In 2018 and for the first time since 2009, the New England Patriots finished a regular season with more than four losses: the Patriots went 11-5, but were still able to secure one of the AFC’s top two postseason seeds. As a result, they will not enter the tournament until next week — and when they are, they will be the only team standing with no losses to one of the other playoff teams this year.
No matter who advances from the wild card round, each team will have at least one loss against another postseason squad on its 2018 résumé — except a Patriots team that went 4-0 this season when playing against the NFL’s eventual final 12:
For comparison, the Patriots’ rivals on the way to the Vince Lombardi Trophy have performed as follows when playing against the NFL’s best teams this year:
Chicago Bears: 2-1
Indianapolis Colts: 2-3
Houston Texans: 2-3
Kansas City Chiefs: 2-4
What stands out when looking at New England’s four victories against playoff teams is that they all came in the first half of the season.