Playoff outlook

[jlu52]

Remember, LV and McDaniels will play us really hard. Those former coordinator games are always a nightmare for us.

LVR and Josh's Super Bowl this year. The good news is that the Pats are very used to an A++ effort from their opponents. Let's hope that the Pats are fully prepared and motivated to subdue the Raiders very best effort.

 

[PatsFan2]

LVR and Josh's Super Bowl this year. The good news is that the Pats are very used to an A++ effort from their opponents. Let's hope that the Pats are fully prepared and motivated to subdue the Raiders very best effort.

Don't like them being in the desert consecutive week that's a lot.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I predict they'll win a game I didn't expect and lose at least one I thought they should have won.

 

[Hyped]

To me, it's pretty simple:

AFCE: Bills (0-1 in the division, but the NFL's best team right now)
AFCN: Ravens (Bengals are the only threat and they are 0-3 in the division. Ravens are 2-0 and already beat Cincinnati.)
AFCS: Titans (Everyone else is below .500 and the Titans are 3-0 in the division as well)
AFCW: Chiefs (2-0 and wins over LAC and LVR already).

Among the above 4, the Bills are actually the most vulnerable with them 0-1 in the division and rest of the division above .500. But I'd bet my life on all 4 winning their divisions.

That leaves us with 3 spots for these teams:

5-3 Jets: Zach Wilson looks very shaky, but the overall D is pretty good.
5-3 Dolphins: Just loaded up with Chubb and Tua is back in the saddle. I think they are the best among the bunch here.
4-3 Chargers: Very shaky analytic based playcalling & injuries to LT/CB/WR.
4-4 Patriots: Who the hell knows. Could tank or rise....depends on the next 2 games, IMO (IND and NYJ).
4-4 Bengals: Chase is out 4-5 weeks and they still have Burrow under pressure all the time.
3-4-1 Colts: Ehlinger is at QB. Could be OK if they lean on Jonathan Taylor who now has a bum ankle.
3-5 Browns: Looked great on MNF, but Watson is coming back in 3-4 weeks. Not sure.
3-5 Broncos: Beat the Jags...could improve. Solid D though...but the offense has been in a funk all year.
2-5 Raiders: Should be better than they are and have an easy slate coming up...could pull to .500 in a few weeks.

Forget about the Jaguars, Steelers, and the Texans.

Honestly, among the bunch above...I like the Dolphins the best....then the Chargers/Patriots/Bengals probably are playing for the final 2 WC spots. I just don't have faith in Zach Wilson, the Colts with a new mistake free game manager QB, the Browns' consistency or lack thereof, the Broncos' offense, and think the Raiders are too far back already. Hence, by beating IND and the NYJ in 3 weeks will help us a lot in our playoff run. Also, facing the Vikings in Minnesota would be a NFC loss....and not affect our conference record which is a big tie breaker. Hope we win the next 2....ain't no guarantees after the Bears whooped us on MNF last week.

 

[Patnation21]

Our next 2 games are at home vs teams we should beat, bringing us to 6-4 - and you don't see a way for us to get to 9-8? You think we're gonna go 2-5 in our last 7 games? I don't see that happening. Now if we don't win these next 2 games, that's a different story.

I have us going 3-6 in our last 9 games. I have us losing on the road to Vikings, Arizona and Bills. I have us losing at home to the Bengals, Bills and Miami. I think we beat the Colts, Jets and Raiders.

I keep hearing people say our schedule is easy the rest of the year but I don't see it. Road games to the Bills, Vikings, Cardinals and Raiders will not be easy. Home games to the Bills, Bengals, Colts, Jets and Bills won't be easy either.

I've seen nothing from this team that could give me the confidense to think were winning 6 of the final 9 games with 2 of them against Buffalo.

 

[Patnation21]

I've watched all three of those teams play multiple games and they are not that impressive. Vikings will be the toughest game, but I think Cousins is the type of QB that BB usually keeps under wraps. I would be surprised if we don't win at least two of those games and I expect them to sweep all three. Obviously, Mac needs to step up and play to his potential, but I don't think he has to set the world on fire. Just stop turning the ball over and the offense will be fine. Oh yeah, OL need to do their part immediately!!!

What has been impressive about us to make you feel like we should win all 3 road games against the Vikings, Arizona and Raiders? I haven't seen much to give me that confidense.

Vikings are 6-1 with only loss to the Eagles. Arizona has had a brutal schedule and all four of their losses are to the Chiefs, Eagles, Seattle and Vikings who are all in 1st place. They're much better then record shows. Raiders are also underperforming and still have great weapons, they won't be a gimme.

 

[Calhoun44]

What has been impressive about us to make you feel like we should win all 3 road games against the Vikings, Arizona and Raiders? I haven't seen much to give me that confidense.

Vikings are 6-1 with only loss to the Eagles. Arizona has had a brutal schedule and all four of their losses are to the Chiefs, Eagles, Seattle and Vikings who are all in 1st place. They're much better then record shows. Raiders are also underperforming and still have great weapons, they won't be a gimme.

BB vs. Carr and Cousins is a mismatch
and
I don't think Kyler Murray is gonna have the discipline to beat us.
also,
I'm a Homer!!! Go Pats!!

 

[Calhoun44]

What has been impressive about us to make you feel like we should win all 3 road games against the Vikings, Arizona and Raiders? I haven't seen much to give me that confidense.

Vikings are 6-1 with only loss to the Eagles. Arizona has had a brutal schedule and all four of their losses are to the Chiefs, Eagles, Seattle and Vikings who are all in 1st place. They're much better then record shows. Raiders are also underperforming and still have great weapons, they won't be a gimme.

Another thing...I don't think LV is going to be a huge homefield advantage against NE. NE fans are gonna be happy to make that a road trip game and the Raiders are playing way worse than us.

 

[VrabelJr]

It’s hard to forecast anything for a team that has been so Jekyll and Hyde. At least it keeps things exciting.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

I have us going 3-6 in our last 9 games. I have us losing on the road to Vikings, Arizona and Bills. I have us losing at home to the Bengals, Bills and Miami. I think we beat the Colts, Jets and Raiders.

I keep hearing people say our schedule is easy the rest of the year but I don't see it. Road games to the Bills, Vikings, Cardinals and Raiders will not be easy. Home games to the Bills, Bengals, Colts, Jets and Bills won't be easy either.

I've seen nothing from this team that could give me the confidense to think were winning 6 of the final 9 games with 2 of them against Buffalo.

It's not an easy schedule, I agree with you on that, but I look at it this way. We should win the next 2 games, which you're agreeing with. That means we'd have to lose 6 of our last 7 to go 3-6. That's just not happening.

 

[Hyped]

I have us going 3-6 in our last 9 games. I have us losing on the road to Vikings, Arizona and Bills. I have us losing at home to the Bengals, Bills and Miami. I think we beat the Colts, Jets and Raiders.

I keep hearing people say our schedule is easy the rest of the year but I don't see it. Road games to the Bills, Vikings, Cardinals and Raiders will not be easy. Home games to the Bills, Bengals, Colts, Jets and Bills won't be easy either.

I've seen nothing from this team that could give me the confidense to think were winning 6 of the final 9 games with 2 of them against Buffalo.

1.) Our most important remaining match ups are: IND, NYJ, CIN, and MIA. All of those are in Foxboro. We gotta go 3-1 here at minimum, IMO.

2.) Our toughest road match ups are: @MIN, @BUF, @ARI, and @LVR. The latter two are back to back...so we likely stay out west for that...I like our chances of taking both games...ain't no gimmie...but I like the idea of us staying out west for 2 weeks. And @MIN is on Thanksgiving...with both teams coming off a 4 day rest...the Vikings will have played Dallas on Sunday. Anything can happen. @BUF....OK.....no way do the winds help us again, LOL. But...it is the LAST GAME of the year. Maybe the Bills will be resting guys...who knows...and maybe we may have already locked a playoff berth by that time just like last year's game down in Miami that we didn't need. I believe we can do 2-2.

3.) Then there's the show down vs. the Bills on December 1st in Foxboro. This is a Thursday nighter, but both teams will have had 7 days to prepare after going to @MIN and @DET on Turkey day. This is the key game, IMO...if we win this game...we likely finish 10-7. If we lose this game...we need to go 4-0 in the other home games (#1 above) or 3-1 on the remaining road games (#2).

 

[Triumph]

I can understand that thought process. I feel like the team will drop one NFC game and landed on Arizona. The Vikings are better but with it being a short week, I am putting my money on Bill to have a better gameplan/prep. Plus they have a bye week the week before the Vikings game, and the game before it is the Jets, where they can probably lean on their learnings from the Jets game only two games prior a bit.

Out of the AFC games, I don't think they'll lose to the Colts and they'll beat the Jets again after just recently dismantling Wilson. I think they'll handle McDaniels and the Raiders kind of suck tbh, and I do feel like they'll be able to get one against Miami at home in January, and Buffalo may rest their starters in the final week so that could be a win. So I ended up landing on a loss against Arizona and Cincinnati but it could certainly work out differently.

Take away Jmarr Chase and the Bengals struggle. He blew up vs the Saints and Falcons to the tune of 260 yards and 4 TDs. Back to back 130 yard receiving and 2 TDs. The Pats have the horses on D to make it a long day for Borrow.

I like the Pats to run the ball vs the Cardinals. Limit turnovers which the Pats are doing.

 

[venecol]

I think Bill bringing in rookie offensive lineman Hayden Howerton and veteran punter Michael Palardy to the PS is the defining GM move of the season. Even the pizza boy deal doesn't beat these trade deadline moves.

Now, I'm thinking they go 7-2 to end the season at 11-6 & the Division winner.

 

[Triumph]

We are poised to make a serious playoff run.

Talk around NFL messageboards is that the Patriots are back. It didnt take long either.

 

[Ian]

If you win the Jackpot we will see you sitting with the Krafts and Bon Jovi.

Just checked our ticket, it appears there is no luxury box in our immediate future.

 

[Triumph]

Just checked our ticket, it appears there is no luxury box in our immediate future.

Its OK.

I won.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

1.) Our most important remaining match ups are: IND, NYJ, CIN, and MIA. All of those are in Foxboro. We gotta go 3-1 here at minimum, IMO.

2.) Our toughest road match ups are: @MIN, @BUF, @ARI, and @LVR. The latter two are back to back...so we likely stay out west for that...I like our chances of taking both games...ain't no gimmie...but I like the idea of us staying out west for 2 weeks. And @MIN is on Thanksgiving...with both teams coming off a 4 day rest...the Vikings will have played Dallas on Sunday. Anything can happen. @BUF....OK.....no way do the winds help us again, LOL. But...it is the LAST GAME of the year. Maybe the Bills will be resting guys...who knows...and maybe we may have already locked a playoff berth by that time just like last year's game down in Miami that we didn't need. I believe we can do 2-2.

3.) Then there's the show down vs. the Bills on December 1st in Foxboro. This is a Thursday nighter, but both teams will have had 7 days to prepare after going to @MIN and @DET on Turkey day. This is the key game, IMO...if we win this game...we likely finish 10-7. If we lose this game...we need to go 4-0 in the other home games (#1 above) or 3-1 on the remaining road games (#2).

Buf-KC-Bal-Ten will be division winners, with Mia a lock for a wild card, leaving 2 slots. I think NE, LA, and Cin will be the ones competing for those, and everyone else will have losing records and be out. 9-8 could be enough to get a WC, but would likely involve a tiebreaker, whereas 10-7 should get us in clean.

Sitting at 4-4, if we don't win the next 2 games at home vs Indy & Jets, then the playoffs discussion is probably over. I'm assuming we will, and that the question is how we'll do in the final 7 weeks. Getting to 10-7 requires us going 4-3 in those games, meaning we'd have to win 1 of the 4 games against Minn-Mia-Buffalo (x2), while being perfect against Ariz, LV, and Cinc. Getting to just 9-8 would mean we could lose all 4 of those games vs Min-Mia-Buf.

The Cinci and Miami games at home are shaping up to be the games of the year for us. Both are winnable, and we'll need to at least split to have any chance. We can't count on Buffalo taking the last week off because KC will be breathing down their neck for the #1 seed.

 

[Thelonious]

I doubt this team has what it takes to gain a playoff spot in a very solid AFC, with a difficult schedule. If they do manage a wildcard spot, they will almost certainly get clobbered first round. I don't think any of this matters, however. I think this year is ENTIRELY about next year, and has been so all along. We talk about the pre-season in a Belichick team extending through the first quarter of the season. This year it will extend, by conscious intention, through the ENTIRE season. We will try to win, of course, but the focus in the end will be on seeing who on the team HELPS us to win. It will take the season to develop/evaluate the present squad, and to find out whether Mac has the Moxie to handle the job. Some see Bill's somewhat enigmatic support of Mac qua "starter" as an affirmation of Mac's standing. I do not. I think Bill is putting Mac in a sink-or-swim bind to discover what he's made of. We'll see. In that context, this week's game is big. As for the importance of the game vis-a-vis our "making the playoffs," that I think is very much secondary.

 

[PatsFan2]

Bold prediction:

We beat the Vikings.

Four words: prime time Kirk Cousins

Hmmmmm prime time Mac too somethings gotta give the Vikings have a lot better talent in most areas. Mac has not even morphed into his ceiling yet ie... Kirk. Cousins.

 

[PatsFan2]

I believe the Patriots are a bad match up for the Bengals.

Pats secondary can definitely hang with the Bengals WRs. Im not sold on Murray and the Cardinals either.

If their Top WR J Chase is still out by then.