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Brady and the Patriots have flexed their muscles in the AFC East for a generation

Another year, another Patriots AFC East title. With a Dolphins loss to the Jaguars today, the Patriots officially clinched the 2018 AFC East title (minutes later, the Patriots defeated the Bills, which also would have clinched the title). The Patriots have now won 10 straight AFC East titles — each year from 2009 to 2018 — and have won the AFC East in 16 of the last 18 seasons.

The only two years the Patriots didn’t win the division? That came in 2008, when Matt Cassel was New England’s starting quarterback for 15 games, and back in 2002. Yes, that’s right: when Tom Brady is the Patriots starting quarterback, the Patriots have won FIFTEEN STRAIGHT division titles. And it was nearly 17 straight: the Patriots lost to the Jets in week 16, 2002, which knocked the Patriots behind New York. New England finished 9-7, and lost a tiebreaker to the Jets after New York upset Green Bay in week 17 to win the AFC East.

No quarterback/team can come close to matching that streak. Otto Graham and the Browns are the only other team to win 10 straight division titles; after that, Fran Tarkenton and the Vikings are next with 6 straight (1973-1978). And the 16 division crowns for the Brady Patriots is a mark that will never be broken. Graham and the Browns won 10 division titles, but after them, Peyton Manning and the Colts and Joe Montana and the 49ers are third with 8 division titles. Think about that for a minute: the Brady Patriots have won as many division titles as the Manning Colts and Montana 49ers combined.

Oh, and the Patriots actually set a new record today, too. Even in 2002 and 2008, the Patriots still went 4-2 in the division. And every year that New England has won the AFC East under Brady, the Patriots had a winning record in the division. By beating Buffalo today, New England is now 4-1 in the AFC East, making 2018 the 18th straight year that the Patriots have posted a winning record in division games. That breaks a tie New England had with the Cleveland Browns, who posted a winning record in 17 straight years from 1957 to 1973. The Los Angeles Rams are third on the list, having gone 14 straight years with a winning record in division games from 1967 to 1980.

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