FOXBOROUGH — It’s been a long time since Patriots fans found themselves rooting for the Colts, but as Indianapolis was putting the finishing touches on its win over the Texans Sunday, every New England backer was rejoicing.

By virtue of the Colts beating Houston in a 1 p.m. game, the Patriots knew during pregame warm-ups that they had a first-round bye within their sights — as long as they did their part and won against the Dolphins.