Rooting for Baltimore or Buffalo next week?

[Kontradiction]

I can't understand the logic of rooting for Buffalo but here we are.

What is Chatham saying about it?

 

[BaconGrundleCandy]

What is Chatham saying about it?

Not sure, refreshing Lazars page to help shape my opinion first?

****, did I do this backwards?

 

[dannydyn]

Buffalo beating the Ravens is our last chance of getting HFA throughout. After Buffalo, and Ravens have a walk off schedule....

 

[borg]

Tie.

This

 

[Huckleberry1]

Buffalo, they can take care of Buffalo at home.

 

[RobertWeathers]

BUF

 

[Froob]

Buffalo beating the Ravens is our last chance of getting HFA throughout. After Buffalo, and Ravens have a walk off schedule....

I wouldn't count out the Steelers.

 

[Froob]

I can't understand the logic of rooting for Buffalo but here we are.

If we take care of business vs the Bills, then why are we worried about them here? We want homefield advantage, no?

 

[fightingirish595]

I can't understand the logic of rooting for Buffalo but here we are.

Buffalo is really up against it in the division right now (Particularly assuming we take care of Miami in week 17). They essentially have to win out and even then the patriots essentially have to lose to the chiefs The only way the pats are losing this thing is if they go 12-4 and the bills win out and go 13-3.

 

[zipster9]

Ravens beat the top teams. Their offense is highly productive. Their defense is deceptively good. I don't think Buffalo has a chance.

IMO - Ravens will reach the AFC game, and possibly the SB.

Don't ask about how far the Patriots will go....

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

FWIW if we lose to KC and Buffalo while Buffalo losses to Baltimore and otherwise wins out, I believe we win the tiebreaker:

To Break A Tie Within A Division
If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division finish with identical won-lost-tied percentages, the following steps will be taken until a champion is determined.

Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.

H-H would be tied.
Division would be tied.
Common games we would win as Buffalo lost to Cleveland and Philly who we beat.

Confirmed this with ESPN’s playoff machine. Some interesting scenarios here.

• If Buffalo wins @BAL, they control their own fate to get the #1 seed. They would need to win out @PIT, @NE AND NYJ to finish 13-3 and the top seed. It’s certainly unlikely but interesting to know that for home field advantage, Buffalo controls its destiny more than the Patriots at this moment.
• If Buffalo loses @BAL OR @PIT, then the Patriots win the division by winning @CIN AND MIA, both extremely probable wins. Patriots could still lose to KC and BUF and win the tiebreaker you are referring to.
• Considering the very low probability of Buffalo winning both of their next two road games, Houston and KC have a better chance to become a potential problems for the Patriots. Houston plays DEN, @TEN, @TB, TEN. Wouldn’t be shocking if they run the the table to finish 12-4. Kansas City plays @NE, DEN, @CHI, SD. Patriots need to beat KC or they may be needing to beat BUF to avoid dropping to #3 and missing out on a bye altogether. The KC game may be more important to maintain the #2 seed than to win the division or catch the Ravens, as they’d lose H2H and 3-way tiebreakers vs. both Houston and KC.
• Speaking of the Ravens, their schedule may be very dependent on factors outside of their control. Patriots fans should be rooting for Cleveland to win their next two games against CIN and @ARI. Those wins keep Cleveland in the playoff hunt (probably but not certainly) in week 16 when they play BAL. In addition, the Steelers currently have the #6 seed, and Patriots fans want them to be playing a do-or-die game in Week 17 @BAL. Ravens schedule will be very though if they have to play @CLE and PIT in weeks 16 and 17 in elimination games. On the other hand, depending on how the chips fall, CLE may be eliminated and PIT could potentially clinch before week 17.

 

[PatsGirl2011]

Ravens. The division is our first priority. We can beat Baltimore in the playoffs anywhere.

 

[Tb12goesinya]

If the game times were flip flopped, then I think it would be obvious that if Pats won we all would be rooting for Buffalo, and if Pats lost we would all be rooting for Baltimore... sooo.... it would seem that everyone saying they are rooting for Buffalo is feeling confident that we will beat KC

 

[QB12]

If Buffalo beats Baltimore then we are back to controlling our own fate, beginning with beating the Chiefs, which I’m confident we will.

 

[Sicilian]

If the game times were flip flopped, then I think it would be obvious that if Pats won we all would be rooting for Buffalo, and if Pats lost we would all be rooting for Baltimore... sooo.... it would seem that everyone saying they are rooting for Buffalo is feeling confident that we will beat KC

Or confident they’ll beat Buffalo in a few weeks.

 

[Tb12goesinya]

Or confident they’ll beat Buffalo in a few weeks.

True. But playing a hot Buffalo team who can send us to Houston or KC in wildcard round is a regular season exposure this team hasn't felt in a looong time. If we don't get it straightened out by the Buffalo game then the week before Miami, week before the bye, and the week before the Divisional home game is 20 days worth of preparation, a luxury that can be close to being erased if Buffalo stays hungry. It's a tough call, but I lean towards rooting for Buffalo this week.

 

[Tb12goesinya]

I dk if I'm being chicken sh*t but if a genie in a bottle said sign on dotted line for 2 seed(home game in round 2). I think I'm making that deal today.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Hoping for Ray Lewis to show up as a disgruntled former employee and do his thing.

 

[upstater1]

None of this may matter when you consider that a Patriots victory over KC this weekend would likely send them to the 4th seed. If KC travels to Baltimore in the playoffs, they stand a 50/50 chance of winning there (we made Baltimore's backfield look all-world somehow, but the Chiefs would expose them).

Beat KC and then you don't have to worry about the rest.

 

[Sicilian]

I dk if I'm being chicken sh*t but if a genie in a bottle said sign on dotted line for 2 seed(home game in round 2). I think I'm making that deal today.

Two things: One, they're in the driver's seat for the 2 seed still. They really only have to beat KC or Buffalo, and if they lose at home to both of those teams, I'm not sure they're going too far anyway.

Two, you really should check the fine print on that s**t man... Honestly, what kind of genie makes you sign a contract? What is he getting out of this deal? You shouldn't sell your soul for a first round bye, man, have some respect for yourself