Week 17 game at Houston looming as make or break game

[groundgame]

Assuming Pats lose at INDY, at MIA and at NEW ORLEANS, and arrive at Houston with a 10-5 (4-2 in Div.) record on Week 17, and with the crystal ball showing New York Jets at 9-6 (4-2 in Div.), and MIA out with a 7 losses entering week 17: Pats would need to beat the Texans to go to 11-5, or if the Texans upset the Patriots, hope the Jets lose at home to the Bengals to fall to 9-7 and out of playoffs. If they were both tied at 10-6 the conference tie-breaker employed. The crystal ball is getty fuzzy as we see the Steelers playing at Gillette on Wild Card weekend.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Assumptions seem to fuel most of the fan angst hereabouts. I remember the good old days when we assumed nothing and were pleasently surprised and/or magnificently entertained as each eason unfolded.

One game at a time...

 

[muzz]

I'd prefer we concentrate on beating the 0-5 Titans this week.....that would be the dangerous 0-5 Titans team that went 13-3 last year.....

I think some folks feel the Titans are going to roll over, which may end up being the case..but I'm certainly not counting on it, especially the way the Pats have played up till now.

 

[klinefan]

I can almost guarantee it won't be a make or break game.

If we're on the border of getting in the playoffs, then we'll be one and done for sure anyway, so who cares.

 

[signbabybrady]

 

[MassPats38]

Assuming Pats lose at INDY, at MIA and at NEW ORLEANS, and arrive at Houston with a 10-5 (4-2 in Div.) record on Week 17, and with the crystal ball showing New York Jets at 9-6 (4-2 in Div.), and MIA out with a 7 losses entering week 17: Pats would need to beat the Texans to go to 11-5, or if the Texans upset the Patriots, hope the Jets lose at home to the Bengals to fall to 9-7 and out of playoffs. If they were both tied at 10-6 the conference tie-breaker employed. The crystal ball is getty fuzzy as we see the Steelers playing at Gillette on Wild Card weekend.

The Pats could also be 13-2 or 3-12. And as the Colts and Saints are likely playoff teams at this point (as would be the Falcons and Ravens for that matter), if the assumption is the Pats lose to likely playoff teams, then what is the point of making it to the playoffs where all teams are playoff caliber?

I agree with the other posts. Building angst over playoffs with 5 of 16 games down is fairly pointless. There are 32 teams, each with 11 "what-if" scenarios are this point specific to games to be played, then those "what-if's" become significant based on what the other 31 teams do in their "what if" scenarios.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

crimminy christmas...let's just focus on the Titans in Week 6...who the heck knows what our record or any other record will be at week 17?

(looks up to the sky and then walks away mumbling to himself)

 

[Mountain_Commando]

crimminy christmas...let's just focus on the Titans in Week 6...who the heck knows what our record or any other record will be at week 17?

(looks up to the sky and then walks away mumbling to himself)

QFT and

 

[supafly]

Assuming Pats lose at INDY, at MIA and at NEW ORLEANS, and arrive at Houston with a 10-5 (4-2 in Div.) record on Week 17, and with the crystal ball showing New York Jets at 9-6 (4-2 in Div.), and MIA out with a 7 losses entering week 17: Pats would need to beat the Texans to go to 11-5, or if the Texans upset the Patriots, hope the Jets lose at home to the Bengals to fall to 9-7 and out of playoffs. If they were both tied at 10-6 the conference tie-breaker employed. The crystal ball is getty fuzzy as we see the Steelers playing at Gillette on Wild Card weekend.

I can see where you're coming from but I'd have to agree with the posters who say to take one game at a time, we just don't know what the variables will continue to be. You're using the variables established as of now to predict what will continue to happen, we don't know about our injuries or our other opponents injuries etc.

Even if you are correct--which you may well be, I find it hard to believe you can assume the NYJ will be 9-6, and the Steelers will be here on WC weekend. Those things IMO, are even harder to predict. For instance, who will the NYJ lose to? You're assuming they go 6-4 or 6-5 down the stretch, that's a hard one to understand. Also when Pittsburgh is only 1 game back at 3-2, why do you assume they will not win the division?

I can appreciate your looking ahead, + the work you put into it to figure it out etc, but it's probably unlikely you hit all these things right on the nose.

Let's stay positive and take it one game at a time

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

I'll think about week 17 after the week 16 game.....

 

[JSn]

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Hey thanks. Any insight on our week 14 showdown with Kansas City in 2015?

 

[spacecrime]

Assuming Pats lose at INDY, at MIA and at NEW ORLEANS, and arrive at Houston with a 10-5 (4-2 in Div.) record on Week 17, and with the crystal ball showing New York Jets at 9-6 (4-2 in Div.), and MIA out with a 7 losses entering week 17: Pats would need to beat the Texans to go to 11-5, or if the Texans upset the Patriots, hope the Jets lose at home to the Bengals to fall to 9-7 and out of playoffs. If they were both tied at 10-6 the conference tie-breaker employed. The crystal ball is getty fuzzy as we see the Steelers playing at Gillette on Wild Card weekend.

That is the least of our worries. Unless we extend some defensive players NOW, by 2016 we will have none under contract. NONE.

How do you win without anyone playing defense? Playoffs? Playoffs? Forget the playoffs. I'd be happy just to win a game!

 

[IcyPatriot]

Assuming Pats lose at INDY, at MIA and at NEW ORLEANS, and arrive at Houston with a 10-5 (4-2 in Div.) record on Week 17, and with the crystal ball showing New York Jets at 9-6 (4-2 in Div.), and MIA out with a 7 losses entering week 17: Pats would need to beat the Texans to go to 11-5, or if the Texans upset the Patriots, hope the Jets lose at home to the Bengals to fall to 9-7 and out of playoffs. If they were both tied at 10-6 the conference tie-breaker employed. The crystal ball is getty fuzzy as we see the Steelers playing at Gillette on Wild Card weekend.

Every game is a make or break game until it's over.

 

[A.C Vegas]

Hey thanks. Any insight on our week 14 showdown with Kansas City in 2015?

It will be a battle of undefeated teams in which the Pats will win

 

[PatsFanSince74]

It will be a battle of undefeated teams in which the Pats will win

in OT, even tho we lose the coin toss at the end of the game. especially memorable for tom brady's five TD passes after everyone had written him off as washed up after a bad 2014 season...

 

[patsinthesnow]

in OT, even tho we lose the coin toss at the end of the game. especially memorable for tom brady's five TD passes after everyone had written him off as washed up after a bad 2014 season...

Pretty sure Brady won't be our QB in 2015.

 

[Kontradiction]

Why does everyone think we're going to lose to the Colts? I think we're going to split with Miami, but not this time around. Maybe next time when we go to Miami. But I seriously think we can take Indy.

 

[NYCPatsFan]

Pretty sure Brady won't be our QB in 2015.

Wanna bet? I have various crystal bars err... balls that can predict a lot.

 

[JSn]

Pretty sure Brady won't be our QB in 2015.

Why not? Not saying it's probable, but not impossible.