NFL Playoff Standings 2017: Top Bracket Seeds, Wild-Card Matchups and Scenarios

The New England Patriots were a determined team as they came to Miami for their regular-season finale with the playoff-bound Dolphins.

Bound to pick up the win they needed to clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, the Patriots jumped out to a 20-0 lead, withstood a Dolphins rally and pulled away for a decisive 35-14 triumph at Hard Rock Stadium.

That means all roads lead through New England on the way to the Super Bowl, at least for any AFC team that has hopes of representing the conference.

“It feels good man,” New England cornerback Logan Ryan told Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. “The good thing about this schedule is we got to right a lot of wrongs that we messed up on last year. I think the difference with this team is when the [Dolphins] were driving, they had momentum and we got those turnovers.”

The biggest turnover came when Miami was threatening early in the fourth quarter, but Devin McCourty forced a fumble by Damien Williams, and Shea McClellin returned it deep into Miami territory.

In addition to the home-field edge Bill Belichick and Tom Brady wanted, it means the Patriots won’t have to face the explosive and high-powered Pittsburgh Steelers until a potential meeting in the AFC Championship Game.

The loss also means the Dolphins will go into the …

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