Patriots' Playoff Opponent, Time Set For This Weekend

The Patriots are heading to the playoffs. Next stop: Buffalo.

New England will play the Bills for the third time season after a wild finish to "Sunday Night Football" between the Raiders and Chargers cemented the Patriots' playoff opponent in game that ended after midnight.

The Patriots finished with the No. 6 seed and will travel to Buffalo for a Wild Card game Saturday at 8:15 p.m. on CBS.

If the Patriots had beaten Miami Sunday and the Jets had beaten Buffalo, New England would have won the AFC East and secured the No. 3 seed and a home playoff game. Instead, they'll start the playoffs on the road for the first time under Bill Belichick.

New England finished the season 10-7 behind rookie quarterback Mac Jones. The Patriots sandwiched a seven-game win streak between a poor start and finish to the year, dropping three of their last four. They only beat two teams with winning records.

The Patriots have had mixed success against the Bills this season, scoring perhaps their signature win in windy Buffalo and most bitter loss of the season against them in Foxboro.

Saturday night's forecast shows a 50 percent chance for snow in Buffalo.

This is the Patriots' first time in the playoffs without Tom Brady since 1999, when now-local radio broadcaster Scott Zolak started for an injured Drew Bledsoe in a loss to Jacksonville.