Patriots playoff picture: New England slides into final Wild Card spot in AFC during bye week

FOXBORO -- While the Patriots were sitting at home enjoying their bye week, the team's playoff chances actually improved in Week 10. After Sunday's slate of action, New England currently sits as the final playoff team in the AFC.

The Patriots remain in last place in the AFC East, but even with two of the four teams off, things got a little tighter in the division on Sunday. The Miami Dolphins beat the Cleveland Browns, and with the Buffalo Bills losing to the Minnesota Vikings in overtime, the Dolphins move into first place in the division at 7-3.

The Jets, who were also on their by week, and the Bills are now both 6-3, and New York sits in second place in the AFC East thanks to their Week 9 win over Buffalo. The 5-4 Patriots remain in last place in the division.

But as of Monday, all four AFC East teams are in the playoffs. The AFC East is the only division in football with all four teams sitting above .500.

Here is the full AFC playoff picture:

1. Kansas City Chiefs, 7-2
2. Miami Dolphins, 7-3
3. Tennessee Titans, 6-3
4. Baltimore Ravens, 6-3
5. New York Jets, 6-3 (Wild Card)
6. Buffalo Bills, 6-3 (Wild Card)
7. New England Patriots, 5-4 (Wild Card)
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8. Los Angeles Chargers, 5-4
9. Cincinnati Bengals, 5-4
10. Indianapolis Colts, 4-5-1

The Patriots moved into the seventh and final playoff spot late Sunday night when the Chargers lost to Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers. If the playoffs started today, the Patriots would visit the Miami Dolphins on Wild Card weekend.

The AFC East race figures to be one of the most interesting battles over the final eight weeks of the regular season. The Patriots have four divisional matchups left, with two games against the Bills (Weeks 13 and 18) and home games against the Jets (Week 11) and the Dolphins (Week 17). The Patriots also have a home game against the Bengals on Christmas Eve.

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