What teams to cheer for…. Here’s the answers

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

LAC@KC, for LAC. Degree of rooting interest: high
Pats are chasing KC, two games behind but with the tiebreaker. No tiebreaker with LAC, but the Chargers don’t really have a home crowd or home field advantage. Cheer for the LAC then hope KC also loses at Seattle and that the Ravens take down the Chargers, while the Pats win out. Hey, it could happen. Maybe.

HOU @ NYJ, for an asteroid. No, wait, I guess for the Jets. Yuck. Degree of rooting interest: low
Pats are tied with HOU but have the tiebreaker, thus a HOU loss provides a buffer. It won’t happen anyway, but control the gag reflex and if by a miracle it gets close, cheer for the Jets

CLE @ DEN, doesn’t really matter. Slight pref for CLE. Degree of rooting interest: near zero
CLE is out of it, but the 6-7 Broncos have a faint pulse. Two Broncos wins could motivate them to play well vs. the Chargers in the finale, which could help. It is fun to see Horseface lose, though. Tough call.

AZ @ ATL also doesn’t matter. Degree of rooting interest: zero
Both are out of it. Falcons have a crappy owner so cheer for the Cards if you really want to care.

Lions at Bills (edit)for the Bills. Degree of rooting interest: medium. Both are out of it. Bills win gives them a worse draft pick, so that is tempting, and most importantly, we own a Lions pick that gets better as they lose. Lions win makes Bills fans mad/miserable and that seems desirable, but our draft pick rules.

GB @ CHI, for GB (edit). Degree of rooting interest: medium
While more dirt on the performance of Rodgers can’t hurt, we own Bears draft pick that gets better if they lose.

OAK @ CIN, don’t care. Turd bowl. Degree of interest: zero
CIN win may help Marvelous Marv keep his job, which is good for the rest of the AFC. But then, do you want to see Gruden win anything, ever? No. Maybe cheer for an asteroid again.

DAL@IND, for Dallas. Degree of rooting interest: medium
It’s impossible for me to cheer for the Deflategate Liars unless they play the Jets or directly can help the Pats with a win. Keep them out of the playoffs, forever. Not that Dallas is at all likeable, but the Colts blow.

MIA @ MIN, for MIN.Degree of rooting interest: medium (edited)
I prefer MIA or TEN making the playoffs over the Big Deflategate Liars (IND) or the Little Deflategate Liars (BALT). This is despite the dislike of a division rival. Gives MIA false hope that they are good and lowers their draft pick. But it's a hat & T-shirt day for NE only if the Fins lose.

TEN @ NYG, for TEN (tough call, though). Degree of rooting interest: low
As mentioned above, slight pref for TN over BALT or IND to get the last wildcard. Wouldn’t mind seeing more Manning faces of despair, too.

WAS @ JAX, for Washington. Degree of rooting interest: medium
Eff Jalen Ramsey. Eff those fans who shouted "DUUUU-VAAAAAALLL" and "Brady sucks" in my ear. Loving their crash and burn. No love for the skins, but this is driven more by dislike and mouthiness of Ramsey

TB @ BAL, for TB. Degree of rooting interest: low
Screw the little deflategate liars. A BAL win might better motivate them over the Chargers, but a Harbaugh win is, to me, a bad day, always.

SEA @ SF, for SEA, merely for motivational purposes. Degree of interest: low
SF is out of it and is unlikely to win anyway. SEA is looking very good for a wild card. They host KC next week. Maybe it is best that they stay on a roll.

PHL @ LAR, for PHL, though close to a coin toss. Degree of interest: low
Rams have only two easy games left. Last chance to lose and derail their confidence as we get closer to the playoffs. Media crowned them too soon.

NO @ CAR, for NO. Degree of interest: moderate
Only real motivation here is to keep the Saints striving to play at a high level so that they can be maximally motivated to beat down the Steelers next week. I have a hard time disliking Brees, though I'd hate for the Pats to face them in the SB

Thoughts?
Disagreements?

 

[Bonzo]

I for one am not super eager to face Vrabel again. (Not that I especially like their chances to make it past a 1st-rd matchup against somebody like Houston.)

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I for one am not super eager to face Vrabel again. (Not that I especially like their chances to make it past a 1st-rd matchup against somebody like Houston.)

Yes, I see that. AFC Playoff slot #6 is a competition of teams most of us despise: Baltimore, Indy, Miami, Tennessee, Denver (less likely). Hard to hope for any of them to make it, but one will.

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

LAC@KC, for LAC. Degree of rooting interest: high
Pats are chasing KC, two games behind but with the tiebreaker. No tiebreaker with LAC, but the Chargers don’t really have a home crowd or home field advantage. Cheer for the LAC then hope KC also loses at Seattle and that the Ravens take down the Chargers, while the Pats win out. Hey, it could happen. Maybe.

I've pretty much lost hope of the #1 seed after that last second debacle in Miami. The question is- do we prefer facing a QB with no playoff experience at Arrowhead or an experienced QB in LA where there will be more Patriots fans than LA fans in attendance?

 

[Belichick8384]

If Cleveland wins out, and Pittsburgh lose 2 more games, Browns are in the playoffs

 

[sieglo]

I've pretty much lost hope of the #1 seed after that last second debacle in Miami. The question is- do we prefer facing a QB with no playoff experience at Arrowhead or an experienced QB in LA where there will be more Patriots fans than LA fans in attendance?

I'll take the LA game.

 

[Steve102]

If Cleveland wins out, and Pittsburgh lose 2 more games, Browns are in the playoffs

I used the playoff machine, I got them to the 4th seed with winning out AND Pittsburgh dropping all three. Pittsburgh beats Bengals, and they get in according to the machine. But the fact that we can even talk about the Cleveburgers making the playoffs is a huge step in the right direction for that franchise and their fan base. Good for them.

 

[AlexB]

Root against CHI and Lions since we have their draft picks in the 2nd and 3rd round this year.

 

[maust]

If Cleveland wins out, and Pittsburgh lose 2 more games, Browns are in the playoffs

Not quite...the Browns take the powder puff division if...

• They win their last three games (Broncos, Bengals, Ravens)
• AND the Steelers lose their last three games (Patriots, Saints, Bengals)
• AND the Ravens lose to the Browns and lose once more (Buccaneers, Chargers
• They can also get in via the WC but the odds of that happening are as astronomical as my brother-in-law ever paying me back what he owes me

 

[maust]

Thoughts?

Ray Lewis killed a guy (probably 2)

 

[Wheelman]

Lions and Bears must lose every game possible so our 2nd and 3rd round pick are higher. Every other team that could potentially jump said two teams in the draft order must win.

Obviously need the Chargers to drop one, and the chefs to drop 2. Go Pats!

 

[Belichick8384]

@Steve:Section 102 @maust1013

You're right. The Bengals would have to also beat the Steelers in order for the Browns to get in. I thought they didn't need the Bengals over Steelers but I ran it through again and sure enough they do.

But its true, the fact that we can even talk about them having a shot at this point the season is good for Cleveland. What a turnaround they've made

 

[maust]

But its true, the fact that we can even talk about them having a shot at this point the season is good for Cleveland. What a turnaround they've made

Not a fan base in the league deserves a turnaround more than Brownies fans.
Jete fans on the other hand...deserve [I]even[/I] worse than they've gotten the past half century.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I would probably take a Houston loss over a chiefs loss honestly. I just dont have much faith in kc losing twice or counting on sd to lose one of the last 2. When’s the last time we got a result elsewhere that we really really needed to get into the playoffs or a considerably better spot? only times i can remember is 2012 colts beating texans to get us the 2 seed and 2001 jets beating Oakland. Otherwise its been awful luck, still cant believe we went 11 and f***ng 5 and missed the playoffs

 

[BelizePats]

Lions and Bears must lose every game possible so our 2nd and 3rd round pick are higher. Every other team that could potentially jump said two teams in the draft order must win.

Obviously need the Chargers to drop one, and the chefs to drop 2. Go Pats!

This. Gotta root for everyone playing against Chicago and Detroit because we own such valuable draft picks of theirs. This matters a lot for restocking our team at the 2019 Draft.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I changed the OP to reflect impact on Lions & Bears draft picks going to NE. Forgot about those initially.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

LAC@KC, for LAC. Degree of rooting interest: high
Pats are chasing KC, two games behind but with the tiebreaker. No tiebreaker with LAC, but the Chargers don’t really have a home crowd or home field advantage. Cheer for the LAC then hope KC also loses at Seattle and that the Ravens take down the Chargers, while the Pats win out. Hey, it could happen. Maybe.

The first domino has fallen
Now we win out,
KC loses @Seattle (or vs. Oakland, LOL),
Chargers lose vs Baltimore or @Denver

#1 seed NE!!!!!

 

[captain stone]

The first domino has fallen
Now we win out,
KC loses @Seattle (or vs. Oakland, LOL),
Chargers lose vs Baltimore or @Denver

#1 seed NE!!!!!

I realize that this is a meaningless question...but I have to ask...

If we had defeated Miami, what would we have had to do now to secure HFA?

Edit: besides winning out, of course...

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

I realize that this is a meaningless question...but I have to ask...

If we had defeated Miami, what would we have had to do now to secure HFA?

Most likely we'd still have to win out. We just wouldn't have had to rely on Chiefs and Chargers both losing another.

We would have had a tiny buffer where could have lost one more, but then we'd be back hoping for Chiefs and Chargers both losing another.

 

[wpdougie2180]

If the seeding stays the same as it is now wouldn't the Patriots play the Texans in the divisional round & the winner of the Steelers vs Chargers Wildcard game goes to KC? I think either of those teams can beat KC in KC & then the AFC Championship game is in Foxboro (assuming the Patriots beat Houston). Isn't that an ideal scenario?