The New England Patriots are AFC East champions and know they are headed to the postseason. Who they play and what seed they finish with, however, is still to be determined.

The Patriots clinched the division title on Sunday when they throttled the New York Jets, 42-10, and then watched as the Philadelphia Eagles fought off a late Buffalo Bills comeback and held on for a 13-12 win.

Heading into Week 18, the 13-3 Patriots still have a chance at the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But they'll need some help.

Patriots playoff scenarios

In order to earn a bye, New England will have to beat the Miami Dolphins Sunday and have the Denver Broncos lose to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The problem for the Patriots is that the Broncos could be playing their starters in hopes of clinching the No. 1 seed, while the Chargers may not be as willing to do the same since all they have on the line is wild-card positioning. 

If the Patriots win and the Chargers lose, there is a very good chance those two teams will play in the first round of the playoffs.

For their own seeding, the Patriots have only three scenarios. They can be the top seed with a win and a Denver loss, they can be the No. 2 seed with a win and a Denver win, or if they lose and the Jacksonville Jaguars win, the Patriots can drop to No. 3.

Their first round opponent will depend on what happens in games involving the Houston Texans, Bills, and Chargers.

When do the Patriots play in Week 18?

Late Sunday night, the NFL set the schedule for Week 18.

The Patriots learned that they will play Sunday at 4:25 p.m. on FOX. 

New England and the Dolphins play the regular season finale at Gillette Stadium.