AFC East Notebook: Patriots clinch first round bye, Dolphins eliminated from contention
Every Monday and Friday, theScore's NFL editors will bring you a roundup of everything you need to know from around the division with the AFC East Notebook.
New England Patriots
Patriots clinch first round bye. With a narrow 17-16 victory over the very game New York Jets on Sunday afternoon, the Patriots clinched a first round bye in the AFC playoffs.
Revis: "always weird' to play Jets. Darrelle Revis says it always feels a little strange facing the team he spent six seasons with.
“Yeah, it’s always weird because I used to be a part of that organization,” Revis told ESPN. “It’s always going to be weird. But at the same time, I have to put those feelings aside and do my job.”
Gronk plays every snap. Tight end Rob Gronkowski was the only skill position player outside of Tom Brady to play all 61 offensive snaps during Sunday's victory over the Jets. He caught 6 passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Miami Dolphins
Dolphins miss playoffs. Despite a thrilling 37-35 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, The Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention as a result of the Pittsburgh Steelers' win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Philbin will be back in 2015. Joe Philbin will return as the Dolphins head coach next season, according to owner Stephen Ross.
Earlier on Sunday, the Miami Herald had reported that Philbin may be on his way out should the Dolphins miss the postseason.
Wake gets paid. Cameron Wake's first of two sacks on Sunday triggered a $750,000 bonus. Wake has 11.5 sacks on the season, and has notched double-digit sack numbers three times in his career.
Buffalo Bills
Bills to miss playoffs ... again. The Bills were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a 26-24 loss to the lowly Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
Running game missing vs. Raiders. The Bills could only muster a mere 13 yards on 13 carries against Oakland.
"I don't even know if we rushed the ball for even 20 yards, which is flat-out embarrassing," tight end Lee Smith told ESPN.
Dareus suffers knee injury. Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus left during the second quarter of Sunday's game with a knee injury, and did not return. The former third-overall pick ranks second on the Bills with 10 sacks in 15 games.
New York Jets
Smith's mistakes costly. Geno Smith had a decent game against the Patriots on Sunday, but a pair of crucial mistakes cost them the upset. The sophomore pivot finished 17-of-27 for 210 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Fans wave 'FIRE IDZIK' towels. A group of fans showed their displeasure for general manager John Idzik at MetLife Stadium on Sunday by waving bright yellow "FIRE IDZIK" towels.
Mangold expects to play next week. Despite leaving the stadium on crutches because of an injured ankle, center Nick Mangold expects to suit up in the Jets' season finale next week.