Patriots discussion: Dion Lewis, x-factors and more
"Jaydeen Allen – Out of the 16 total games this season that the Patriots play, which game(s) are must wins and which game(s) seems like a game the Patriots may come out flat?"
Hal Bent – Must win: Week 15, December 18th in Denver. This is the game that should determine home-field advantage for the AFC Championship game and losing in overtime to Denver last year cost New England a Super Bowl appearance. Had the Patriots defeated Denver on that Sunday night in November, it would have been a different game with the AFC Championship game in Foxboro, MA.
Deflated: If there is one game that the Patriots will be flat, it will be against the Jets in New Jersey in Week 12, on Sunday night. The Patriots have a Sunday night Super Bowl 49 rematch on Sunday night against Seattle in week 10, then a cross-country trip for Tom Brady to return home to Northern California to face the 49ers (which could be the game they come out flat, but no way Brady allows that in his homecoming), then flying back to the East Coast and playing their top AFC East competition, the New York Jets. The Jets are always a tough matchup, and this will be a test for a team that will be mentally and physically exhausted at that point.
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Kirk von Kreisler – Looking at the schedule, the only must win game, as of now, is at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Records, standings, and situations will constantly change during the season, so it’s tough to argue what games are “must wins,” but the Steelers game seems like a no-brainer must win game. The Steelers, if their defense stays in check, are the biggest threat to the Patriots in the AFC. In Pittsburgh, this game could have major implications on playoff seeding. Even after losing their second receiver, Martavis Bryant, to a season long suspension, they are still looking dangerous as ever. In regards to possible games that the Patriots will come out flat, and we know there are a couple every year, November 27 at the New York Jets comes to mind. Every season, the Jets offer a tough battle for the Patriots, and a Sunday Night Football game in week 12 may bring trouble for the Patriots as they could have their sights set on the playoffs. In the past eight meetings, the Patriots have only outscored the Jets by 37 points, and that’s including a 49-19 victory in 2012.
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Connor Fulton – Must win has to be Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills for no shortage of reasons. One, it will be the Patriots’ second encounter with the Bills in five weeks; since Buffalo stands out as the most dangerous AFC East team, it’s paramount that the Patriots take care of business at least the second time around. Furthermore, it’s the third road game out of four, and the second road week in a row, so a win would show us something about the character of this team. Last but not least, this will be the last game before the Patriots’ Week 9 bye, a break which splits the season into two eight-week chunks. There’s nothing like riding a win into a midseason bye.
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I can see the Patriots falling on their face in Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns, because this is exactly the type of game the Patriots sometimes struggle in. Should Brady’s suspension hold, this will be his 2016 debut season, so he may be a bit flat. What’s more is the fact that the Browns came narrowly close to upsetting the Patriots in 2013, and three years prior, the Browns spanked the Patriots by 20 points in Cleveland.
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