Agreed - NE is playing for HFA in the playoffs, no way they throw a game at this point. Only time I could see them "throwing" a game is by not playing their starters for an entire game in week 17 if the #1 seed is off the table and #2 seed is secure even with a loss. And even then, they'll still do their best to win the game, but doing so while trying to protect their best players.