Patriots Playoff Opponent Revealed After Win vs. Dolphins

The New England Patriots are winners after beating the Miami Dolphins 38-10 in Week 18 action inside Gillette Stadium.

The victory confirms that the Patriots will be the No. 2 seed in the AFC for the playoffs after the Denver Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers to win home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Things won't be easy for the Patriots in the playoffs, but they will have at least one more chance to play at home in the first round against Justin Herbert and the Chargers, who ended up as the No. 7 seed following their loss to the Broncos.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Patriots Pull Out Victory vs. Dolphins

The Patriots wasted little time getting on the scoreboard after a four-play drive that lasted nearly two minutes. Rhamondre Stevenson ran the ball for a nine-yard gain and then a 56-yard gain to get inside the 5-yard line. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson finished it off with a five-yard run for the score.

After the Dolphins turned the ball over on downs, the Patriots rallied for another touchdown drive, which ended in a two-yard run from Stevenson.

The Dolphins got on the scoreboard early in the first quarter when Quinn Ewers found wide receiver Malik Washington for a two-yard score, cutting the lead in half. The Patriots and Dolphins both had field goals at the end of the quarter, giving the Patriots a 14-10 lead going into the locker room.

In the third quarter, an early interception thrown by Ewers gave the Patriots the ball back, and they proceeded to score three straight touchdowns to put the icing on the cake.

In the win, Drake May threw for 191 yards and a touchdown while Joshua Dobbs came in relief in the fourth quarter. Stevenson led the way with 131 rushing yards and two touchdowns, giving the Patriots a dominating performance on the ground.

The Patriots' 14-3 record is tied for the best in the league with the Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. They may not be number one in the AFC, but they are certainly playing like a team that can go all the way to the Super Bowl. The Patriots have all the tools needed to be a team that makes a deep playoff run, and this game was further proof of that.

Now the real football begins as the Patriots try to pave the way for their seventh Super Bowl in franchise history.

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