Patriots Clinch No. 1 Seed in AFC: Latest Comments and Reaction

The New England Patriots were already AFC East champions for the eighth straight season. Now they've locked up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. 

New England's 35-14 win over the Miami Dolphins clinched it, and the Oakland Raiders' result Sunday no longer matters. An Oakland loss also would have clinched the top seed for New England:

Tom Brady threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns while Julian Edelman caught eight passes for 151 yards and a touchdown in yet another win over an AFC East opponent. 

The Patriots now hold the NFL record for most consecutive division championships. Their previous mark of seven straight was tied with the Los Angeles Rams, who dominated the NFC West from 1973-79. New England also achieved a record seven straight campaigns with at least 12 wins, a streak that's coincided with seven straight first-round byes. 

Of course, New England's run of dominance has something to do with its signal-caller. The Patriots have won the division in 13 straight years with Brady serving as their primary quarterback. The lone break, 2008, saw Brady go down in Week 1 with a torn ACL.

The Patriots played their first four games with Brady out of the lineup in 2016, this time due to a four-game suspension tied to the Deflategate scandal. Bill Belichick navigated them to 3-1 despite losing primary backup Jimmy Garoppolo to injury after two games.

New England is 11-1 since Brady's return, with a one-touchdown loss to the Seattle Seahawks sandwiched between four- and seven-game winning streaks. Brady has continued to play at an MVP-caliber level despite dealing with a lingering knee injury and the loss of tight end Rob Gronkowski for the season.