FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots clinched their 10th consecutive AFC East championship Sunday, putting them in rare company in professional sports.
A win over the Bills would have done it, but the Patriots didn't have to wait, clinching when the Dolphins lost. The Patriots went on to win 24-12.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Patriots join the Atlanta Braves as the only franchises from the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL to win at least 10 straight division titles. The Braves won 14 straight from 1991 to 2005, excluding the strike-shortened 1994 season.
"I certainly don't take it for granted," quarterback Tom Brady said. "I know how hard it is. I just have a great deal of appreciation for my teammates and coaches that work extremely hard to put us in a position to do a great job. I think when you have a lot of perspective, like I certainly do, I realize that's an incredibly difficult thing to do. And I'm just very grateful."
The 10 straight division titles also extend the Patriots' own NFL record. The Los Angeles Rams, who won the NFC West for seven straight seasons from 1973 to '79, had held the record before the Patriots broke it in 2016.
"It's always a great feeling to win the division. Give our players credit, it's been a tough couple weeks," coach Bill Belichick said, referencing back-to-back losses to the Dolphins and Steelers. "It's good to know our season will extend a bit here. It's a good way to celebrate Christmas."
The Patriots became the first franchise in NFL history to earn a playoff berth in 10 consecutive seasons. They had entered Sunday tied with the Dallas Cowboys (1975-83) and Indianapolis Colts (2002-2010) as the only teams to qualify for the postseason for nine consecutive seasons.
While the Patriots (10-5) haven't been as dominant as they've been in past seasons under Belichick and Brady, they rode a six-game winning streak from Sept. 30 to Nov. 4 to give themselves some margin for error.
That cushion over division rivals Miami, New York and Buffalo was important as they entered Sunday on a two-game losing streak. Even though the game against the Bills was under control for long stretches, the Patriots struggled in the passing game, sparking questions of how deep of a playoff run they might be able to make. But the defense, helped by some struggles from rookie Bills quarterback Josh Allen and pass-catchers who struggled to hang on to the ball, nicely complemented a strong Patriots running game.
The team totaled 273 rushing yards, its most in a game that Brady started.
After the win, Patriots players were closely keeping an eye on the Texans' last-second loss to the Eagles, which means New England can earn a first-round playoff bye with a win over the Jets next Sunday at home. There was a loud cheer throughout the locker room when the Eagles' kicked a last-second field to win.
"Shout out to Nick Foles," safety Duron Harmon said, smiling at the irony that players were cheering for the Eagles quarterback who beat them in Super Bowl LII to earn MVP honors.
"Think about the last two years -- Nick Foles plays his best ball in December. He's a competitor. We saw that in the Super Bowl, and leading up to the Super Bowl when he had to take over. He's doing it all over again."
Many players were refreshing their phones as they followed the Eagles' final drive.
"I was like 'Come on Nick, show some of that magic we saw last year,'" Harmon said, adding that it felt nice to be a fan in that moment. "We knew what that game meant for us."
One individual milestone of note: Brady surpassed 4,000 passing yards this season, joining Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards in at least 10 seasons.