The New England Patriots can make up for last season's failures if they go to Miami Sunday and beat the resurgent Dolphins.If they do, they will pick up their 14th win of the season and clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Patriots were in this same position a year ago but lost their season finale in Miami, and the No. 1 seed went to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.The Patriots appear to have learned quite a few lessons from their struggles last year. They have won their last six games and are not easing back with the playoffs around the corner.If the Pats lose at Miami, the Oakland Raiders can capture the No. 1 seed by beating the Denver Broncos. However, that is a dubious assignment considering they will play on the road without star quarterback Derek Carr. He broke his fibula against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16, and his season is over.Backup Matt McGloin will take Carr's place. Head coach Jack Del Rio said the Raiders will not change the team's mindset."It's a tough game and things happen in this game and it's all about the team," Del Rio said at his Monday press conference (h/t Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com). "It's all about us moving on to the next opportunity and pulling together as a group of men and being unselfish and sacrificing for each other and all those things."If the Raiders lose that game, their status as the AFC West leaders will be at risk. The Kansas City Chiefs are one game behind in the division race, and if they beat the San Diego Chargers and the Raiders lose, the Chiefs would gain the division crown and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans are locked in as the No. 3 and 4 seeds, respectively. If the current seedings hold, the Steelers would host the Miami Dolphins and the Texans would host the Chiefs.The Steelers lost 30-15 when they played the Dolphins in Miami earlier this year, while the Texans beat the Chiefs in Week 2 by a 19-12 margin. However, Kansas City would almost certainly welcome another game against the Texans. It beat Houston 30-0 in last year's wild-card matchup.In the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys are locked in as the No. 1 seed and the Atlanta Falcons have the inside track on the No. 2 seed and a bye in the first round of the playoffs.The Falcons gained that advantage when the NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks lost their Week 16 home matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. The Falcons have a half-game advantage over Seattle, and if Atlanta can defeat New Orleans in the season finale, it will clinch that No. 2 seed.The Detroit Lions will host the Green Bay Packers in the Sunday night season finale, and the winner of that game will claim the NFC North title. The Lions have lost two games in a row, and their once-strong playoff position is at risk.If they lose to the Packers and the Washington Redskins beat the New York Giants in their season finale, the Lions will find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture.If the Redskins lose that game, the loser of the Green Bay-Detroit game and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will still be in the running.The Bucs' chances are slim, as they would need a number of games to break their wayincluding the 2-13 San Francisco 49ers beating the Seahawksto get into the postseason.
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