One year after finishing bottom of the AFC East with a 4-13 record, the Patriots find themselves in prime position to land the AFC’s top seed in the 2026 playoffs.
New England has found life throughout the regular season, with Mike Vrabel’s side racing out to a 13-3 record through 17 weeks. Fueled by Vrabel’s tactical nous and Drake Maye’s exploits, the Patriots picked up an AFC East title, the first such accomplishment to be handed to a team other than the Bills since 2019.
New England will need some help if its hopes to scale the AFC’s regular-season mountaintop. Fortunately, the Patriots have responded to most challenges directed their way. Maye has been at the heart of those reactions, tossing feathers across the field en route to emerging as the NFL MVP frontrunner. Can he direct a still-developing New England side to postseason success? Only time will tell.
With that, here’s a look at the Patriots’ playoff picture in 2026.
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NFL playoff bracket 2026
Patriots playoff picture
The Patriots remain in the thick of the race for the AFC’s top seed, posting a 13-3 record and trailing only the current No. 1 seed, the Broncos. Denver has the advantage in the common games tiebreaker, sporting a 5-0 record against common foes compared to New England’s 4-1.
With the Patriots convincingly beating the Dolphins, they now need the Broncos to lose to the Chargers to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Denver Broncos* | 14-3 |
| 2 | New England Patriots* | 14-3 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars* | 13-4 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-7 |
| 5 | Houston Texans* | 12-5 |
| 6 | Buffalo Bills* | 12-5 |
| 7 | Los Angeles Chargers* | 11-6 |
| 8 | Baltimore Ravens | 8-8 |
| 9 | Indianapolis Colts – eliminated | 8-9 |
| 10 | Miami Dolphins – eliminated | 7-10 |
| 11 | Cincinnati Bengals – eliminated | 6-11 |
| 12 | Kansas City Chiefs – eliminated | 6-10 |
| 13 | Cleveland Browns – eliminated | 5-12 |
| 14 | Tennessee Titans – eliminated | 3-14 |
| 15 | New York Jets – eliminated | 3-13 |
| 16 | Las Vegas Raiders – eliminated | 2-14 |
*=clinched playoff spot
As a result of the Patriots’ win over the Dolphins, they’ve locked in the second seed in the AFC after the Broncos defeated the Chargers.
