Your pecking order outside Patriots?

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

First I just want to say if I’ve tried rooting for certain outcomes that affect the Patriots playoff chances. Outside of direct divisional competition (Buffalo, Miami) this stuff is rarely going to make an impact at the end of the season and isn’t worth trying to project in September/October, so besides the obvious stuff I just root against teams I hate most.

Which team(s) are you soft rooting for as a backup if the Pats don’t contend?

Guessing I’m not very unique here but I enjoy watching the Lions with Campbell’s body language, their risk appetite, and I’ve always thought Jared Goff is a solid overall guy and leader even if isn’t elite (he’s actually pretty darn good though as long as he has a balanced rushing attack.) Combine they with their 70 years of suckage and I think a lot of fans are in the same boat.

I’m in the Bay Area so I’ve always soft rooted for the Niners as well. They were the it team when I was getting into football with Montana and Rice. Going to these games is a real treat, as the fans are overwhelmingly kind and passionate, contrasted to the old Oakland experience of murderous and passionate. Niners are a very well run organization.

I wouldn’t mind pumping up the Browns (given they play the Steelers and Ravens) but with Watson I find myself unable to even root for them against hated rivals. Bengals are fine.

Hated teams list

Top tier: Steelers, Broncos, Ravens, Jets, Colts

Second tier: Dolphins, Bills, Chiefs, Cowboys, Giants

 

[farn]

Indy and Baltimore can burn in Hades until the end of times. Other than that, I love watching the NYJ lose in new and exciting ways & I always root for T Hill to get his legs mangled.

 

[Pape]

Honestly, I wouldn't root for anyone else... I would root against specific teams winning...

Ranked, in no particular order, except for the Loathe category
Loathe: denver, baltimore, ****sburgh
Detest: miami, new jersey b, new jersey a, buffalo, kansass city, seattle
Hate: dallas, las vegas, indianapolis, green bay, washington, philthydelphia,
Don't care: all the rest

root for: If the Patriots aren't contending, I would root for... hmmm... anyone vs the above teams

 

[Hyped]

Well....tough question...but twisting my arm...I'd say the Saints...I like the Superdome and their fans...

But that's about it I think....

 

[long distance]

Neither root nor hate. I mean Jete are a joke, Browns, Cows etc obnoxious most of the time, half of the league permanently incompetent despite parity rules but there are great players to enjoy all around.

I do have respect for some organizations, GMs, coaches mostly from team building perspective and even that is limited in time. For the past decade or so BAL (ex BB), BUF, PHI, maybe SF & KC to some extent..

 

[NE_Zealot]

Still have a soft spot for Tampa. My most hated are Pissburgh, JETE (tied with Piss) and KC. Then secondary hate goes to BUF, MIA, IND AND BAL. I do also harbor some animosity towards the Raiders because my mom hates them for Darryl Stingley. Everyone else I’ll root for to beat the teams I dislike, keep it simple.

 

[Nikolai]

If the Pats fell off the face of the earth, I'd pull for the Cards unfortunately, due to my AZ connections. It's kind of a nothingburger of a franchise, that has had some good moments, a couple great players coming through, and overall isn't much considered or talked about in the NFL landscape. They feel like what I perceived the Pats to be from time to time prior to the Parcells era, and the Warner/Palmer years felt like the Bledsoe years to me.

Used to be a strong Saints sympathizer, but the shine is worn off now that most of the offended "Bountygate" parties are gone and neither the league, nor anyone else, cares about them. They were once considered "Gate Bros", but it turns out they were more like "Gate Guests".

Hate, hate, hate the Jete, ****tsburgh, Clots, and CRavens. I have a transient hate of the Chefs, mostly because of their fanbase. Once they're irrelevant again, their fanbase will likely go away and so will my concern with them.

Don't like and will root against the Lolphins, Billshits, Cowgirls, and Weagles.

Other than that, I couldn't possibly care less about any other team out there.

 

[PancakeBlockPaul]

A few years ago I was kinda getting into the Browns. Something about all the losses made them interesting. While underdog thing. Then they signed Watson and I can’t do it now. Call it the final straw…Lions are still interesting in that way. So long as they don’t sign a rapist….Other than that, anyone playing the Queefs, ****birds, Dolts has my stamp of approval. Minus the Phish, Jill’s, or Jete…of course.

 

[Guts]

Anyone but the Chiefs

 

[fourhour]

Every team playing the Yankees, oh wait a minute.....

 

[PatsFan2]

Bengals and Burrow I also like the Lions think they are for real this time. I think the Falcons have a talented young Team. I can't hate Mahomes he has proven that he can carry a Team on his back. Lamar Jackson is proving his doubters wrong day by day he plays hard for his Team.

 

[sb1]

Soft spot: Bucs. Obviously for taking the GOAT, reaping the rewards from that decision and helping the GOAT seal his legacy once and for all… but also for kicking the everliving crap out of the Raiders in the Super Bowl back in the day. The Raiders franchise literally never recovered from that beat down.

Hate or don’t want to win the SB for various reasons. Or both.: Jets, Steelers, 49ers, Chiefs, Ravens, Broncos, Dolphins. Raiders too although I’m more neutral on them than I used to be. They feel like a completely different franchise now with salad bowl head owning them instead of Al. Also the GOAT has a piece of them. Bills I guess? Allen is likeable and fun to watch and I don’t really mind McDermott but I’d rather not see a division rival win it all especially one that’s had our number lately.

Neutral: everyone else.

 

[neuronet]

I like the Packers and Chargers and Tampa Bay still (residual Brady scent on them I guess).

Plus obviously anyone playing the Bills, Jets, Miami but that goes without saying hopefully.

Plus I root against the Queefs.

 

[Jangles]

Vikings, Bucs/bengals

Everyone else can suck it

 

[1960Pats]

I rooted hard for the Jets in 68 and the Chiefs in 69. Now I hate them both.

When the Indiots played the Ratbirds last week I rooted for an earthquake, but I had to settle for an Indiot upset over the single most overrated QB in the game. I can't ever recall seeing an "elite" QB miss so many open receivers and I wake up every morning thankful that the Pats don't have him or anyone like him.

I also can't stand Pissburgh, mainly because they're the dirtiest team in the league from the top to the bottom.

One of the few teams I like is the Bengals and that goes back to their SB days when one of my wife's HS classmates played for them. RIP Dan Ross. I also don't seem to get all worked up about the Bills, but that could be because they went to 4 straight SBs and lost and I felt bad for them. I was pulling for them back then.

I don't really like Denver but I don't hate them, especially now that they're blowing chunks all over the place.

I've also changed my opinion of the Dolphins and Browns (my first NFL team) after they brought in total scumbags to play for them. That's especially true of the Browns and DeShlong Wantsom. The Dolphins also have the added distinction of cheating the rules in 1970 which led to their undefeated season in 72. I wouldn't have remembered that if Shula* didn't remind me about it with his crying in 2007. Luckily for him some of his players shut him down real quick because they knew.

I also can't stand any of the NFC teams. That goes back to why I rooted hard for the Jets and Chiefs in the late 60's, hoping they'd shut up the NFLers and they did. The only NFC exception was TB with TB.

I also had a soft spot for the Cowboys back when Tom Landry was the coach because he faked a winning chip-shot FG in OT and scored a TD for a 6 point win after Drew Pearson caught a bomb to the 2. I had a bet on them and I was giving up 5. That all changed when the mediots started calling them America's Team and when Jerry "Blowhard" Jones took over.

 

[amfootball]

I grew up in the 80s rooting for the Redskins (Commanders). I was a huge Riggins fan and loved the hogs and the smurfs. It finally looks like they have a decent QB in Howell and I am enjoying Bienienmy as OC. He has done a great job so far.

I also like Detroit this year as well. Just love the way they play both offense and defense. That was a pretty good GB team that they blew out in the first half. I obviously loved them taking out KC in week one too.

I normally hate the teams in our division but I really like Tua a lot and I am glad he is having such a great season after all the injuries last year. I also normally hate the Niners too but I really like Purdy a lot. I am hoping they come out of the NFC this year instead of the Eagles.

 

[The Gr8est]

First I just want to say if I’ve tried rooting for certain outcomes that affect the Patriots playoff chances. Outside of direct divisional competition (Buffalo, Miami) this stuff is rarely going to make an impact at the end of the season and isn’t worth trying to project in September/October, so besides the obvious stuff I just root against teams I hate most.

Which team(s) are you soft rooting for as a backup if the Pats don’t contend?

Guessing I’m not very unique here but I enjoy watching the Lions with Campbell’s body language, their risk appetite, and I’ve always thought Jared Goff is a solid overall guy and leader even if isn’t elite (he’s actually pretty darn good though as long as he has a balanced rushing attack.) Combine they with their 70 years of suckage and I think a lot of fans are in the same boat.

I’m in the Bay Area so I’ve always soft rooted for the Niners as well. They were the it team when I was getting into football with Montana and Rice. Going to these games is a real treat, as the fans are overwhelmingly kind and passionate, contrasted to the old Oakland experience of murderous and passionate. Niners are a very well run organization.

I wouldn’t mind pumping up the Browns (given they play the Steelers and Ravens) but with Watson I find myself unable to even root for them against hated rivals. Bengals are fine.

Hated teams list

Top tier: Steelers, Broncos, Ravens, Jets, Colts

Second tier: Dolphins, Bills, Chiefs, Cowboys, Giants

None!

I root for the Pats.

 

[yukon cornelius]

None

 

[borg]

I root for ties

 

[TheRainMaker]

I root for the 49ers to watch my best friend I grew up with sweat as they are now title contenders. His wife gets mad at him because he'll only talk to me during games. He'll have gatherings for games, but avoids people and won't sit down.