Foxborough, Massachusetts – 28 December , 2025

The New England Patriots have officially clinched a playoff berth, but their season has shown no signs of cooling down. On the contrary, the spotlight surrounding the Patriots has only intensified, as the NFL is expected to move their Week 18 matchup against the Miami Dolphins into a national prime-time slot, amid a tightening race for the top spot in the AFC between the Patriots and the Denver Broncos.

With a 12–3 record, the Patriots currently sit second in the AFC, right on the heels of the Broncos in the standings. Despite already securing a playoff spot, the regular-season finale still carries enormous significance: any slip-up could determine seeding, home-field advantage, and the path New England will face once the postseason begins. That reality is precisely what makes this matchup impossible for the NFL to overlook.

According to league sources, the decision to elevate Patriots–Dolphins to prime time is not based solely on the AFC East rivalry, but on the broader landscape of the AFC itself. A Patriots team playing with consistency, a Broncos squad holding the top spot under mounting pressure, and a range of playoff scenarios that could shift in a single night — that is exactly the kind of drama the NFL wants the entire country to witness.

The Patriots enter Week 18 with a mindset far different from previous seasons. They are no longer a team fighting to win just to “save the season,” but a group firmly in control of its own destiny. Their late-season stretch has shown an ability to win critical games, remain composed, and minimize mistakes — the defining traits of a team built to make a deep January run.

For the Dolphins, this game is far from a formality as well. It represents an opportunity to disrupt the plans of a division rival while redefining their own position ahead of the playoffs. Still, the greatest pressure rests squarely on the Patriots — a team placed under the national spotlight, where every mistake could come at a significant cost.

Week 18 will not simply close the regular season. It will mark a pivotal chapter in the AFC power struggle, one in which the Patriots must prove that clinching a playoff spot is not the end of the journey — but the beginning of something far more ambitious.

And that is precisely why the NFL has chosen the Patriots as the centerpiece of the prime-time stage.