Brady Sets Up Patriots at Home for the Playoffs

The New England Patriots secured the top seeding in the AFC playoffs -- and avenged an embarrassing loss to the Buffalo Bills.

In a game of strange coincidences, the Patriots won, 31-0, Saturday behind Tom Brady’s four touchdown passes in the first half and the defense’s third shutout in four home games.

That was the score of Buffalo’s victory over New England in the season opener. In both games, the winner stopped the opponent’s final play from the one-yard line to preserve the shutout. And Brady rebounded from his four-interception disaster in the opener.

“We proved we were a different team than that first day,” he said.

The Patriots (14-2) assured themselves of home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They finished with their best regular season record to earn a shot at their second Super Bowl championship in three years and became the second team since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to win its last 12 regular-season games. Miami did it in 1972.

New England’s first playoff game, on the field where it was 8-0 this season, will be Jan. 10 or 11 against the lowest-seeded team remaining after next weekend’s wild-card games.

“As exciting as it is, you’ve got to stay calm,” linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. “The same things that win in the playoffs won in the regular season.”

For the third consecutive year, there will be no playoff berth for Buffalo (6-10). Coach Gregg Williams, at the end of his three-year contract, might not return.

“That’s not my decision,” he said after the Bills’ seventh loss in nine games. “We’ve all got to get better.”

General Manager Tom Donahoe said there was no timetable for making that decision.

Williams’ future seemed safe when the Bills were 2-0, especially with their victory over the Patriots.

“After the way the season started, I couldn’t imagine being in this situation,” quarterback Drew Bledsoe said.

But that start motivated the Patriots on Saturday.

“If you’re a fighter, you’re going to come back,” New England safety Rodney Harrison said. “Regardless of if you come out and say it, you want revenge.”

The Patriots’ offense, facing the NFL’s second-ranked defense, finally had a big game with Brady throwing touchdown passes on three of their first four possessions.

Brady hobbled off the field in the second quarter after being hit in the left knee by former Patriot safety Lawyer Milloy. Brady said afterward he was fine.

Brady completed 21 of 32 passes for 204 yards with no interceptions. Bledsoe completed 12 of 29 for 83 yards and one interception and was sacked three times.