FOXBOROUGH, Mass.

The New England Patriots are hoping to avoid some deja vu over the final two weeks of the regular season.

For the second consecutive year, the Patriots enter Week 16 with two chances to wrap up the AFC’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. And for the second straight season, the barriers to that prize could be matchups with the Jets and Dolphins.

New England tripped into the playoffs last season following an overtime loss at New York and 10-point defeat at Miami that saw the Patriots rest several starters and use quarterback Tom Brady sparingly. Without home-field advantage the season, culminated in an AFC championship game loss at Denver and almost immediate second-guessing of their approach over their final two regular-season games.

No one in the Patriots’ locker room wants to have those thoughts this time around. They can give themselves an early present in Saturday’s Christmas Eve matchup with the Jets (4-10). With a win and a loss or tie by Oakland, the Patriots (12- 2) clinch both the top seed and home-field advantage.

“A huge sense of urgency,” safety Devin McCourty said. “I mean it’s kind of like we were in the same position last year — same opponents the last two weeks.”