One of the most valuable assets an NFL team can have during the postseason is homefield advantage. And as usual, the New England Patriots are favored to earn that once again in the AFC.
Ahead of Sunday night's game against the Houston Texans, the Patriots are 10-1 and are in sole possession of the AFC's No. 1 seed. And a victory could do a lot to help them get a step closer to locking that up.
According to Cris Collinsworth, the Patriots will be able to greatly improve their chances of earning homefield advantage if they beat the Texans. In fact, they'll have an 82 percent chance to get it with a victory.
That will be extra motivation for the Patriots to earn another victory, especially after the Ravens defeated the 49ers on a sloppy day in Baltimore. New England needs to win to keep a one-game advantage on the Ravens.
No matter how you look at it, this game will be a huge one for the Patriots. If they can win, it will go a long way to securing much-needed homefield advantage during the AFC playoffs.
Tom E. Curran's Patriots-Texans preview>>>
New England Patriots
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