With a quarter to go, your Patriots playoff predictions?

[Disco Volante]

Here we are, the final stretch - December football.

Where's your confidence right now?

 

[PJM]

I think we will go 10-6 or 11-5 (just not sure about Arizona v our secondary) but I don't think it will be enough to get us in. I hope I'm wrong and I am a real pessimist so it wouln't be the first time I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[Rob0729]

I voted AFC East Champs. I am more optimistic than confident. I still think the Jets could lose to the Dolphins. For that matter since they can't win on the West Coast even to the Raiders, they could lose one or both of those game too.

I think the Pats can sweep the rest of their games. The Raiders and Seahawks suck. Arizona will probably have nothing to play for, may rest players, and have been abismal on the East Coast. Buffalo has fallen apart.

Anything can happen, but I still think the Pats winning their last four and the Jets losing to at least the Dolphins is still very realistic. I guess we will see.

 

[Wendel]

Patriots will finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs.

AFC will end up as so...

1. Titans (15-1)
2. Steelers (11-5)
3. Jets (11-5)
4. Broncos (9-7)
5. Colts (10-6)
6. Ravens (10-6)

Pats blew games against seeds #2, #4 and #5 that will end up costing us the season.

 

[Kontradiction]

Ravens remaining schedule is tough. I think we can sneak in as the #6 wild card seed in the playoffs. However, what we do from there depends largely on how the defense plays/whether AD returns this season or not.

 

[Jimke]

9-7 Wins at Seattle and Oakland but losses to Arizona and
Buffalo. Can't go 4-4 at home and be in the playoffs.

 

[blackglass3]

I voted for miss playoffs w/winning record. I will be happy if we get to see some playoff football, but it's ok if we don't make it. It's been a pretty exciting season as is.

 

[Lansdowne]

9-7 Wins at Seattle and Oakland but losses to Arizona and
Buffalo. Can't go 4-4 at home and be in the playoffs.

Perhaps, but there are exceptions.

2007:
Giants were 3-5

2006:
Jets, Cowboys, and Saints were 4-4, Giants were 3-5

2005:
N/A

2004:
Packers were 4-4

2003:
N/A

2002:
Browns were 3-5

etc.

It's not impossible but it's very hard to get in if you don't take advantage of your home games.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

I voted for 6th seed but that means us winning out, one more loss and i think we miss the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

 

[jgpatriot]

# 1 Seed will likely go to Titans
# 4 Seed will likely go to Denver
# 5 Seed will likely go to Indy

Obviously, the Patriots have to win at least 3 of 4 but most likely 4 of 4 then.....

Steelers would have to fall completely apart and Jets would drop a little for the Pats to get the #2 seed.

Jets would drop a little for the Pats to get the #3 seed.

Baltimore, Indy, or Pittsburgh need to struggle with their games. Pitt and Balt have a tough remaining schedule.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

# 1 Seed will likely go to Titans
# 4 Seed will likely go to Denver
# 5 Seed will likely go to Indy

Obviously, the Patriots have to win at least 3 of 4 but most likely 4 of 4 then.....

Steelers would have to fall completely apart and Jets would drop a little for the Pats to get the #2 seed.

Jets would drop a little for the Pats to get the #3 seed.

Baltimore, Indy, or Pittsburgh need to struggle with their games. Pitt and Balt have a tough remaining schedule.

Scratch Indy off your list, have you seen their schedule?

They could sit Manning and still win against some of the teams they have to play.

 

[Rob0729]

9-7 Wins at Seattle and Oakland but losses to Arizona and
Buffalo. Can't go 4-4 at home and be in the playoffs.

I still don't see the Pats losing to the Cards at home. The Cards are probably one of the worst teams in the league when playing on the East Coast and they will have locked up the West and their playoff seed by the time they get to New England. If the Pats played the Cards in Arizona and they had something to play for, I would agree. But their defense doesn't travel to the East Coast. They bring the Janitorial staff to play defense when they travel East. The Eagles probably could have put up 100 points against them on Thanksgiving if they really wanted to.

Also, if Trent Edwards is still out by the time the Pats face the Bills, I don't see a way the Bills win either.

Personally, if the Pats lose another game, they may lose on the road to Oakland because the two week stay on the West Coast failed miserably the last time.

 

[NEPatriot]

missed playoff.

 

[tombonneau]

I think we will go 10-6 or 11-5 (just not sure about Arizona v our secondary) but I don't think it will be enough to get us in. I hope I'm wrong and I am a real pessimist so it wouln't be the first time I was pleasantly surprised.

I agree completely. The team needed to go 3-1 during the crucial BUF-NYJ-MIA-PIT stretch and only managed 2-2. The loss to the Jets in all likelihood sealed the fate of the 2008 NEP.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

When the Jets converted on the 3d and 15 in overtime, I had a feeling that at the end of the year, that could turn out to be the most significant play of the year other than Brady's injury.

So, I'll stick with that theory -- the Patriots somehow miss out on the playoffs in a tie breaker but would have made it if that game had gone the other way.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

The playoffs start now for us because our next loss could very likely end our season. I have a bad feeling Baltimore will not lose more than 2 games and Miami might not lose 2 either which would both have to happen in order for us to get in at 10-6. Anyway if we lose to any of these teams, none of whom is better than 7-5, we wouldn't have beaten any teams in January who are all better than 7-5 except Denver - not likely to face them anyway.

 

[fgssand]

Patriots will finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs.

AFC will end up as so...

1. Titans (15-1)
2. Steelers (11-5)
3. Jets (11-5)
4. Broncos (9-7)
5. Colts (10-6)
6. Ravens (10-6)

Pats blew games against seeds #2, #4 and #5 that will end up costing us the season.

Ye of no faith............I say we win the division by winning out and jests lose a division game.

 

[NEPatriot]

The season is officially OVER.

 

[Lansdowne]

Yeah this is probably just wishful thinking, but **** it! I'll say it anyway.

New England:

@ Seattle - W
@ Oakland - W
Arizona - W
@ Buffalo - W

11-5, 1st in AFC East

New York Jets:

@ San Francisco - W
Buffalo - W
@ Seattle - W
Miami - L

11-5, 2nd in AFC East

Miami:

@ Buffalo - L
San Francisco - W
@ Kansas City - W
New York Jets - W

10-6, 3rd in AFC East

Buffalo:

Miami - W
@ NY Jets - L
@ Denver - L
New England - L

7-9, 4th in AFC East

 

[Boston Jay]

@ Seattle - W
@ Oakland - W
Arizona - L
@ Buffalo - W

10-6, sitting at home

Obviously I want them to go 4-0 and have the Jests screw up amazingly then sneak into the playoffs, but losing those games against the Colts and Jests... ugh.