the ball off of Hill’s fingertips and made an athletic move to stay in bounds. [Tyreek Hill](https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2023/01/what-dolphins-tyreek-hill-said-after-loss-to-patriots-miamis-fifth-straight-defeat.html) and [Jaylen Waddle](https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2023/01/patriots-christian-barmore-offers-health-update-explains-his-waddle-sack-celebration.html), who are both in the NFL’s top 10 in receiving yardage. “We did a good job. I know they’re going to keep it pushing once it hits. “It’s a good challenge. The Patriots certainly needed him. You try to be out there and fight.” Hill was second in the league receptions (113) and Waddle was tied for fifth in touchdowns (eight). [The Patriots](https://www.masslive.com/patriots/) were missing Jalen Mills, Marcus Jones and Jack Jones.

Miami, which started Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback with Tua Tagovailoa in concussion protocol, will need to win next week and get some help to advance to the ...

[Buccaneers](https://theathletic.com/nfl/team/buccaneers/) in 2002 to score a touchdown in four straight games and they now lead the [NFL](https://theathletic.com/nfl/) with seven touchdowns. [Buckley: Patriots’ Bill Belichick should return next season, but without the Teflon](https://theathletic.com/4038659/2022/12/28/bill-belichick-patriots-nfl/) [Why the Patriots’ banged-up secondary could decide Sunday’s must-win game vs. The Patriots’ defense is making plays at a historic level. They’re fortunate that the defense keeps them in games until they can put together a decent drive. Bridgewater, who had turned in 161 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-19 passing, was injured on the play and replaced by rookie [Skylar Thompson](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/skylar-thompson-x13HTYuKFtx5KtMt/). The Patriots may struggle on offense, but their defense is good enough to keep them in any game. The Patriots can secure the last AFC wild-card spot with another win against the [Bills](https://theathletic.com/nfl/team/bills/)in Week 18. A 4-for-13 showing on third downs kept the Patriots in the game and Bridgewater’s interception gave them a lead they never relinquished. New England didn’t score an offensive touchdown the rest of the first, second or third quarters, and had to punt five times. After giving up a 10-play, 81-yard scoring drive to New England on the Patriots’ first possession of the game, Miami’s defense regrouped. The Dolphins pinned their hopes on Tagovailoa this season and thought they had a good insurance policy in the veteran Bridgewater. But then Bridgewater threw the pick six into double coverage late in the third quarter, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, he injured a finger on his throwing hand trying to tackle Dugger.

Despite the Patriots' up-and-down season, they are in control of their postseason fate heading into Week 18. Judy Battista explores Sunday's victory over ...

[Tyreek Hill](https://www.nfl.com/players/tyreek-hill/) and 52 for [Jaylen Waddle](https://www.nfl.com/players/jaylen-waddle/), their lowest combined output since Week 5. I don't know what game I said it after or before, but I don't think we have the men in that locker room that have the character to quit." But for now, the offense is doing just enough -- on Sunday, it was an 11-play, 89-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown drive that culminated with [Jakobi Meyers](https://www.nfl.com/players/jakobi-meyers/) finding himself uncovered and waving his hands frantically to call for the ball pre-snap before making the [1-yard TD grab](https://www.nfl.com/videos/jakobi-meyers-1-yard-td-catch-extends-pats-lead-over-fins-to-eight-points-in-fou). Even a late charge into the playoffs can not completely subdue the questions about why Belichick chose to entrust Jones' development and this offense to a former defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia. By this time with Brady, the Patriots were usually worrying only about home-field advantage. The Patriots now control their [postseason fate](https://www.nfl.com/standings/playoff-picture) -- no matter what else happens, if they can beat the Bills in Buffalo [next week](https://www.nfl.com/games/patriots-at-bills-2022-reg-18), they are in. That will probably have to wait for next season, and whatever offensive retooling Bill Belichick undertakes. At the end of the day, we've just got to keep trying to win games, play with each other, try to finish games strong, be able to score more points so they don't have to do that part for us." Safety [Devin McCourty](https://www.nfl.com/players/devin-mccourty/) said the defense talked on Saturday night about needing to score. [seven defensive touchdowns](https://www.patriots.com/news/game-notes-patriots-set-team-record-with-seventh-defensive-touchdown-of-the-seas) in a season, and doing it four games in a row, which is what the Patriots have done this season. Except that the defense kept them alive again, this time with a Nobody expected the sort of dominance the Patriots had enjoyed for nearly two decades with

S Kyle Dugger scores third defensive touchdown of the season. LB Ja'Whaun Bentley sets career-high in tackles. DB Devin McCourty plays in 204th NFL game.

In addition to his pick-six against Miami, he returned a pick 16 yards for a touchdown at Las Vegas, returned a fumble 59 yards for a touchdown vs. The last NFL player with three defensive touchdowns in a season was Darius Slay of Philadelphia in 2021 with one interception returned for a touchdown and two fumbles returned for a touchdown. WR Tyquan Thornton had two receptions of more than 20 yards with a 24-yard pass from QB Mac Jones in the first quarter and 29-yard reception in the third quarter for his two longest receptions. It would be the first 1,000-yard season for a New England Patriots player since 2016 when LeGarrette Blount rushed for 1,161 yards and the 17th time in team history that a player has reached 1,000 yards rushing in a season. He had a 21-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. He has recorded at least 10 special teams tackles for a season for the 11th time. 9 and a 16-yard interception returned for a touchdown at Las Vegas on Dec. DB Kyle Dugger scored his third touchdown of the season after returning a third quarter interception 39 yards for a touchdown. He had a 59-yard fumble returned for a touchdown vs. The last time the Patriots played a home game in December or January with the temperature at 51 degrees or more was Dec. The Patriots scored on their opening drive of the game with a 10-play, 81-yard drive that ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass from QB Mac Jones to WR Tyquan Thornton. The Patriots scored on defense six times in 2003 (5 interceptions and 1 fumble return) and 2007 (3 interception returns and 3 fumble returns).

As the New England Patriots defense continues to excel in the 2022-2023 season, they're getting great production from safety Kyle Dugger.

Especially with Devin McCourty on the verge of retirement, Dugger will be relied on even more to be even more productive. Dugger is a really good tackler, having 67 tackles on the season before the Dolphins game. Missing tackles on several plays can lead to trouble later on in the game. Then on Sunday, when the Patriots needed a spark; Dugger was able to provide it with a 39 yard pick-six off a Teddy Bridgewater throw. Dugger had another pick-six on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins in a 23-21 Patriots win. It’s great to see the former Lenoir-Rhyne University standout find his niche in the NFL.

Kyle Dugger is awesome: Kyle Dugger has now scored three defensive touchdowns this year, and has taken an interception back for a score in two of the last three ...

There’s still a chance: The Patriots kept their playoff hopes alive with the win against the Dolphins on Sunday, and they have the most straightforward path to the playoffs. They just have to capitalize on the opportunity being given to them next weekend, or their season might end without a getting a shot in the playoffs after all. Christian Barmore is back to his difference-making ways: Christian Barmore was back in the lineup again, and saw a good amount of snaps on Sunday. Tyquan Thornton came to play: The speedy rookie finished with three catches for 60 yards and a touchdown, and narrowly missed coming down with another score later in the game. The Patriots seem to lose some of the aggressiveness that makes the defense so good when becoming too conservative down the stretch. That is a big reason why the Patriots retaining the former rookie free agent has to be a priority heading into free agency in three months. With Damien Harris out the last few weeks and Stevenson being forced to shoulder the load, one can’t help but wonder if maybe he is a little run down. Kyle Dugger is awesome: Kyle Dugger has now scored three defensive touchdowns this year, and has taken an interception back for a score in two of the last three games. He has dropped passes, had trouble with blitz pickup, and also has had some ups and downs gaining yards on the ground. That inconsistency is part of the reason why the Patriots haven’t been playing him as much as most fans would like, but there is no denying he can be explosive with the ball in his hands — something this offense desperately needs. He made some good throws — the one to Meyers down the left sideline in triple coverage being one of his best all year — and he did not make any costly errors. It may not have been perfect, but the Patriots are back to .500 with a chance to punch their playoff ticket next week.

At the conclusion of week 17's Sunday Night Football game, the NFL announced the Saturday games for week 18, which helps the Patriots.

But even with a loss in Cincinnati, the results of week 18’s Saturday games will likely determine if The Jaguars have been on a hot streak as of late, winning four of their last five games over the Texans, Jets, Cowboys, and Titans. Now back in the 7th seed, New England remains in control of their fate – a win in Buffalo next week ensures a spot in the playoffs.

Thanks to the NFL's decision to flex next weekend's Kansas City Chiefs-Las Vegas Raiders game to Saturday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills could have the AFC's No.

The Jags will be on short rest against a Titans team that played on Thursday night this week and sat many of its starters. The AFC’s second seed would host the Patriots, Miami Dolphins or Pittsburgh Steelers on wild-card weekend, while the No. Obviously, that approach would increase the Patriots’ chances of booking their own playoff berth, as a win over Buffalo

The NFL flexed Week 18′s Chiefs vs. Raiders matchup to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. As the Bills are neck-and-neck with Kansas City for the AFC's No. 1 seed ...

Generally, teams with seeding scenarios that affect others tend to kick off at the same time in Week 18, but the league opted not to do that here. If Buffalo beats Cincinnati on Monday Night Football and the Chiefs lose next Saturday, the No. As the Bills are neck-and-neck with Kansas City for the AFC’s No.

Currently, the Jaguars are 7-point favorites against the Titans, the Browns are 2.5-point underdogs against the Steelers, and the Jets are 3-point underdogs ...

If the Bills lose on Monday night in Cincinnati, and if the Chiefs beat the Raiders on Saturday, then the Bills would enter Sunday knowing that they have lost the No. And if that's the case, the Bills won't be overly motivated to win on Sunday, knowing that they'll have an important playoff game to play the following weekend. So the odds won't be in the Patriots' favor if they lose to Buffalo. 2 seed over the No. The Browns and the Steelers, that one's a bit of a wild card. 1 seed and the first-round playoff bye.

Trivia: Since Robert Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994, New England has made the playoffs more than any other team in the NFL. Can you name the team that ranks ...

Can you name the team that ranks second in playoff berths over that time period? Patriots playoff scenarios: Following Sunday’s win over the Dolphins, the Patriots are now 8-8. Still, Bill Belichick’s team still controls its destiny to possibly clinch a wild-card berth. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox. Along with the Monday night matchup (Bengals vs. Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.

With a freeform scheduling setup for Week 18, the NFL had two slots on Saturday for games deemed worthy of the national audience. On Saturday, Patrick Mahomes ...

ET. The Bills and Patriots broke the news Monday that Sunday's season finale in Buffalo will kick off at 1 p.m. BOSTON -- As of Monday morning, the Patriots didn't know when, exactly, they'll be kicking off in their season finale in Buffalo against the Bills.

The Patriots will look to rewrite recent history and get a season-extending win against their divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills.

The urgency, the preparation, the focus, the attention to detail, it all needs to be there. And even then, all they might earn is the opportunity to go right back to Buffalo in the Wild Card round to try and do it again. Whatever it is, it's that time of year, we got to figure it out and do those things," said Devin McCourty on Sunday night. The Patriots defense has continued to make those kinds of key plays over the final stretch, with Kyle Dugger's pick-six vs. At the center of it is Josh Allen, who has 10 throwing touchdowns and no interceptions in those last three contests vs. The question now is can this Patriots team flip the script on their last three performances against Buffalo? "We'll put everything we have into this one and be ready for a team that we played fairly recently, that's clearly one of the top teams in the league. "I've been a part of a lot of teams here. "We're just gonna control what we can control, it's one game season for us, that's the way we looked at last week and that's the way we look at this week," said Bill Belichick on Monday morning. But it's a tall order for New England, one that requires knocking off Josh Allen and the Bills, a team the Patriots have had few answers for over the last three matchups. Also, depending on Monday night's result in the Bills-Bengals game and then next Saturday's Chiefs-Raiders game, Buffalo could be out of the top seed running by the time they take on the Patriots. the Bills with a win and you're in.

The Patriots will face the Buffalo Bills in Week 18 in control of their playoff fate.

Here are 3 big takeaways from the New England Patriots' 23-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Bourne’s explosive ability is the kind that this New England offense has desperately been lacking all season, and even with the playoffs on the line, he is still barely getting playing time. Bourne finally got his breakout performance of the season last weekend against the Bengals, during which he recorded 100 receiving yards and a touchdown on six receptions. On the flip side of Thornton’s performance was that of fellow receiver Kendrick Bourne. However, on Sunday Patricia finally decided to give the rookie his share of playing time, and Thornton did not disappoint. The Patriots were lining up for a 3rd and goal play from Miami’s 2-yard line, and had brought in a jumbo set to try and pound the ball into the end zone. While the offensive playcalling of Matt Patricia has likely played a large role in hindering Thornton’s first year progress, he has not made the most of his own opportunities either. However, the zone scheme meant the Patriots were exposed to short passes, and Miami was able to take advantage of the weakness. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones started the season looking a bit erratic with his throws, but in the back half of the season, he’s significantly calmed down and played safe football. Patriots rookie second-round pick Tyquan Thornton has had a relatively quiet season, despite coming into the year as the fastest receiver in New England’s corps. However, it was an uncharacteristically weak ending for a defense that has looked incredibly strong all season long, and hopefully one that does not linger into next week’s matchup against a Buffalo Bills team fighting for the No. A week after their controversial last-second loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the New England Patriots took on the Miami Dolphins at home. While the defense still played well on Sunday, it was far below the standard we have grown accustomed to this season.

Kyle Dugger made another huge play in a gotta-have-it game to help keep the Patriots' season alive. As Phil Perry writes, Dugger's elite athleticism is ...

His interception of Teddy Bridgewater was a good example of the number of ways in which he can be used. The guy has been tremendous." "Got some odd drops, saw my threat was eliminated, so I was able to get my eyes back to the quarterback and get around to the backside vertical (route). "I would say over the latter part of the season he's played great football. He lit it up at the Senior Bowl against some of the best Power-Five conference talent in the country. For Kyle to do that, it was a really unbelievable play." When he gets his hands on the ball, he's a hard guy to get. "You don’t get a lot of Kyle Duggers in your locker room," Jonathan Jones said. Dugger has now scored on interceptions twice in the last three weeks. It's not every day that you see a safety who's 6-foot-2, fast, can cover in the slot, can knock you out. [Watch on YouTube](https://youtu.be/iBhuhRBWqHk) So much so that even in a building full of elite athletes, he's described as different.

The Patriots' defense has more than done its part this season. But can the other two units pull their weight? As Phil Perry writes, we saw flashes Sunday of ...

Hopefully the best is yet to come." Even think back to the Giants, they were 9-7 in 2011 when they beat us in the Super Bowl. The Rams went to the Super Bowl in 1979, they were 9-7. Can the Patriots become that complementary model they chase despite having struggled to get there through the vast majority of the season? We need our defense to play well. "We want to win by any means possible," safety Adrian Phillips said. "You get to stay on the sideline. You get to talk about the stuff that they're doing with [ The Patriots defense allowed a last-ditch touchdown drive by Miami, but held on to win the game 23-21 and keep their season alive. You get to rest. We need our special teams to play well. "We need the offense to play well.

Rex Ryan made a rare pivot to praise Bill Belichick after the Patriots' win over the Dolphins. The problem? Ryan's take really doesn't carry any water.

Next weekend's schedule could allow New England an advantage in its do-or-die game against the Buffalo Bills.

[familiar quarterback Jarrett Stidham](https://www.si.com/nfl/patriots/news/new-england-patriots-jarrett-stidham-first-start-las-vegas-raiders-tom-brady) Saturday, Buffalo would lose the No. The Jags will be on short rest against a Titans team that played on Thursday night this week and sat many of its starters. The Bills blew them out, 47-17, in the Wild Card game last season. The NFL decided to flex next weekend's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders to Saturday afternoon, meaning by Sunday the Bills could have the AFC's No. The AFC’s No. That potentially huge advantage arose Monday morning when the NFL announced a portion of its Week 18 schedule.

Rex Ryan has lofty praise for his former rival coach Bill Belichick following the Patriots' win over the Dolphins.

That being said, the fact that they're even in contention is yet another testament to Belichick's coaching ability. But that’s not it, they score with those turnovers.” "The roster may be JV, but the coaching’s not. That’s why I call it a JV team." “When I look at it, because I compare the current New England roster to when I coached against them, there’s one player on that team that would have started for those teams — and that’s Matt Judon,” ESPN’s Ryan said. Especially to Rex Ryan, who compared the talent level of this Patriots team to the ones he faced when he was the coach of AFC East rival New York Jets.

Led by a defensive unit with seven touchdowns, the New England Patriots remain in the playoff hunt with a big win over the Miami Dolphins.

Dugger’s [third-quarter Pick Six ](https://www.si.com/nfl/patriots/news/new-england-patriots-miami-dolphins-kyle-dugger-touchdown-interception)gave New England a 16-14 lead it would not give up. [Click Here](https://www.si.com/nfl/patriots/news) The guy has been tremendous." It's something that's given us a great boost as a team," McCourty said. It was the third defensive touchdown of the season for Dugger — the first Patriot to reach that level since 1970. New England’s running game was also nonexistent as Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson combined for just 74 yards.

The New England Patriots control their playoff hopes and dreams yet again as their 23-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins awarded them possession of the ...

The New England Patriots once again control their own fate in the playoff hunt, following Sunday's 23-21 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Soon, the Patriots will need to make decisions on a few players who are free agents in 2023. Talented players will still find ways to be productive, but the Patriots defense has been a steam train since this season started. But a lot of the success is owed to Myles Bryant and Jonathan Jones, who were tasked with shadowing the elite receivers more so than Hayes or Quandre Mosely The Patriots could potentially be a sneaky problem for playoff teams if they can find consistency here. The Patriots offense wasn’t as explosive as they were last week. The Patriots offensive line managed to keep Jones protected, while the receivers benefitted from a depleted Dolphins secondary with more spacing than normal.

Patriots lose to Bills, Jets beat Dolphins, Jaguars beat Titans AND Browns beat Steelers. The Titans and Jaguars play Saturday night at 8:15 p.m ET, so if ...

So if Jacksonville wins Saturday night and the Patriots get down early to the Bills, fans will have to channel-surf to hope the Jets and Browns pull off upsets. [then Buffalo will have clinched the No. 7 seed, but holding onto that spot will be a challenge.

The Patriots (8-8) can clinch the seventh and final AFC playoff spot with a victory. The Bills, who face the Bengals on “Monday Night Football” to close out ...

The Patriots (8-8) can clinch the seventh and final AFC playoff spot with a victory. The league had kept its Week 18 schedule open to maximize competitive balance. Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during football season.

The NFL locked in their final weekend of games with the Patriots and Bills setting their matchup time.

Their finale against the Ravens is the only remaining game time to be finalized. [a win will secure their spot](https://www.patriots.com/news/can-patriots-flip-bills-script-to-punch-playoff-ticket) as the seventh and final playoff participant in the AFC, but even with a loss New England could still possibly back into the final spot. Now the full Sunday slate is also determined.

Sometimes, coincidences are too cool to ignore. That was the case for New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and United States Navy Lieutenant Rob “MAC” ...

Jones had a gift for him, too – an autographed Patriots football with "Mac To Mac" inscribed on it. "You're the bad a--." Dolan brought gifts from Japan to Jones – including a patch he wears on his flight suit and another representing his squadron, the VFA 102 "Diamondbacks." "So, for Christmas, he gave me the patches and hat that he asked me to bring home. "So Mac and MAC kind of happened synonymously." Dolan began answering to MAC – which may or may not be an acronym of "Missed A Curfew."

BOSTON -- As of Monday morning, the Patriots didn't know when, exactly, they'll be kicking off in their season finale in Buffalo against the Bills.

ET. The Bills and Patriots broke the news Monday that Sunday's season finale in Buffalo will kick off at 1 p.m. BOSTON -- As of Monday morning, the Patriots didn't know when, exactly, they'll be kicking off in their season finale in Buffalo against the Bills.

The Patriots' best shot at reaching the postseason involves beating the Bills next weekend -- which is why New England fans should root for Buffalo against ...

[need to beat the Bills in their Week 18 finale in order to reach the postseason](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/2022-nfl-playoff-picture-updated-afc-standings-scenarios-entering-week-18?b). It's nearly impossible to imagine New England beating a Bills team playing for the No. But consider this: There is one scenario in which the Bills can clinch the No.

Rex Ryan made a rare pivot to praise Bill Belichick after the Patriots' win over the Dolphins. The problem? Ryan's take really doesn't carry any water.

Ryan's point is that the Patriots should be much worse than their 8-8 record based on their lack of overall talent, and that Belichick deserves credit for polishing the turd to get his team one win away from a playoff berth. The Patriots rank dead last in red zone touchdown percentage (41.5 percent) even after scoring a pair of red zone TDs on Sunday and rank 26th in third-down success rate (35.2 percent). But that's a minor detail. "The roster may be JV, but the coaching's not. And here's the thing about that defense: It doesn't just stop you or make you punt or whatever. Not his worst.

The New England Patriots somehow have control of their playoff fate entering the final week of the season, even after a year marred by poor offensive play ...

The Patriots were treated to an unseasonably warm game-time temperature of 51 degrees against the Dolphins. It would be the first 1,000-yard season for a Patriots player since 2016, when LeGarrette Blount rushed for 1,161 yards. The last NFL player with three defensive TDs in a season was Darius Slay of Philadelphia last year. Left tackle Trent Brown added to his penalty total, getting flagged for a false start in the second quarter. His 39-yard pick-6 was his third defensive TD of the season. The latest example — Kyle Dugger’s third-quarter, go-ahead interception return for a touchdown in New England’s