Bills Propel Pats to a Likely #3 or #4 AFC Seed

[Kontradiction]

Not ready to give up on the #1 or #2. We have to beat the Texans and hope they lose 1 more. Houston can still lose a game somewhere. They play Indianapolis twice late in the year which should give Luck enough time to get some more experience. They also have Detroit and Minnesota and you can't count them out either.

We just need to make sure we take care of our end.

The seeding matters less based on a couple of things taking place...

1. How much Talib improves this secondary.
- If he even improves them to the point of "decent", we enter the playoffs with a better pass defense then last season.

2. Momentum going into the postseason.
- Wins over both Houston and San Fran at the latter parts of the season would place this team on a roll.

 

[1960Pats]

It helps tremendously when the division is absolute garbage.

Every year there's a crappy division or three. The AFCW is as lousy as any other this year, and many others have been in the past. This four team division setup is a bigger joke than the Jets under Ryan.

 

[1960Pats]

Houston isn't losing more than 2 games,maybe 3 if they sit starters in week 17 but they are a virtual lock for HFA

Despite all those who think the Ravens are finished are fooling themselves,it's the Ravens in very solid position at the #2 seed and only 2 losses to the Steelers (very unlikely) could derail that

I don't think the Broncos are all that and it simply means for them that to get the #3 seed over New England they have to have a better record than them,I would guess that both teams finish at 11-5 and that means NE is heading to the #3 seed

My guess at the AFC playoffs this early are....

WC Round....

#6 Pittsburgh at #3 New England
#5 Cincinnati at #4 Denver

Yes,I see 3 teams from the North making the playoffs in a very weak conference

I think I'll go with the Texans as #1 and the Ravens as #2, with the Pats at #4 because of their tougher schedule than the #3 Broncos.

I originally had the Steelers out of it this year because of what I thought were injuries to Roethlisberger, but then he came out pretty good until he got injured this time. If he stays healthy they'll get to #5

Indy will round out the AFC at #6. I don't have confidence in SD or Cincy this year.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Mentioning the NE Patriots in any context with that execrable MLB franchise should be a banable offense

Even "The Patriots are far more organized than the Red Sox"?

 

[PP2]

Pretty sure that if we win the next 3 games and Buffalo loses at least 1 of the next 3, the division will be clinched.

Very likely unless Indy is for real.

Quite frankly, I expect us to go 7-0 from this point on, if the players can get their **** together. They are capable of playing much better than the slopfest they put on this past Sunday.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Quite frankly, I expect us to go 7-0 from this point on, if the players can get their **** together. They are capable of playing much better than the slopfest they put on this past Sunday.

Spoken like a true fan of the NEP
I agree
Problem being that over a 7 game stretch it's not easy to play at capability level consistently. I hold BB responsible for doing what's needed for this crew to get themselves together.

 

[Kontradiction]

Quite frankly, I expect us to go 7-0 from this point on, if the players can get their **** together. They are capable of playing much better than the slopfest they put on this past Sunday.

Sweeping the Texans and 49ers in a two week period would be HUGE and would put the team on a roll. But the pass defense needs to get it's act together or both of those teams will have field days.

 

[condon84]

Every game will be tough. We almost lost to the freaking Bills last week. Our pass defense will keep teams in the game.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Channeling Belichick?

We're just trying to get ready for Indianapolis this week. All that other stuff...that's for you guys to write about.

I think that that has the benefit of being correct.

 

[Finnishfan]

I think I'll go with the Texans as #1 and the Ravens as #2, with the Pats at #4 because of their tougher schedule than the #3 Broncos.

I originally had the Steelers out of it this year because of what I thought were injuries to Roethlisberger, but then he came out pretty good until he got injured this time. If he stays healthy they'll get to #5

Indy will round out the AFC at #6. I don't have confidence in SD or Cincy this year.

I dont have confidence in SD or Cincy any year.

However, my guess is Texans 13/3 - Patriots 12/4 - Broncos 12/4 - Ravens 11/5 - Indy 10/6 - Steelers 9/7.

 

[signbabybrady]

Getting a #3 seed is a downer?

13 other AFC teams wish they had that spot

Nope but conceding it with 7 games left is. All we have to do is win out and the Texans lose one other game and we pass them. We already hold the tie breaker over Denver if they win out and Baltimore looks in trouble and might not be to hard to pass. No reason to think that the Pats wont end up the one seed.

 

[DolphinsX72]

Patriots likely won't rest their starters in Week 17 right?

We need to get Jeff Ireland fired with the Patriots help. Its the only way they might get some talent around Tannehill to see what he is made of.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Nope but conceding it with 7 games left is. All we have to do is win out and the Texans lose one other game and we pass them. We already hold the tie breaker over Denver if they win out and Baltimore looks in trouble and might not be to hard to pass. No reason to think that the Pats wont end up the one seed.

other than logical analysis of the contenders and their opponents

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Nope but conceding it with 7 games left is. All we have to do is win out and the Texans lose one other game and we pass them. We already hold the tie breaker over Denver if they win out and Baltimore looks in trouble and might not be to hard to pass. No reason to think that the Pats wont end up the one seed.

I don't think its a big deal anyway....look at the SB champs of the past several years and how many of them won the title having a bye week......its a short list.

Whoever is on a roll into January has won the title lately,sometimes that extra week off lulls you to sleep as a team more than helps you,its an advantage of course but not as much as it used to be.

 

[Finnishfan]

other than logical analysis of the contenders and their opponents

Or one glimpse of our defense.

 

[Finnishfan]

I don't think its a big deal anyway....look at the SB champs of the past several years and how many of them won the title having a bye week......its a short list.

Whoever is on a roll into January has won the title lately,sometimes that extra week off lulls you to sleep as a team more than helps you,its an advantage of course but not as much as it used to be.

I think there was a conversation here just recently and that someone said there that 50% of the SB winners in recent history had a bye. And considering that there are only 4 teams with a bye, and 8 teams without a bye, then basically you double your chances by getting the bye.

 

[shmessy]

Houston isn't losing more than 2 games,maybe 3 if they sit starters in week 17 but they are a virtual lock for HFA

Despite all those who think the Ravens are finished are fooling themselves,it's the Ravens in very solid position at the #2 seed and only 2 losses to the Steelers (very unlikely) could derail that

I don't think the Broncos are all that and it simply means for them that to get the #3 seed over New England they have to have a better record than them,I would guess that both teams finish at 11-5 and that means NE is heading to the #3 seed

My guess at the AFC playoffs this early are....

WC Round....

#6 Pittsburgh at #3 New England
#5 Cincinnati at #4 Denver

Yes,I see 3 teams from the North making the playoffs in a very weak conference

I agree regarding Houston.

Strongly disagree regarding Baltimore. They can be had.

They are 7-2, but they were very lucky in 3 close wins against KC, Dallas and Cleveland. They are 5-0 at home, 2-2 on the road (the two last minute lucky wins against KC and Cleveland). Their last 7 games have 3 at home and 4 on the road. They play Pittsburgh twice, the Giants, the Broncos and they finish the season on the road against Cincinnati.

The Patriots would have to beat their remaining record by 2 games. It can very well be done.

 

[scout]

Nothing is ever certain but this would be a Red Sox type collapse to not win the division.....considering the mathematical clinch can happen 2 weeks from Sunday. The Patriots will need to win their next 3 and have Buffalo lose one of their next two.

And to look further in advance: Baltimore has 2 against Pitt, NYG, Denver, San Diego and Cincy left on their schedule. Baltimore definitely has a tough road ahead. For Denver, they have a light schedule...any chance at the #2 is aided a lot by the earlier season win over them. Yet the Patriots D is worrisome to the point that even our favorable schedule makes the chance of grabbing a first round bye very murky.

When pigs fly..................oh wait....when BB imports chicken wings and beer for the locker room.

 

[QB12]

Quite frankly, I expect us to go 7-0 from this point on, if the players can get their **** together. They are capable of playing much better than the slopfest they put on this past Sunday.

And this is entirely doable. Do you realize that since 2010, we are undefeated in the second half of the season?

 

[supafly]

Houston isn't losing more than 2 games,maybe 3 if they sit starters in week 17 but they are a virtual lock for HFA

Despite all those who think the Ravens are finished are fooling themselves,it's the Ravens in very solid position at the #2 seed and only 2 losses to the Steelers (very unlikely) could derail that

I don't think the Broncos are all that and it simply means for them that to get the #3 seed over New England they have to have a better record than them,I would guess that both teams finish at 11-5 and that means NE is heading to the #3 seed

My guess at the AFC playoffs this early are....

WC Round....

#6 Pittsburgh at #3 New England
#5 Cincinnati at #4 Denver

Yes,I see 3 teams from the North making the playoffs in a very weak conference

As of right now, Indy has a full 2 game lead on any other contender regarding the 6th slot, so it's very, very hard for me to imagine a team like Cincy overtaking them. To be honest, I am certainly not locking Indy into the #6, but I can't see any way that the lowly Cincinnati Bengals make it into the playoffs despite any scenario that you propose....

The Cincy Bengals are currently 4-5, and even worse they have a 2-5 AFC conference record. They are 1-4 in their last 5 games!!

They have a losing record at HOME...They also have games @SD, @PHI, and @PIT coming up, while hosting DAL and BAL to boot.

If the Bengals would make it, then Indy would somehow have to win 2 out of their last 7 games, and even then they'd still likely hold the tiebreaker over Cincinnati.

The percentages of both PIT and CIN making it are virtually impossible, but if Cincy somehow knocked out PIT for the #6 (as Indy would likey have the #5) then I certainly hope that we'd play them somehow.