New England Patriots 2021 Season Wrapup & Potential Playoff Matchups
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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.
Posted Under: 2021 Patriots Season
