The New England Patriots defeated the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 34-13 on Sunday, improving to 11-3 and clinching their 11th straight playoff berth in the process.

But the Patriots still have a bit of work to do to also nail down their 11th consecutive AFC East title, as they will have to beat the Buffalo Bills next Sunday to put a bow on the division crown.

During his weekly appearance on The Greg Hill Show on WEEI on Monday morning, Brady said that all of the success he and New England have experienced throughout his career is not something he takes for granted:

“Heck no,” said Brady. “Man, this is so hard to do and I know, I think if anything it is you appreciate it more because it’s so hard. This is level playing field. It’s not like we ever get top-five picks, we play the easiest schedules. The whole league is meant to bring everyone back to 8-8 on the year. The fact we’ve qualified for the playoffs 11 straight years, these things are hard to do.”

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The Bills clinched a playoff spot themselves with their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, marking just the second time Buffalo has made the postseason since the 1999-00 campaign.

The Bills also gave the Patriots a heck of a fightback in Week 4, holding them to just 224 yards of total offense in what ended up being a 16-10 win for New England, so Brady knows the Pats' Week 16 matchup won't be easy:

“This is one of best teams in the NFL,” Brady said. “They went into Pittsburgh (and won), they were right there to beat Baltimore. This team is an incredibly difficult team.”

The good news for the Patriots is that this game will be at home, as will their season finale against the Miami Dolphins.