Patriots Clinch AFC East & Home Field Advantage
AFC teams seeking a Super Bowl berth must go through Foxborough, a place where Tom Brady doesn't lose.
The New England Patriots secured home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs by routing the Buffalo Bills 34-3 Sunday. Brady hasn't lost a home game in the last 27 regular-season outings, and the Patriots (13-2) are unbeaten in 16 consecutive regular-season games at Gillette Stadium since losing to Pittsburgh on Nov. 30, 2008 with Matt Cassel replacing the injured Brady.
But the Patriots lost their only playoff game last season, routed at home by Baltimore.
"We got a W, and that's our biggest present, being able to come into the locker room and being able to see that hat and T-shirt," nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. "That's something to be proud of."
Baltimore (11-4) still could win the AFC North — it's tied with Pittsburgh, which already has a playoff berth, but does not own the tiebreaker with the Steelers in the division. The Ravens won at Cleveland 20-10, and must beat Cincinnati at home while Pittsburgh loses at Cleveland next Sunday.
"It doesn't matter (what Cleveland does)," Ravens star linebacker Ray Lewis said. "The only thing you can ask for in this business is to get in the dance. We're in and we have to take care of business against Cincinnati."
Failing to win the division means Baltimore gets a wild card, something the New York Jets already own. Although the Jets (10-5) were beaten 38-34 at Chicago, they qualified when Jacksonville lost to Washington 20-17 in overtime. Just like last season, when the Jets went to the AFC title game, they will finish second to the Patriots in the AFC East.
"This was a bit odd," said Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who saw the Redskins win on TV. "We went from being down, a blown opportunity to 'we're in.'
"I ran in (the locker room) and I was like, 'We're in.' Everybody was looking at me ... then all of a sudden everybody starts to smile and talk, the mood just kind of lightens up."
Kansas City moved to the verge of its first AFC West championship since 2003 when it beat Tennessee 34-17. The Chiefs (10-5) could get in later Sunday with a San Diego loss at Cincinnati. But KC also takes the division by winning at home against Oakland in the season finale.
Jacksonville's loss did not finish it off in the AFC South. Indianapolis also began the day at 8-6 and was at Oakland. That division will be decided by next weekend's games: Tennessee at Indy, Jacksonville at Houston.
Atlanta and Chicago already have qualified for the postseason in the NFC. The Bears have won the North and are in position for a first-round bye. If the Falcons (12-2) win at home against New Orleans on Monday night, they will have NFC home-field advantage throughout the playoffs as well as the South title. The defending champion Saints (10-4) also get a playoff spot with a victory or a loss by Tampa Bay to Seattle in a late Sunday game.
Even if the Seahawks fall to the Buccaneers, they can capture the NFC West by defeating St. Louis at Qwest Field next Sunday. The Rams (7-8) eliminated San Francisco in that weak division with a 25-17 victory.
Philadelphia (10-4) leads the NFC East and needs one more win or a Giants loss in a late game at Green Bay to take the division. The Eagles' night game against Minnesota was moved to Tuesday night because of blizzard conditions in Philadelphia.
