New England Patriots Back on Track for No. 1 Seed After Win over Texans

With three weeks left in the regular season, the New England Patriots once again have the inside track to the AFC's No. 1 overall seed.

After securing a 27-6 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 14, the Patriots moved to 11-2 on the season. Thanks to losses for both the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots advanced ahead of both teams in the race for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

After starting 10-0 on the season, back-to-back losses led to a three-way tie between the Patriots, Broncos and Bengals atop the conference. We were treated to seven straight days of "if the season ended today, the Patriots would be the No. 3 team in the conference" chatter.

Chatter that proved to be pointless, as in the span of 12 hours from kickoff of the 1 p.m. ET games to the conclusion of Sunday Night Football, the Patriots once again pulled ahead.

Make no mistake: The No. 1 seed is not a given. The Patriots play three more games, but one stands out. In Week 16, the Patriots travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Jets, who have been red-hot lately and nearly knocked off the Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Week 7.

The Jets were just seven points shy of being the first team to hand the Patriots a loss this season, so it is well within their capabilities to pull off the upset the second time around.

That being said, the Patriots currently hold their fate in their own hands. Three wins get them the No. 1 seed. 

What's more, the Bengals and Broncos still have to face off in a Week 16 showdown that could ultimately determine which of those two teams will get a bye in the playoffs and which will be hosting a game in the Wild Card Round. Whether the Patriots win out or trip up along the way, that Week 16 matchup gives them some wiggle room to at least lock up a first-round bye.

The Patriots looked more like the Patriots this week than they've looked in awhile, probably because tight end Rob Gronkowski finally made his return to the lineup—and with four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, Gronkowski wasted no time making a big impact. 

Of course, it wouldn't be a Patriots game in 2015 if there wasn't at least one big injury to talk about coming out of the game. This week, safety Devin McCourty (ankle) and running back LeGarrette Blount (hip) were the two casualties. We don't know the severity of those injuries, but if either of them is out for any length of time, it could threaten the Patriots' ability to run the table down the stretch.

They're also still waiting on the return of wide receiver Julian Edelman and linebacker Dont'a Hightower. Edelman is expected to be out until the playoffs, but he returned to practice this week, per the Patriots' injury report, which is a positive sign for his recovery. Hightower is on an unknown timetable, but after practicing this week, there's optimism he could return to the lineup sooner than later.

So, with the Patriots hitting the stretch of the most important games of the season, they are also getting healthier at just the right time.