The Associated Press

FOXBORO, Mass. - The New England Patriots secured the top seed in the AFC playoffs - and avenged an embarrassing loss to the Buffalo Bills.

In a game of strange coincidences, the Patriots won 31-0 Saturday behind Tom Brady's four first-half scoring passes and the defense's third shutout in its last four home games.

The score of Buffalo's win over New England in the season opener also was 31-0. In both games, the winner stopped the opponent's final play from the 1-yard line.

Brady rebounded from his four-interception disaster in the opener.

"We proved we were a different team than that first day," he said.

The Patriots (14-2) assured themselves of home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Their best regular season ever made them the second team since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to win its last 12 regular-season games; Miami did it in 1972.

Their first playoff game, on the field where they went 8-0 this season, will be Jan. 10 or 11 against the lowest-seeded team remaining after the wild-card round.

For the third straight year, there will be no playoff berth for Buffalo (6-10). Coach Gregg Williams, at the end of his three-year contract, might not return.

"That's not my decision," he said after the Bills' seventh loss in nine games. "We've all got to get better."

General manager Tom Donahoe said there was no timetable for making that decision.

Williams' future seemed safe when the Bills started 2-0.

"After the way the season started, I couldn't imagine being in this situation," quarterback Drew Bledsoe said.

The Patriots' offense, facing the NFL's second-ranked defense, finally had a big game as Brady threw touchdown passes on three of their first four possessions in a span of less than 16 minutes.

There was one scary moment in the second quarter when Brady hobbled off the field after being hit in the left knee by Buffalo safety Lawyer Milloy. Brady said afterward he was fine.

"It was a blitz and I got upended," said Milloy, a former Patriot and one of Brady's close friends. "I wasn't trying to hurt him."

Bledsoe completed just 12 of 29 passes for 83 yards and one interception and was sacked three times. He averaged 179 yards passing in his 16 games after setting 10 franchise records last season.

Brady went 21-for-32 for 204 yards with no interceptions for the Patriots, who were motivated by their season-opening loss.

"If you're a fighter, you're going to come back," New England safety Rodney Harrison said. "Regardless of if you come out and say it, you want revenge."