Here’s your Patriots rooting guide around the NFL for Week 13
The New England Patriots have plenty on the line in Week 13 as they take on the Houston Texans… and close in on clinching a spot in the postseason.
The New England Patriots are 10-1 after 11 regular season games, with the one loss coming in Week 9 on the road to the Baltimore Ravens. Now, for the third and final time this season, the Patriots will be featured on Sunday Night Football – this time against the Houston Texans, who currently lead the AFC South with a 7-4 record.
The top priority for the Pats is obviously to beat the Texans and improve their record this weekend to 11-1. Doing exactly that would help New England stay at least a game ahead of the Baltimore Ravens in the overall AFC postseason pecking order, as well as two games ahead of the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East.
Here’s what Patriots fans should be paying attention to – and what they should be rooting for – around the NFL this week outside of New England’s big game against Houston on Sunday Night Football.
New York Jets (4-7) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-11) – 1:00 pm EST
This game probably doesn’t hold much interest to anyone unless you’re a Jets or a Bengals fan – and even if you are, you might not care that much either, given the sorry state of both franchises. Sam Darnold and the Jets are trying to win out to improve their record to 9-7… a stretch for sure, but somehow still in the ether of their minds as a possibility toward making the playoffs. The Bengals are the only winless team left in the NFL, and have switched back to Andy Dalton at QB.
Tennessee Titans (6-5) at Indianapolis Colts (6-5) – 1:00 pm EST
This AFC South battle actually has some pretty significant implications on the AFC playoff picture. Though both teams currently sit just outside the postseason if the season were to end today, they’re actually tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders for the sixth and final spot as a wild card. Whichever team wins this game would also potentially be tied with the Texans atop the AFC South if the Patriots beat Houston Sunday night.
Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) at Miami Dolphins (2-9) – 1:00 pm EST
This game looks like a major mismatch on paper. The Eagles are better than their 5-6 record implies, but the Dolphins actually might be a bit better than their 2-9 record as well. Patriots fans obviously don’t want to see Miami win most weeks of the regular season, but since the Dolphins have all but been eliminated from playoff contention, it might be better for Miami to win at this point and lose out on their draft standing for next year.
Green Bay Packers (8-3) at New York Giants (2-9) – 1:00 pm EST
This game between the Packers and the Giants doesn’t have any impact on the Patriots, and frankly, it shouldn’t really register on the NFL landscape either. The Giants are one of the worst teams in the NFL right now, and the Packers – even after getting embarrassed on Sunday Night Football by the San Francisco 49ers – are one of the better teams in the league. This is a major mismatch and should be a lopsided result in the end.
Cleveland Browns (5-6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) – 1:00 pm EST
This AFC North showdown between the Browns and the Steelers obviously has serious ramifications on the American Football Conference postseason seeding. The Steelers are currently projected for the sixth seed in the playoffs, but that could change in a hurry if the Browns take care of business on the road against the Steelers. Cleveland is a two-point favorite currently and has plenty of momentum and motivation; a Steelers loss, combined with a Patriots win, would clinch New England a playoff spot. Go Browns!
Washington Redskins (2-9) at Carolina Panthers (5-6) – 1:00 pm EST
Similar to the Packers/Giants game, this NFC matchup doesn’t really matter much if you’re a Patriots fan. It’s not quite as much of a mismatch as that game, but the Panthers are still favored by double-digits at home against Dwayne Haskins and the Redskins.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7) – 1:00 pm EST
Avoid this game unless you live in Florida. Even if you live in Florida, you might still want to avoid this game. The Buccaneers and the Jaguars have both been exciting to watch at times this year, but largely have underperformed against expectations. Maybe if you’re a Nick Foles supporter you want to see him back in action for just the fourth time this season; probably not though, considering even the Super Bowl LII MVP is 0-3 this year.
San Francisco 49ers (10-1) at Baltimore Ravens (9-2) – 1:00 pm EST
For reasons unknown, this game is not happening in primetime. Obviously New Englanders would never want to see the Patriots get bumped out of that slot, but it’s strange the NFL couldn’t find a way to slide this game into at least a 4 pm EST timeslot or something similar. Patriots fans obviously want to see the Ravens lose in this game to further pad their lead in the AFC playoff hunt – and to provide some insurance just in case New England slips up against Houston this week or Kansas City next week. The only silver lining to a Ravens win is that the Patriots – with a win themselves in Houston – would have the best record in the NFL with a 49ers loss.
Los Angeles Rams (6-5) at Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1) – 4:05 pm EST
This would have been a much better choice for that final 1 pm EST timeslot, allowing the 49ers/Ravens barnburner to happen later on in the day… oh well. The Rams’ slim playoff hopes are on life support after their debacle of a performance on Monday Night Football last week against the Ravens. The Cardinals are a terrible football team but QB Kyler Murray is fun to watch. That’s about all you need to know for this NFC West “showdown” in the desert.
Los Angeles Chargers (4-7) at Denver Broncos (3-8) – 4:25 pm EST
It’s a strange year in the NFL when Chargers/Broncos games happening this late in the season don’t really mean anything to anyone. Broncos fans are diehards and they hate the Chargers, so that statement isn’t meant to disparage them one bit. As we all know, the Chargers don’t have any fans. Perhaps the better way to phrase this is that from a purely football standpoint (and a Patriots standpoint), usually the Chargers and the Broncos both represent more of a threat in the AFC to New England. Neither team really matters this season, which is peculiar.
Oakland Raiders (6-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) – 4:25 pm EST
Outside of Patriots/Texans, 49ers/Ravens, and Browns/Steelers, this game between the Raiders and the Chiefs holds the most significance to New England. If the Patriots defeat the Texans and the Steelers beat the Browns, New England fans will need to root for the Chiefs to win (surprising, we know) in order for the Pats to guarantee their playoff spot this week. Honestly, it might be better to wait an extra week to clinch a postseason spot and have the Chiefs drop a fifth game.
Next. Texans DC gives Patriots WRs bulletin board material. dark
Minnesota Vikings (8-3) at Seattle Seahawks (9-2) – 8:20 pm EST (Monday)
Along with Pats/Texans and 49ers/Ravens, this game between the Seahawks and the Vikings ranks in the top-three of Week 13 in terms of must-watch entertainment. The Vikings are well-rested after having their bye week and should be eager to continue their momentum of late. The Seahawks want to keep pace with the 49ers, Saints, and Packers atop the NFC postseason picture. This one should be a whole lot of fun.