Monday night's win over the New York Jets not only went a long way to silence some of their talking and exact some revenge for the Patriots' Week 2 loss. it also gave New England sole possession of first place in the AFC East.
At 10-2, the Patriots now own the best record in the AFC. If the playoffs started today, they'd be the No. 1 seed, with a first-round bye before hosting either the Ravens, Jets or Jaguars.
There's obviously still a lot of football left to play with four weeks remaining, and the Patriots schedule doesn't get any easier -- at Chicago (9-3), Green Bay (8-4), at Buffalo (2-10) and Miami (6-6) -- but it's never to early to look ahead at the playoff picture. Especially since the Patriots clinch a spot in the postseason with a win over the Bears Sunday.
If the season ended today ...
AFC
Division Winners
1. New England Patriots (10-2)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5)
Wild Card Teams
5. New York Jets (9-3)
6. Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
Outside Looking In: Oakland Raiders (6-6), San Diego Chargers (6-6) Indianapolis Colts (6-6)
With four weeks left in the regular season, there are still seven teams alive and hopeful of that second Wild Card spot. The Colts and Raiders, along with the Chargers and Dolphins, are all two games back from the Ravens and the No. 6 spot, while the Texans, Browns and Titans -- all 5-7 -- sit three games back.
NFC
Division Winners
1. Atlanta Falcons (10-2)
2. Chicago Bears (9-3)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
4. St. Louis Rams (!) (6-6)
Wild Card Teams
5. New Orleans Saints (9-3)
6. New York Giants (8-4)
Outside Looking In: Green Bay Packers (8-4), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5), Seattle Seahawks (6-6)