The 2026 NFL playoffs has featured plenty of new faces looking to make deep postseason runs.

The New England Patriots enjoyed a resurgent season, winning the AFC East at 14-3 and earning the No. 2 overall seed behind MVP candidate Drake Maye. On Sunday night, Maye played in his first playoff game against a worthy opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers.

It was Maye who came out on top, as the Patriots advanced in the AFC bracket with a 16-3 victory. New England’s Super Bowl hopes remain alive as it heads for Round 2.

Here’s a breakdown of which team the Patriots will play next in the divisional round.

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Who will the Patriots play next?

The Patriots will face the winner of the Monday night matchup between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round.

Because the NFL playoffs are reseeded after the first round, the lowest remaining seed always faces the No. 1 seed in the divisional round. Because the Patriots beat the seventh-seeded Chargers, that meant the lowest possible seed alive was the sixth-seeded Bills, who took down the Jaguars in the wild-card round.

Buffalo will be heading to Denver to take on the Broncos, while the Patriots will face the winner between Houston and Pittsburgh.

NFL playoff bracket 2026