But New England, which has games left at home against Arizona and at Buffalo, will need some help to make a sixth straight postseason appearance. The Jets and Dolphins would win tiebreakers over the Patriots in the AFC East, and both Baltimore (9-5) and Indianapolis (10-4) hold tiebreaker advantages - conference record in the Ravens case and head-to-head for the Colts - in the wild-card chase.
"It's turned from a three-game season to a two-game season now," said cornerback Ellis Hobbs. "We got to understand that. We got to hold up our end. None of this matters if we don't win. Everybody held serve today, and we're taking it on to the next week."
Earlier yesterday, it looked like the Patriots might get some help from the Bills, but a late fumble by J.P. Losman allowed the Jets to escape with a 31-27 victory.
New England needed no such luck. The Patriots led, 21-0, with 3:43 left in the first quarter and 35-14 at the half. They scored on their first four drives and first five touches, as Hobbs returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown right after Oakland's Justin Miller had a 91-yard kickoff return for a score.
Playing just five days after he learned of the death of his father, Greg, Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel was 18 of 30 for 218 yards and a career-high four touchdowns with one interception that bounced off the hands of open tight end Benjamin Watson.
After the final snap, coach Bill Belichick sought out and hugged Cassel, who after he threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Faulk on the Patriots' opening possession pointed to the sky to salute his father. The grieving quarterback walked off the field with the game ball.
Cassel left the team after the game and will attend his father's funeral tomorrow in Mission Hills, Calif.
