Here’s how the Patriots could still miss the playoffs

The New England Patriots only needed a win in Week 14 to clinch the AFC East title for about the 232nd straight season. They almost had it, but the Miami Dolphins pulled off a miracle lateral on the last play of the game for a walk-off upset win. A win in Week 15 against the Steelers would have done the trick too. But Tom Brady couldn’t pull off a last-second touchdown drive to tie it up and force overtime.

We thought that this was most likely just a speed bump, and it still might be. The Patriots still are the favorites to win the AFC East, but if these last two games proved anything it’s that there’s still hope for the Patriots haters out there.

Maybe you can convince yourself that Tom Brady has slowed down enough at age 41 that this season won’t end with another trip to the Super Bowl for the Patriots. It’s not that hard to do.

The Patriots have dropped to 9-5, their first five-loss season since 2009. That drops them to the third seed in the AFC.

It’s fun to imagine the best dynasty in NFL history crumbling in the worst way possible — even if we all know it won’t. But as long as it’s still possible, let’s dream up the doomsday scenario that causes the Patriots to miss the playoffs for the first time since Matt Cassel was at quarterback:

New England has to lose out to miss the playoffs. The Dolphins are two games back and have to make up that ground.

However, the Patriots last two games are back-to-back home contests against the Bills and Jets. But you never know with this Patriots team.

Miami is two games behind New England. A win this week against the Vikings would have helped, but at least the Patriots’ loss keeps their hopes alive.

The Dolphins have the Jaguars and Bills left on the schedule, which could be two easy games. But both of those teams are in the top 10 in total defense. So that could be difficult for the Dolphins offense to handle.

The Dolphins loss means they need the Patriots to lose out. But if New England finds one more win, Miami will need to win out against a tough slate of defensive-minded opponents.

If the Dolphins somehow manage to track the Patriots down and snag the top spot in the AFC East, it’d mean New England is 9-7. That’s often good enough for a spot in the playoffs, but hey, the Patriots missed the postseason with an 11-5 record in 2008.

One of the two wild card berths in the AFC will go to whichever team finishes second in the AFC West. Both the Chiefs and Chargers are 11-3.

The other part would be taking away the second wild card spot from New England. Right now, the Steelers, Ravens, Colts, and Titans are all at eight wins and if at least two of those teams get to 10 wins, it’d leave the Patriots out in the cold.

And there you have it. The AFC sends the Dolphins, Steelers, Texans, Chiefs, Chargers, and one other team to the playoffs. It leaves the Patriots watching from home.

We all know it’s not going to end that way. The Patriots don’t spiral, and it’s the reason they’ll win an NFL-record 10th consecutive division title. But it’s nice to cling to hope while it’s still possible.