Patriots Will Make Playoffs, First-Round Bye In Doubt After Texans Pass New England In AFC Standings

The New England Patriots could soon find themselves in an unfamiliar position. There is a good chance Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Co. won’t have a first-round bye in this year’s NFL playoffs.

After losing on the road to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15, the Patriots are a game behind the Houston Texans for the AFC’s No.2 seed. With just two games left in the 2018 regular season, New England is in danger of having to play on Wild-Card Weekend for the first time since the 2009 season.

New England owns the tiebreaker over Houston because they beat the Texans in the season opener. If the Patriots are able to win at home against the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in their final two games, they’ll need Houston to lose one more time before the playoffs.

After a 10-4 start, the Texans will likely be favored in each of the next two weeks. Their toughest matchup comes in Week 16 when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles just won on the road against the Los Angeles Rams, but they have a .500 record and will likely start Nick Foles again over the injured Carson Wentz. Houston ends the season at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have just one victory since Week 4.

The Patriots do have some work to do before officially clinching a playoff berth, though that shouldn’t be a problem. They’ve got a two-game lead over the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East, and their magic number is down to one. Even if New England was somehow upset by Buffalo and New York in consecutive weeks, Miami would have to beat the Jaguars and Bills to win the division.

With a 9-5 record, the Patriots already have more losses than they did in any of the previous eight seasons. New England lost in the first round in the 2009 season, which was the last time the Patriots didn’t win at least 12 games.

If New England gets the No.3 seed, it would set up a first-round playoff game with the No.6 seed. The Baltimore Ravens are the No.6 seed after Week 15, but they’ve got competition from the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.

Brady and Belichick have never reached the Super Bowl together without a first-round bye. The Patriots are 3-5 on the road this season.