Patriots determined to finish strong in season finale

AP Photo | Charles Krupa

It’s the last week in the NFL regular season, and the New England Patriots still have so much left to play for. A win on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins would give the Patriots the top seed in the AFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Looking back on the 2015 season, the Patriots had the same scenario going into the season finale.

That didn’t end so well for them.

The Patriots ended up losing the game against the Dolphins in a score of 20-10 and losing the chance at home-field advantage in the playoffs – a move that ultimately cost them when they traveled to Denver for the AFC Championship.

Determined not to make the same mistake twice, the New England Patriots are focused and ready to go out with a win against the Miami Dolphins.

“We got on the airplane and said, ‘Look, we’re finishing strong. We’re putting the pedal to the metal,’” Tom Brady said, “Last year we didn’t finish strong and we didn’t like the way things ended.”

“Everything in the past is in the past,” Julian Edelman said, “With the new year comes new opportunity. I can tell you right now, our guys are working their tails off to prepare hard this week to go out there and play the best game we can possibly play.”

The Patriots currently hold a record of 7-0 on the road this season. They’ll be looking to remain perfect in that category this weekend, while also playing for so much more. Game time is set for 1pm on Sunday, Jan. 1.

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