OK, Now we need Oakland to lose some games

[mosslost]

Their next three are very winnable home games... They should get to 10-2. After that do have all three road divisional games left, at KC, at SD, and at DEN. There has to be at least one loss out of those three maybe two.

 

[Mark.]

I can see them losing at KC and/or Denver and being 12-4. Wonder if there will be 3 AFC West teams in the playoffs?

 

[1960Pats]

Their next three are very winnable home games... They should get to 10-2. After that do have all three road divisional games left, at KC, at SD, and at DEN. There has to be at least one loss out of those three maybe two.

They have 4 home games and a bye in a 5 weeks. That's odd.

I don't know that they should get to 10-2, but they could. I think all three of their next opponents, Houston, Carolina and Buffalo, could give them some trouble.

Then there's the 25 year curse I put on them in 2001. If I know they can't win anything until 2026, I might want them in the playoffs as an opponent this year.

 

[Family]

Their next three are very winnable home games... They should get to 10-2.

Of course they're winnable, but they're not against the Browns, Bears & Jags. Texans, Bills, Panthers are playoff contenders.

They lost at home to the Falcons. Atlanta isn't that much better than these three.

The Raiders are a young team capable of having a clunker. They had close wins to mediocre teams like the Saints, Titans, Chargers, Tampa Bay. I don't think any of those teams are as good as who they will be facing the next three weeks.

 

[MassPats38]

I wouldn't bet on 10-2. They play the Texans (beat the Chiefs), the Panthers (won 2 in a row) and the Bills (4-4 and not a lousy team by NFL standards) at home. Not to detract from the record, but have you been watching a dominant team? They beat the Jaguars by 17, but a number of flawed to weak teams have kept the games to within one score. With record penalty numbers typical, the wheels can always come off teams like the Raiders. I am not penciling them in as the unstoppable juggernaut in the AFC.

What I saw in the win over Denver is Oakland absolutely has an offense but the Broncos can fail against any team that can put points on their defense. It does not have the offense to get in shootouts. With that said, I would not surprised to see all of the teams in the division splitting divisional games.

 

[mosslost]

Of course they're winnable, but they're not against the Browns, Bears & Jags. Texans, Bills, Panthers are playoff contenders.

They lost at home to the Falcons. Atlanta isn't that much better than these three.

The Raiders are a young team capable of having a clunker. They had close wins to mediocre teams like the Saints, Titans, Chargers, Tampa Bay. I don't think any of those teams are as good as who they will be facing the next three weeks.

You are probably right.. But they are improving, 7-2, and have three straight home games. Things really are lining up nicely though for Pats. I just took another look at all the AFCW leaders schedules, and there are lots of tough games for them still and they all still need to play each other so some of them have built in losses. The Chiefs play the Broncos in a couple weeks, so that game naturally things the herd relatively soon. The other two divisions are basically eliminated from bye contention. The Pats are in one of their strongest positions at this time of the year since... since.. well last year.

 

[1960Pats]

I can see them losing at KC and/or Denver and being 12-4. Wonder if there will be 3 AFC West teams in the playoffs?

It looks like a real possibility right now of 3 AFCW teams making the playoffs, even with all of the games they have with each other. For every one of those games they play one team will be getting a win.

The team closest to being out of the dance is the Broncos. At 6-3 they have four teams right on their heels, Pitt, Cincy, Buffalo and Miami. They also have to worry about Indy, SD and the Titans, who are only a couple of games behind them. It would be sooooooo sweet to see the Broncos out this year.

 

[Brit patriot]

OK, I am not being arrogant, but I would take a trip to Oakland for a shootout in the sun any day of the week, and I know full well how that game will likely end.

This is a team that has to go extra attacking in games like NO (two point conversion) because they don't trust their D to stop a team. I wonder how they will deal with Brady, Gronk, Bennett, Jules, Danny, Hogan, White, Blount, and hopefully neon Dion?

They have some excellent players, and will score points on us. We will score a lot more. It is more important that Denver don't get the top seed. They may be average in areas, but going to Mile High with their feral fans is a variable which counts against us (though I still think we win)

 

[50-yard-line]

Meh, not sold at all, just like I wasn't sold on the Vikings.

The AFC West has the easiest schedule of all this year (AFC South and NFC South, two crap divisions), so their records will be inflated. Four good teams, no great teams. I've thought form day 1 that Denver was really good on D - the best out there - but really thin. Talib and Miller made that motor run. When Talib didn't play last night, Denver looked perfectly mediocre.

The only team that can beat the Patriots in the AFC this year is the Patriots. They are miles ahead of the rest of the conference.

New England vs. Dallas/Seattle in the SB.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

They have 3 divisional games on the road left on their schedule and their remaining home games don't look like cakewalks. I think Oakland ends up at 11-5 and makes playoffs but Chiefs win the division.

 

[mosslost]

Meh, not sold at all, just like I wasn't sold on the Vikings.

The AFC West has the easiest schedule of all this year (AFC South and NFC South, two crap divisions), so their records will be inflated. Four good teams, no great teams. I've thought form day 1 that Denver was really good on D - the best out there - but really thin. Talib and Miller made that motor run. When Talib didn't play last night, Denver looked perfectly mediocre.

The only team that can beat the Patriots in the AFC this year is the Patriots. They are miles ahead of the rest of the conference.

New England vs. Dallas/Seattle in the SB.

It's funny. The Steelers don't look scary anymore, and we always owned them anyway.. but I still would not mind not seeing them in the playoffs. (And I don't really know why I feel that way either. Certainly not based on track record stuff obviously. You would think I would want to keep the Ravens out.)

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

Let Oakland do well and meet us in the AFCCG.

Their fans think they owe us payback for the Tuck Rule game. Their young fans will have to relearn their teams history and they can get in line with the number of teams that feel the Patriots stand between them and the SB .

 

[RobertWeathers]

Certainly I want HFA but all the team needs is health and to being playing well and with confidence.

If they have those two things, I don't care where they play. They will win anywhere.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

AFCE Patriots 12-4
AFCW-Chiefs 11-5
AFCN-Steelers 10-6
AFCS- Texans 9-7
WC#1- Oakland
WC#2- Denver or Baltimore

 

[Brit patriot]

Meh, not sold at all, just like I wasn't sold on the Vikings.

The AFC West has the easiest schedule of all this year (AFC South and NFC South, two crap divisions), so their records will be inflated. Four good teams, no great teams. I've thought form day 1 that Denver was really good on D - the best out there - but really thin. Talib and Miller made that motor run. When Talib didn't play last night, Denver looked perfectly mediocre.

The only team that can beat the Patriots in the AFC this year is the Patriots. They are miles ahead of the rest of the conference.

New England vs. Dallas/Seattle in the SB.

That is a very good point....when they went down a few injuries at the end of the AFCCG last season, we magically started moving the ball with ease...there is a big drop off from starters to reserves

 

[IllegalContact]

their next 3 games are just as loseable as they are winnable .... their defense pretty much makes every game the rest of the season loseable

 

[ashley]

That division is no joke. I would expect Oakland to be an underdog to whomever they play on the road. It wouldn't shock me if the winner of that division to have 4 or possibly 5 losses.

 

[Galeb]

AFCE Patriots 12-4
AFCW-Chiefs 11-5
AFCN-Steelers 10-6
AFCS- Texans 9-7
WC#1- Oakland
WC#2- Denver or Baltimore

You think the Pats are gonna lose 3 of the next 8 games?

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Oak will lay some eggs i feel..even thought they are still a very good team. Our schedule is a cake walks coming up so as long as we don't lay an egg...we will be fine.

 

[MassPats38]

You think the Pats are gonna lose 3 of the next 8 games?

Fear the Jets. They are just hitting their stride, and the Pats have to face them twice.