Pats need to win the last 2 and go 14 and 2.

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Crazy to think that 14-2 is what will assure us HFA. At the beginning of the year, I thought 13-3 or even 12-4 would be the magic number given the weakness of the AFC. OAK has been extremely annoying of late. Can you imagine how nervous we would be if OAK didn't lose that game at KC?

NE@ MIA is gonna be super tough because it's @ MIA. That game is giving me fits already just thinking about it.

Matt Moore really that scary? I think we'll be fine.

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

Miami can clinch a playoff spot if they beat buffalo and get help from the squealers and KC. That game in buffalo will be tough.

 

[gitgronked82]

I just remember why this does not matter that KC lost. Same problem with the late Oakland game week 17. KC plays late last week of season week 17. If we are 13-2 and Miami, and the Chiefs were 12-3, and the Raiders were 12-3. We STILL would need to beat Miami to assure HFA. Because those two play later. And let;s say we lost to Miami, and the Chiefs lost to (I think the Chargers), but the Raiders won against Denver.. Oakland gets the HFA. So the KC loss today has no impact at all on us needing to win BOTH our games. We still would have needed to in order to win BOTH to not be depending on stuff late week 17... so that would mean we had to win bother regardless.

we would still have to try in miami, but the point is we could still get it while losing and having oakland win out

 

[mosslost]

If Colts and Broncos beat Raiders and Chiefs respectively next week, plus a win by us, than we can rest starters in Miami. Unlikely though.

we would still have to try in miami, but the point is we could still get it while losing and having oakland win out

the original point of most of the discussions is whether we could rest and not go all out in Miami, which unless the Colts beat Oakland, we are going to have to go all out and beat Miami

 

[Bruins29]

There also may be the possibiliy that the Fins are in the playoffs by week 17 and we are playing for HFA against a Dolphins team resting its players.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

My only concern with the Jets is the short week.
Jimmy G beat the Dolphins with Tannehill starting. I think he could beat Moore if we wanted to rest Brady.
I think we will go 14-2.

 

[Bruins29]

My only concern with the Jets is the short week.
Jimmy G beat the Dolphins with Tannehill starting. I think he could beat Moore if we wanted to rest Brady.
I think we will go 14-2.

You don't fuk around with that. That cost us HFA last year when they tried to be cute to early.

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

My only concern with the Jets is the short week.
Jimmy G beat the Dolphins with Tannehill starting. I think he could beat Moore if we wanted to rest Brady.
I think we will go 14-2.

Jests have always played us tough. It would be nice to see our offense click against them.

 

[The Gr8est]

Too bad Oakland won today. Well, the good news is we control our own destiny for HFA. Unless the Colts can beat Oakland next week though, we will need to win both Jets and Dolphins to assure HFA. (Since Oakland at Denver in final week is a later game, and Denver will not beat them anyway) So the Pats still need to win last 2 games.

The league will often move the start times of games for the last weekend so that teams do not know who won earlier games.

 

[upstater1]

are you sure? I did an espn playoff machine where kc, oakland, and pats were all 13-3, and we got 2 seed.

Oakland would have been a wildcard in this scenario. Would have been KC and Patriots head to head, and Patriots win tie-breaker on common opponents. But I would think the playoff machine would have already accounted for that. Not sure why it didn't do it for you. But it's impossible to go back now since the KC loss today is hardwired into the machine.

But yes, I'm sure about this. KC would have won that AFC West if they had won out.

 

[Nikolai]

We can beat Miami in Miami.

Yeah, we just rolled into Denver and didn't let them breathe. I know Miami usually is a split for us, but looking at the game for what it is, I see no reason to fear that game.

 

[upstater1]

I just remember why this does not matter that KC lost. Same problem with the late Oakland game week 17. KC plays late last week of season week 17. If we are 13-2 and Miami, and the Chiefs were 12-3, and the Raiders were 12-3. We STILL would need to beat Miami to assure HFA. Because those two play later. And let;s say we lost to Miami, and the Chiefs lost to (I think the Chargers), but the Raiders won against Denver.. Oakland gets the HFA. So the KC loss today has no impact at all on us needing to win BOTH our games. We still would have needed to in order to win BOTH to not be depending on stuff late week 17... so that would mean we had to win bother regardless.

You left out a big part of this scenario though. What if the Chiefs would have won their last game? Then the Patriots could have afforded a loss to Miami.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

I expect Oakland to lose in Denver, their offense has slowed down since Carr got his finger hurt and it's going to be cold in Denver and they looked terrible in cold weather in KC.

You'd sign up for beating the Jets and Dolphins for guaranteed home field advantage.

Also if Denver loses at KC and Miami beats Buffalo, the Dolphins are in the playoffs and could be actually resting starters week 17.

 

[upstater1]

There also may be the possibiliy that the Fins are in the playoffs by week 17 and we are playing for HFA against a Dolphins team resting its players.

Good point, but on the other hand, they might prefer to play AT Houston or Tenn (4th seeds) instead of AT Pitt or Baltimore (3rd seeds). I know that would be my preference. Phins need the 5th seed.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

Jests have always played us tough. It would be nice to see our offense click against them.

The Jets offensive line is decimated, they don't know who is starting at QB, and Revis is phoning it in. I'm not all that worried.

 

[deroc5050]

I wouldn't count out the Colts against the Raiders. In fact I bet that will be a good game. I am pretty sure Oakland will lose against @Denver in the last week.

 

[upstater1]

The league will often move the start times of games for the last weekend so that teams do not know who won earlier games.

It is going to be very hard to do this year though. There will be 7 AFC games with playoff implications that weekend. If all the games have to start at 4:45 because of the 2 west coast games, it is going to be ridiculous.

On the other hand, the NFC only has one west coast game, Seattle @ San Fran, and it is conceivable they move all NFC games to 1 EST. The Seahawks would then have the benefit of knowing whether they need to win to get a first-round bye (depending on what Atlanta does in the early game).

In this scenario, Fox will be laughing as it fills both time slots with playoff implication games, while CBS has only the 4 o'clock slot with such games.

 

[upstater1]

I wouldn't count out the Colts against the Raiders. In fact I bet that will be a good game. I am pretty sure Oakland will lose against @Denver in the last week.

Denver will be out of the playoffs, and Oakland will be fighting for a home game. Otherwise, Oakland will have to travel on wildcard weekend if they lose that game.

 

[deroc5050]

If Denver wins last 2 and we beat Miami, doesn't Denver get in?

 

[obgod3]

I dont think Miami will be a cake walk at all, they are playing better now than they were in the fall. I think the jets are going down hard next weekend.