Patriots' Week 16 Rooting Guide: Hope for Losses by AFC Contenders

Here's what you should be rooting for during Sunday's slate of NFL games.

Now that the New England Patriots have clinched the AFC East after defeating the Buffalo Bills 24-17 on Saturday, it's time to shift the focus to the Patriots clinching a first-round bye in the playoffs. To do that, New England needs to finish the regular season as one of the top-2 seeds in the AFC. While getting a win in Week 17 will lock their spot in the playoff seedings, some losses during Sunday's slate of Week 16 games will make a win against the Miami Dolphins in the regular season finale less of a necessity for the reigning Super Bowl champions. 

Let's go over what you Patriots fans should be rooting for when the NFL games kickoff at 1 o'clock on Sunday. 

Ravens lose to Browns which reduces their chances of keeping no. 1 seed

The Baltimore Ravens will take on the Cleveland Browns at 1 p.m., which will likely be the last game that we see Baltimore's starters play a full game this regular season. While the Ravens have clinched a playoff berth, it's never good for a red-hot team to sizzle out at the end of the regular season right before the postseason. That's is why Patriots fans should be hoping for a loss for the Ravens today. 

Cheer for Freddie Kitchens and the Browns squad to find some magic this week and take down Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. If Cleveland can beat the Ravens, then it would put New England just one game back from the no. 1 seed in the AFC heading into the regular season finale. While both the top-2 seeds do get a playoff bye to start the playoffs, having the no. 1 seed is more advantageous, as they will get to play the lower seed in the second round. Here's to the Patriots getting one game closer to the top seed by way of a Baltimore loss on Sunday.

The Chiefs lose on national television to the underwhelming Bears

The one AFC contender that can still leap frog the Patriots in the playoff seedings is the Kansas Chiefs. Since they beat the Patriots back in Week 14, they own the tiebreaker in the event that both them and the Patriots finish the regular season with the same record. Because of that, it's important the New England finishes the season with less than four losses, since Kansas City already has four. 

The Chiefs will travel to Chicago to take on the Bears on Sunday Night Football in Week 16, which, depending on which Bears team we see, could end in a Kansas City loss. If that happens, then New England wouldn't need to win their regular season finale against Miami, because they will have two fewer losses than the Chiefs heading into that game. This will also ensure that the Patriots do not get bumped down in the seedings and can start the postseason with a bye.

Cheer for Mitchell Trubisky to have one of his best games of the season, which will hopefully result in Chicago's 8th win of the season, and the Chiefs' 5th loss of the season.