Le Journal

The New England Patriots had Week 14 off, which opened the door for the Denver Broncos to move back up to the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Sure enough, a 24-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders allowed them to do just that. While both the Pats and Broncos have 11-2 records, Denver holds the tiebreaker over New England due to its better record against common opponents. With just four games left on the season, the Broncos now hold a tiebreaker over the Patriots, no matter what happens the rest of the way out. Considering how N.E. is currently the No. 2 seed, and it has tough games against the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens coming up, it may seem like the No. 1 seed is unattainable. According to The Athletic’s latest playoff projection, though, the Patriots still have a 51% chance to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Patriots come out of their bye with a 51 percent chance at a first-round bye, per @TheAthleticNFL's playoff projection. https://t.co/vrXC5SMGFB pic.twitter.com/rvsjog5kZc— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) December 8, 2025 The Patriots could officially clinch the AFC East division in Week 15 with a win over the Bills, but beating them for the second time this season is going to be easier said than done. The Ravens, despite having a 6-7 record, are still going to pose a big challenge, and even the Miami Dolphins in Week 18 could be a difficult opponent for New England. What helps the Pats, though, is that the Broncos face a significantly more difficult slate of opponents over their final four games. Denver has the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers left on its schedule, and all four of those squads are in the playoff hunt at the very least. All New England can focus on is going 1-0 each week, and considering how it’s in the middle of a 10-game win streak, it’s safe to say the team has done a good job of that to this point. If the Patriots can take down the Bills again in Week 15, that could provide them a significant boost in their quest to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC. More NFL: Ex-Patriots Assistant Named Possible Candidate For Michigan Head Coach

Boston Bruins head coach Marco Sturm is very proud of his team and how they have all bought in. The Bruins entered the season predicted to miss the playoffs. However, Boston is off to a hot start as Sturm, who’s in his first year as the team’s head coach, has them playing well. Following Boston’s 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, Sturm explained why he’s so proud of this group. “I am very proud of my team,” Sturm said on Saturday, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I think it’s always a group effort to do that. I can have the greatest plan and system, whatever it is. But if you don’t buy in, it’s almost useless. “For me, it’s a group effort. Not just the players, the whole coaching staff, (Sweeney), management. There’s a lot more to it. That’s what I am proud of.” Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov also echoed Sturm’s comments as he said everyone is buying in and chipping in. “It’s depth,” Zadorov said. “I think every guy chipped in. There was a message in here that you don’t need to do extra, you’ve just got to be yourself, you’ve got to play your own hockey. We’re good enough to win games like that.” With the win on Saturday, Boston improved to 17-13-0 and is now in second place in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins will return to the ice on the road on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. More Bruins: Bruins’ David Pastrnak Moves Up On Franchise Goals Leaderboard