As the AFC playoff chase comes into full focus, the Broncos and Patriots have the conference's eyes on them. The two surprise teams at the top of the conference are now in a dead heat for the top seed, and the two iconic franchises are on different paths to the finish line. For one team, the road is much easier than for the other, but both are on ten-game winning streaks.
The Broncos have faced a tough path to the top of the AFC West, including the defending champions, the Eagles on the road, the Colts during their incredible start to the season, and several other contenders such as the Chiefs, Chargers, Cowboys, and Texans. They still have two more with their divisional contenders on the schedule, and host the Jaguars in Week 16.
As for the Patriots, they have taken full advantage of playing a last-place schedule after finishing 4-13 last season. New England has been routinely beating up on bad teams, and won their matchup with the Bills in Buffalo. Their strength of schedule is the lowest in all of football, and shows just how easy their 2025 slate of games has been.
One key stat shows just how different the paths to the AFC's top seed will be for the Broncos and Patriots
A recent piece done by ESPN took a deep dive into the surprising contenders for the top seed in the AFC, and began by looking at remaining schedules. When looking at the Broncos' schedule, three of their four remaining games are against teams currently in playoff position. Their lone game not against a current playoff team comes on Christmas Day in Kansas City, which might as well be a game against a contender.
The Broncos' remaining schedule is a combined 33-18-1, which is a fairly absurd close to a season. Take out Kansas City's 6-7 record, and the other three teams sit at 27-11-1, which is even more absurd.
Meanwhile, in Foxborough, the Patriots' schedule feels like the equivalent of playing the Mountain West conference to close out their season, giving them a significant advantage over the Broncos.
New England's final four opponents are a combined 24-28, with the Bills doing an incredible amount of heavy lifting in that group. Remove their 9-4 record, and New England's other three opponents weigh in at 15-28, which are also conveniently their final three games of the season.
Everyone has known all season that the Patriots' schedule is a walk in the park, but these final four weeks of games show just how easy it will be for Drake Maye's team.