The Next 2 Games

After week 13 the AFC standings, and looking at the next 2 weeks:

1. NE 9-3 with wins over Denver, Cincinnati and Indy; @SD, vs. Miami
2. Denver 9-3 with a win over Indy; vs. Buffalo, @SD
3. Cincinnati 8-3-1; vs. Pittsburgh, @Cleveland
4. Indy 8-4 with a win over Cincinnati; @Cleveland, vs. Houston
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5. San Diego 8-4; vs. NE, vs. Denver
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Buffalo 7-5; @Denver, vs. Green Bay
Kansas City 7-5; @Arizona, vs. Oakland
Baltimore 7-5; @Miami, vs. Jacksonville
Pittsburgh 7-5; @Cincinnati, @Atlanta
Cleveland 7-5; vs. Indy, vs. Cincinnati
Miami 6-5 pending the result of their Monday night game vs. the Jets; vs. Baltimore, @NE

The next 2 games should clarify the conference picture considerably. San Diego and Buffalo have brutal schedules the next 2 weeks. The Pats realistically need to win both games to stay in control.

Neither one of those games is a lead pipe cinch. If the Patriots give the quarterback 10 seconds to find his
receivers, they will lose both games.

Mr Manning and co have shown that they own the AFC West they have a @ Cincinnatti macth-up but do anybody here think that Andy Dalton could outduel P. Manning anywhere?? I think Denver wins out so we must do the same. To get the Number One Seed you have to earn it which means Beating Good Teams on the Road. Winning next week would go a far way...we let one slip away yesterday.

The Miami game is a real sleeper tough game. They're playing well and we're coming off back to back road games with a late Sunday game and long flight back. Seems like it will be 8 am Monday Morning eastern when they get back.

PatsFan2 said:

Mr Manning and co have shown that they own the AFC West they have a @ Cincinnatti macth-up but do anybody here think that Andy Dalton could outduel P. Manning anywhere?? I think Denver wins out so we must do the same. To get the Number One Seed you have to earn it which means Beating Good Teams on the Road. Winning next week would go a far way...we let one slip away yesterday.

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I think Denver might get into trouble in SD. But there shouldn't be any problem in cincy.

saspack said:

I think Denver might get into trouble in SD. But there shouldn't be any problem in cincy.

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I doubt they will have trouble in SD. SD's defense looked and against Baltimore. Imagine how they'll look against Denver with JT possibly returning to the lineup.

BelichickFan said:

The Miami game is a real sleeper tough game. They're playing well and we're coming off back to back road games with a late Sunday game and long flight back. Seems like it will be 8 am Monday Morning eastern when they get back.

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Miami in NE... in December... after three road games in four weeks...

I just can't bring myself to be concerned about that game. Maybe Miami keeps it close. But that is a hat and T-shirt game.

mayoclinic said:

After week 13 the AFC standings, and looking at the next 2 weeks:

1. NE 9-3 with wins over Denver, Cincinnati and Indy; @SD, vs. Miami
2. Denver 9-3 with a win over Indy; vs. Buffalo, @SD
3. Cincinnati 8-3-1; vs. Pittsburgh, @Cleveland
4. Indy 8-4 with a win over Cincinnati; @Cleveland, vs. Houston
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5. San Diego 8-4; vs. NE, vs. Denver
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Buffalo 7-5; @Denver, vs. Green Bay
Kansas City 7-5; @Arizona, vs. Oakland
Baltimore 7-5; @Miami, vs. Jacksonville
Pittsburgh 7-5; @Cincinnati, @Atlanta
Cleveland 7-5; vs. Indy, vs. Cincinnati
Miami 6-5 pending the result of their Monday night game vs. the Jets; vs. Baltimore, @NE

The next 2 games should clarify the conference picture considerably. San Diego and Buffalo have brutal schedules the next 2 weeks. The Pats realistically need to win both games to stay in control.

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Mayo I said a week ago If KC loses to Denver their season is basically over Conference record will do them in at the end. The 49ers are not a very good Team on Offfense Kapp has come back to earth. San Diego faces both by the Time they play them, both should be well out of it. San Diego might be a dangerous Team in the end.

Oswlek said:

Miami in NE... in December... after three road games in four weeks...

I just can't bring myself to be concerned about that game. Maybe Miami keeps it close. But that is a hat and T-shirt game.

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They have had a good number of road games - and the home game before playing us is Baltimore which is usually a physical battle. So you may be right but this looks like the best Dolphin team in a while so it does concern me. The two division games after that, not so much as I can' t see the jesters and Bills keeping up offensively.

PatsFan2 said:

If KC loses to Denver their season is basically over Conference record will do them in at the end.

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Right now, KC is the projected 6th seed due to H2H tiebreakers over so many other teams.

I think we'll win out.

If we don't, I'll be just as concerned with about our ability to win in January/February as I am with the seeding. We're a championship caliber team that has - for the most part - found what's working for it, and we should handle the lesser teams. This Sunday is the toughest challenge, but I expect us to comfortably sweep the AFCE teams, particularly with the tougher of the two of those games coming at home.

PatsFan2 said:

Mr Manning and co have shown that they own the AFC West they have a @ Cincinnatti macth-up but do anybody here think that Andy Dalton could outduel P. Manning anywhere?? I think Denver wins out so we must do the same. To get the Number One Seed you have to earn it which means Beating Good Teams on the Road. Winning next week would go a far way...we let one slip away yesterday.

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No. Denver is winning out. So its a must we do if we dont want to go there in AFC chanp game. Beat SD and we shoukd be good with last 2 of 3 at home

I have visions of losing games down the stretch that we are favored to win and losing HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE for the championship game....

BlueThunder said:

I have visions of losing games down the stretch that we are favored to win and losing HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE for the championship game....

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Can you let me know which one(s)? The college fund could use a Vegas donation.

I believe the Pats will need to win out in order to secure the #1 seed. If they don't win out then they don't deserve to be the #1 seed.

BlueThunder said:

I have visions of losing games down the stretch that we are favored to win and losing HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE for the championship game....

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What makes you think that? Do you have visions of Denver doing that also? If not, then it would seem that you think Denver's better than NE. Case closed, it would seem.

Jimke said:

Neither one of those games is a lead pipe cinch. If the Patriots give the quarterback 10 seconds to find his
receivers, they will lose both games.

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Should be quicker to the QB in the next 2. You don't need to play a contain rush against Rivers or Tannehill.

PatsFan2 said:

Mr Manning and co have shown that they own the AFC West they have a @ Cincinnatti macth-up but do anybody here think that Andy Dalton could outduel P. Manning anywhere?? I think Denver wins out so we must do the same. To get the Number One Seed you have to earn it which means Beating Good Teams on the Road. Winning next week would go a far way...we let one slip away yesterday.

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Manning played like crap last night (the running game covered it up). So his road woes continued. I think he completed only one of his last 10 passes (he only completed 50% of his passes last night). If Cincy can shutdown the run and it is cold and windy in Cincy, I like the Bengals' chances. In fact, the Chiefs could have won last night if their offense was at least mediocre.

Personally, I think the Broncos have to win out and hope for the Pats to lose at least one more. They have more to worry about than the Pats.

Brady_to_Moss said:

No. Denver is winning out. So its a must we do if we dont want to go there in AFC chanp game. Beat SD and we shoukd be good with last 2 of 3 at home

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What makes you think that the Broncos are winning out? Based on last night, they are definitely vunerable for a loss. If either San Diego or Cincy can shut down the run, the Broncos can be in trouble. Manning had yet another mediocre game. He completed 50% of his passes and was awful in the second half. In fact, he was lucky not to be picked off.

If we can speak in definites that the Broncos are not going to lose another game, then the Pats have already locked up home field advantage because we can say the Pats are not going to lose another game.

Seriously, the Pats have blown out all the best teams in the AFC and the Broncos (in particular Manning) have struggled on the road for most of the season. Now people are saying the Pats are vunerable and the Broncos are a lock to win out. When both teams have two games against the same opponents (both face SD on the road and Bills at home) , both have a divsion game against a horrible team (Denver goes to Oakland and the Pats go to the Jets), and both have another game against a playoff contender (Pats at home in Miami and the Broncos on the road in Cincy).

What a difference a week makes. The Broncos have been struggling and the Pats have been blowing out top of the league opponents prior to Sunday and now the Broncos are a lock to win out and the Pats are likely to lose a game or two?

Why do you think it is questionable whether the Pats can beat San Diego in San Diego, but you guarantee the Broncos will go to San Diego and win?

BelichickFan said:

The Miami game is a real sleeper tough game.

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For who? The fans?

Because I'm sure that it won't be for the team given that Miami is on a 2 game winning streak against us.