After a week off to soak in the shine of overtaking the Broncos in convincing fashion, the Patriots return to Gillette Stadium today to prepare for a crucial seven-game stretch that will validate their place in the AFC.

Starting with Sunday’s primetime road showdown against the Colts, six of the Pats’ final seven opponents currently have winning records. A single loss could reshape the playoff picture, as the Broncos (7-2), Colts (6-3), Browns (6-3) and Chiefs (6-3) are all within a game of the 7-2 Pats. Six more teams, including the Dolphins (5-4) and Bills (5-4), are within two games.

The Pats’ victory against the Broncos will only define their regular season if they continue to win.

“We’re in a great position, but at the same time, we’ve still got a lot more games left to accomplish what we want as a team,” cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “I think everybody is aware of that and what we need to do moving forward.”

Surely, the Broncos are the greatest threat to the Patriots, who would prefer any potential playoff rematch to be held at Gillette Stadium. And if the Broncos stay on course to win the AFC West, the Pats don’t have to worry about the Chiefs in the quest for a first-round bye or home-field advantage.

Of the Patriots’ stretch run — at the Colts, home for the Lions (7-2), at the Packers (6-3) and Chargers (5-4), home for the Dolphins, at the Jets (2-8) and home for the Bills — the Indy game will likely carry the most weight in playoff seeding because the Pats can essentially claim a three-game lead by factoring in the tiebreaker by beating the Colts. Assuming the Browns don’t run the table, the Patriots would then have some room for error in their quest for one of the AFC’s top two seeds and a first-round bye.

The Pats would never admit it, but they know they can all but lock up that first-round bye by beating the Colts, and it was made possible with the disposal of the Broncos.

“To beat (the Broncos) the way we did, it gives us a little confidence going into the bye week,” cornerback Brandon Browner said. “Then we come back with Indy, and I’m looking forward to it. We’ve got a good team. We’ve just got to keep building on what we’ve done the last two weeks.”

However, a loss to the Colts would drop the Pats from first to third or fourth, depending on the fluctuating midseason tiebreakers with the Browns. It would be difficult to make up ground, as the Pats’ remaining strength of schedule is the most difficult.

The final seven opponents have a 36-28 record (.563 winning percentage), which is a tougher road than the Browns (32-30-1, .516), Chiefs (32-32, .500), Broncos (29-33-1, .468) and Colts (30-35, .462) face.

The chase for home playoff games is always crucial, as the Patriots are 12-3 in home playoff games and 3-3 in road playoff games under coach Bill Belichick.

The Patriots will surely open at home because the AFC East is essentially a formality once again after the Dolphins and Bills each lost this week. The two meet Thursday night in Miami, and the loser will fall three games behind the Pats in the division. Though the Dolphins appear to be the greater threat, their quest to make up a two-game deficit includes road games against the Pats and Broncos and a home affair against the Ravens (6-4).

Yet, the Patriots’ goals are beyond the AFC East crown, which they’ve captured 11 times since 2001. Of their five Belichick-Brady Super Bowl trips, they’ve had a first-round bye each time and have only needed to win two road games (2001, ’04) to reach the championship stage.

The playoff jockeying began in Week 9 with the Broncos’ win, but that just set the table for the next two months.

“We took great pride in it,” Browner said of beating the Broncos. “They’re the so-called best team in the league, but we want to take that same intensity and same work ethic that we had going into that week of practice with (Colts quarterback) Andrew Luck and those guys and the weeks that follow.

“I think we’ll be all right with the outcome of every game if we take that same focus into every week.”