Can Patriots still win the AFC East after losing to Bills?
By Scott Rogust
Even after losing to the Buffalo Bills in Week 16, the New England Patriots can still win the AFC East.
The New England Patriots had the chance to win the AFC East title on Week 16 if they were to defeat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and if the Miami Dolphins were to suffer a loss or tie with the New Orleans Saints on Monday. Those hopes ended after the Bills defeated the Patriots 33-21 on Sunday.
Sure, New England may have lost out on the chance to win the division title on Sunday, but that does not mean they are totally out of contention. Let’s take a look at their odds of winning the AFC East this season.
How the Patriots can win the AFC East after loss to Bills
According to the New York Times‘ playoff path simulator, a loss to Buffalo would give New England approximately over a 20-percent chance of winning the division.
With this loss in the books, New England needs additional help to win the AFC East crown even if they win their remaining two games of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins. Here is one potential scenario for the Patriots to win the division:
- New England defeats Jacksonville in Week 17
- Buffalo loses to Atlanta Falcons in Week 17
- New England defeats Miami in Week 18
We suggest using the simulator in the link above to test out the ways New England can win the division. Long story short, the Patriots will need to win out the rest of the season and the Bills to suffer a loss to either the Falcons in Week 17 or the New York Jets in Week 18 if they want to win the AFC East for the first time since 2019.
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