PatsFans.com Menu
PatsFans.com - The Hub For New England Patriots Fans

New England Patriots > Patriots Blog

New England Patriots 2021 Season Wrapup & Potential Playoff Matchups

Chris Smith
Chris Smith on Twitter
January 9, 2022 at 11:15 pm ET

New England Patriots 2021 Season Wrapup & Potential Playoff Matchups(PHOTO: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)

🕑 Read Time: 3 minutes

After a tumultuous 2020 season and a shaky start to this season, many believed that we would see another postseason without the Patriots. However, after a series of strong comebacks, the Patriots are back in the playoff picture, and many hope they will make it deep into the postseason. Even after such a rough start, people struggle to determine how to place a smart bet. The online betting sites found on betstation.com are a great way for sports enthusiasts to find the bookmakers who are leaders in the sports betting industry and to compare their offers. 

The New England Patriots began their season with a not-so-good 2-4 record in their first six games; they also lost a game against Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nevertheless, following a loss to the Cowboys, the Patriots made a resurgence and went on a 7-game win streak. 

During their winning streak, the Patriots took down the Cleveland Browns, the Tennessee Titans, and the Buffalo Bills. This winning run put the NFL on alert, and everyone knew that the Patriots were back.

The Patriots fell to the Colts in week 15 and again to the Bills the following week. Nonetheless, after a Week 17 blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Dolphins losing in Tennessee, New England officially secured a playoff spot after one year. The Patriots have now made it to the postseason in 18 out of the 22 years Bill Belichek has been in charge.

The New England Patriots have performed much better than people expected them to perform this season; with a 10-6 record, they are now tied with the Bills for the best record in AFC East. They are currently 5th in the conference, behind the Titans, Chiefs, Bengals, and the Bills. 

Even though the Pats and the Bills have both qualified for the postseason, the final picture is not set yet. With one game remaining, there are a number of scenarios that can result. We still do not know the final standings and matchups.

Likely Playoff Matchups

There are a number of scenarios that can result following game week 18. With both the Bills and Patriots set to take the field, anything can happen. Below we look at some of the most likely matchups for Bellichek’s men.

Buffalo Bills

The Patriots facing off against the Buffalo Bills on wild card weekend is one of the most likely matchups for New England. For this matchup to become a reality, the Patriots will need to beat the Dolphins, the Bills will need to take down the Jets, the Chiefs will need to beat the Broncos, the Titans will have to defeat the Texans, and the Bengals will need to beat the Browns. It is a super-likely scenario because if all the favorites win their upcoming games, we will see Bills vs Patriots matchup; their third in seven weeks. According to ESPN, there is a 33% chance that we see this game on wildcard weekend.

Cincinnati Bengals

According to the experts on ESPN, the matchup most likely to happen is not the Bills against the Patriots; it is the Bengals against the Patriots. As of right now, the Bengals rank 3rd in the conference, and the Patriots are 5th. If either of the two teams loses a game, we will most likely see them stacked against each other on wild card weekend. For this matchup to become a reality, either the Bengals will have to drop down to fourth seed or the Patriots will have to drop down to the sixth seed, which are both quite likely scenarios; given the quality of opposition, both teams have to face.

Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans are another possible matchup for the Patriots if they end up losing their upcoming game to the Dolphins. This will no doubt be the toughest matchup for the Patriots; however, the odds suggest that this matchup is not as likely as the above-mentioned two.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have not clinched a playoff berth yet, but if they were to do so and the Bills were to lose against the Jets, with the Patriots beating Miami, we might end up seeing The Patriots face off against the Chargers. Nevertheless, this is another matchup unlikely to happen given the circumstances.

READ NEXT:
Buffalo Bowl III Awaits Patriots Next Weekend

Posted Under: 2021 Patriots Season

  • Subscribe
    Notify of
    guest

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    0 Comments
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments

  • More Patriots News Headlines:

    MORSE: NFL Adopts New Rules for 2024

    MORSE: NFL Adopts New Rules for 2024

    By: Mark Morse
    At the League meetings this week in Orlando, the NFL adopted several new rule changes.  The two most controversial changes were the new kickoff rule…
    22 hours ago
    Thursday Patriots Notebook 3/28: News and Notes

    Thursday Patriots Notebook 3/28: News and Notes

    By: Ian Logue
    As the Patriots continue pondering what to do with the #3 pick, if history is any indication, should they trade out of that spot, they're…
    22 hours ago
    Wednesday Patriots Notebook 3/27: News and Notes

    Wednesday Patriots Notebook 3/27: News and Notes

    By: Ian Logue
    New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said on Tuesday that 'we're going to be open to whatever can come our way,' heading into next month's…
    2 days ago
    Tuesday Patriots Notebook 3/26: News and Notes

    Tuesday Patriots Notebook 3/26: News and Notes

    By: Ian Logue
    It's been interesting to hear the reactions following Jerod Mayo's press conference on Monday, and at the rate things are going, it's likely that he'll…
    3 days ago
    TRANSCRIPT: Patriots Owner Robert Kraft at the Owner’s Meetings 3/26

    TRANSCRIPT: Patriots Owner Robert Kraft at the Owner’s Meetings 3/26

    By: Ian Logue
    Here's the full transcript of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's meeting with the media on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
    3 days ago

    Share via
    Copy link
    Powered by Social Snap
    Search For Links: - CLOSE
    For searches with multiple players
    add commas (Ex: "Bill Belichick, Devin McCourty")