The New England Patriots clinched the AFC East on Sunday, but they’re not done with the regular season just yet. They still have their Week 18 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, which includes seeding implications.
We now know exactly when that game will be played. It’ll be a 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 4 the NFL announced following the conclusion of the Week 17 games.
That timing puts the Patriots in the same window as the Denver Broncos, who they’re competing with for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. In order to clinch that seed, which comes with a first-round bye, the Patriots would need to beat the Dolphins and have the Broncos lose to the Los Angeles Chargers in Denver.
The Jacksonville Jaguars also factor into the seeding at the top of the AFC. They could catch the Patriots with a win over the Tennessee Titans and a Patriots loss (and could get the No. 1 seed if the Broncos lose as well). However they play in the 1:00 window, so that result will already be in hand by the time the Patriots and Broncos kick their games off.
Other highlights from the Week 18 schedule include three games that will decide division champions, with two also deciding playoff spots. On Saturday the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play at 4:30 p.m. to decide the NFC South, and then the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will play for the NFC West title and the conference’s No. 1 seed that night. For Sunday night football, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers square off, with the winner getting the AFC North title and AFC’s No. 4 seed, and the loser being eliminated from the playoffs.
