The New England Patriots have had a spectacular season, but are not yet guaranteed a spot in the playoffs after their 35-31 defeat to the Bills.

With Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye at the helm, the team sits atop the AFC East with an 11-3 record, which will require them to wait another week at the very least. For the Pats to seal a playoff berth in week 16, here’s what needs to happen as per the NFL official account.

“New England clinches a playoff berth if the NE win or tie OR, IND loss or tie OR, HOU loss or tie”

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The Patriots sort of sabotaged their own standing, as initially the team looked unstoppable against the Bills with a 21-0 lead. But then, the Bills’ offense exploded, and the Patriots’ 10-game winning streak went up in smoke with that heartbreaking 35-31 final score.

Their defeat not only impacted their standing in the playoff race, but also made the Denver Broncos major favorites to secure the highly desirable No. 1 seed. They hold a crucial tiebreaker advantage over New England and are now up by two games with only three left in the season.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are facing intense pressure from teams right behind them. The Jacksonville Jaguars are only one game down and hold the tiebreaker advantage because of a better conference record. The Buffalo Bills are also just one game back and are in a position to potentially leapfrog New England for the division lead if the Patriots drop even one of their two remaining games against division rivals, the Jets and the Dolphins.

Securing a win in their next games would not only secure the playoff berth but also keep them in the thick of the race for the AFC’s coveted No. 1 seed and the first-round bye!

Drake Maye shares his honest opinion on the upcoming week’s games

The Patriots’ recent loss to the Buffalo Bills, which ended their impressive ten-game winning streak, saw quarterback Drake Maye struggle with his arm but succeed with his legs. Maye threw for a season-low of just 155 yards and failed to throw a touchdown pass for only the second time this season, a performance he commented on by saying,

“It was a long stretch where we were feeling good about ourselves. Now it’s about responding from losing to a good team.”

Despite the poor passing day, where Buffalo did well to limit big plays and no Patriots receiver topped 41 yards, Maye was a scoring factor, rushing for two touchdowns (an 8-yard score and a 7-yard TD) in the first quarter, adding to his season total.

Running back TreVeyon Henderson was the true standout, scoring New England’s final two touchdowns on explosive runs of 52 and 65 yards and racking up 148 rushing yards on only 14 carries, an effort that earned praise from his head coach and quarterback.

Looking ahead to a Week 16 date with Baltimore, Maye remains a recommended fantasy option due to his rushing production, as he has finished as a top-13 fantasy QB in all but three games, though his receiving group remains a shaky fantasy proposition.

The Patriots are in desperate need to secure victories in all their remaining games if they are looking to stay at the top of their division and make it to the playoffs.