Appetizer Before Monday Night Dinner: Who Patriots Are Rooting For Sunday
Before the New England Patriots can help themselves, they need an assist from others.
The 6-6 Pats are hanging by a thread in the AFC Wild Card playoff race as they enter Monday night's game at the Arizona Cardinals. Currently in 8th place, they would miss the postseason for the second time in three years if the season ended today.
For a realistic shot at playing into January, they need to beat the Cardinals and then the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15. That would push their record 8-6 entering the closing three-game gauntlet against the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills.
The Patriots have to be better in prime time, where they're only 0-3 this season and 4-10 since Tom Brady left. But they've also got to get some good fortune Sunday.
A look at who the Pats are rooting for in Week 14:
Buffalo Bills over New York Jets - Difficult as it may be to root for Josh Allen and the team that just thumped them, a Jets' loss would drop them to 7-6. Remember, New England owns the tiebreaker with New York by virtue of a season sweep. Chances of catching the Jets are realistic. The Bills and the AFC East title are long gone.
Cleveland Browns over Cincinnati Bengals - Deshaun Watson could do the Pats a solid with an upset win. A Cincy loss coupled with a Pats' win would put the teams only a game apart with a Christmas Eve meeting looming that could decide the playoff tiebreaker.
Baltimore Ravens over Pittsburgh Steelers - Follow us on this one because it's tricky. Since the Pats already lost to Baltimore, they want the Ravens to win the AFC North. That would slide the Bengals down as a Wild Card, with a game against New England remaining.
Los Angeles Chargers over Miami Dolphins - This is six of one half and a dozen of the other. A Chargers win would move them to 7-6 and give the Pats company on the outside looking in. But a loss by the Dolphins would more importantly drop them to 8-5 and potentially only a game ahead of New England with a meeting remaining on New Year's Day.
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