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By Anne Erickson
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The New England Patriots won their game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Jan. 4, in a 38-10 victory to end the regular season with a 14-3 record and at the top of the AFC East.
Now, the focus turns to the postseason. Going into Week 18, the Patriots were guaranteed a top-three seed in the AFC, and they also had the possibility of getting the No. 1 slot and first-round bye.
In Week 18, the Patriots did their job by beating the Dolphins, but the Denver Broncos were able to hold off the Los Angeles Chargers to keep New England from receiving that first-round bye.
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So, the New England Patriots will appear in a wild-card playoff game next weekend, and it marks their first time since the 2021 playoffs. Here's who New England will be playing to kick off the postseason.
Who Will the New England Patriots Play Next?
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New England snagged the No. 2 seed in the AFC after their win over Miami. So, they'll go up against the conference's No. 7 seed, the Los Angeles Chargers, in the wild-card round of the postseason.
The Chargers got the No. 7 seed in the AFC after falling in a 19-3 final score to the Broncos. That loss, plus the Buffalo Bills' win over the Jets, gave the Bills the AFC's No. 6 seed and Chargers No. 7.
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The NFL playoffs will begin on Jan. 10, and the NFL is expected to announce exact dates and times of games during "Sunday Night Football" on Jan. 4. So, the Patriots' next game will be the weekend of Jan. 10.
The team will need quarterback Drake Maye on the field, but Maye was able to rest for a portion of the game against the Jets.
"Drake Maye had a relatively quiet night that only lasted three quarters, completing 14-of-18 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown," Mike Dussault of the Patriots' official website noted in a piece published right after the game, on Jan. 4. "He did just enough, including 41 rushing yards, to keep the Pats out in front for the entirety of the game."
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He added, "Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson also chipped in two rushing touchdowns as New England leaned into their run game. It was Henderson's 10th touchdown of the season, tying him with Rob Gronkowski for the third-most by a Patriots rookie in team history."
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