The New England Patriots enter their Week 13 game against the New York Giants on a nine-game winning streak after starting the season 1-2.
The Patriots are sitting pretty in the AFC East in first place and they are in the No. 2 spot in the conference playoff picture going into Monday night.
Ahead of kickoff for what will be the final game played in Week 13, here's what a win or loss would mean for the Patriots in the AFC East and playoff picture going into Week 14, which will be New England's long-awaited bye week.
What a win would mean for AFC east
1. New England Patriots (10-2)
2. Buffalo Bills (8-4)
3. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
4. New York Jets (3-9)
The Patriots have a comfortable lead over the Buffalo Bills, who won their Week 13 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
With a win over the Giants, the Pats would erase that half-step forward the Bills took with that win and would build their lead to three in the win column in the process.
Bear in mind, the Pats currently hold the head-to-head tie-breaker, although Buffalo can erase that by beating New England in Week 15.
Even if that happens, the Patriots still hold the advantage in the second tie-breaker, which is division record. The Pats are 3-0 in the AFC East, while the Bills are 2-2.
What a win would mean for AFC playoff picture
The Patriots are currently sitting in the No. 2 spot in the conference behind the Denver Broncos, who hold the tie-breaker for best win percentage in common games.
However, with a victory on Monday night, New England would jump back into the No. 1 spot thanks to having one more win than the Broncos. They would also keep pace with Denver in the common games win percentage department.
What a loss would mean in AFC East
If the Patriots lose to the Giants on Monday night, the Bills will gain a full game on them and could move to one game behind New England in the win column with a victory in Week 14, when the Patriots will be on their bye.
That said, even if the Bills win in the Week 15 showdown with the Patriots, New England will hold on to first place thanks to a superior divisional record.
What a loss would mean in AFC playoff picture
The Patriots will maintain their current No. 2 spot in the conference with a loss to the Giants, as the next closest team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, only has eight wins.
The Giants are a common opponent between the Pats and Broncos, and with Denver having beaten New York already, a Patriots loss to the Giants would mean New England loses ground in the common games tie-breaker.
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