"The Patriots would need a shorthanded Chargers team to beat the Broncos on Sunday evening. The Patriots have already clinched both a playoff berth and the AFC East entering the final week of the 2025 NFL regular season. Still, New England has something to play for on Sunday evening against the Dolphins, as the No. 1 seed in the AFC has yet to be determined. New England - currently holding court as the No. 2 seed in the conference - does need a lot to go its way in Week 18 in order to take that top seed."
"That scenario became pretty bleak on Monday evening, given the Chargers' roster plans this weekend. Speaking to reporters in California, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh announced that starting quarterback Justin Herbert will not play on Sunday in Denver, with Los Angeles instead choosing to protect their star player and roll with backup Trey Lance instead."
"That's bad news for the Patriots, as just a win outright against the Dolphins won't be enough to leapfrog the Broncos in the standings. If both the Patriots and Broncos win on Sunday, they'll both sit with identical 14-3 records. However, the Broncos hold the tie-breaker over the Patriots due to Denver holding the better record against common opponents."
New England has clinched a playoff berth and the AFC East but currently sits as the AFC No. 2 seed ahead of Week 18. The Patriots must beat the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium and rely on the Los Angeles Chargers to upset the Denver Broncos in Denver to claim the No. 1 seed. The Chargers announced they will rest starting quarterback Justin Herbert and play Trey Lance, reducing the likelihood of an upset. The Chargers finished 11-5 and cannot overtake Denver's 13-3 AFC West title. If both New England and Denver win, Denver retains the top seed via a better record against common opponents.
Read at Boston.com
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