AP: Patriots Miss Out On Bye, Face Tough Road To Repeat

By Gethin Coolbaugh, Associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- If the New England Patriots want to defend their Super Bowl title, they'll have to follow a path they've yet to navigate successfully.

New England let the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye slip away with a shocking 27-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

The Patriots won their first eight games but went 4-4 in the second half of the season to fall behind the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.

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