Now that the Patriots have secured their place in the 2025 NFL playoffs, many scenarios will ultimately determine who their first postseason opponent will be. It all hinges on the Week 18 slate of games, starting with their fate against the Dolphins on Sunday, which should be an easy win.
Beyond that, the Broncos hosting the Chargers is the most significant indicator of where they will be seeded and who they will face, since they're still in contention to steal the No. 1 seed from Denver this weekend. But if they beat the Chargers, the Patriots will likely remain at No. 2.
If that's the case, their wild card round opponent looks like it will be the Chargers, and their fans are already hoping that's the case, as they view the Patriots as the easiest first round opponent to keep their Super Bowl aspirations alive. On top of that, it already looks like they want to face New England, since they're planning to rest their starters on Sunday.
The same can be said about New England fans, since the alternatives would be either facing the Bills for the third time this season or welcoming the Texans to Foxboro, who have one of the most dominant defenses in the league.
Chargers fans want to avoid them, too, but their confidence in going against the Patriots is a bit too high.
Chargers fans are far too eager to face the Patriots in the playoffs
Besides citing the consistent narrative about the Patriots' "soft schedule," Jason Reed of Bolt Beat argues that the Patriots' defense would be a better matchup for the Chargers' offensive line, since New England hasn't been as dominant without Milton Williams on the field.
While that might be true, Williams has been eligible to return from injured reserve for the past week and will surely be activated for the playoffs. Not to mention, players like Robert Spillane and Khyiris Tonga, who missed practices this week, will likely return, too, so the defensive line won't be as easy as Reed might think.
"The Patriots don't have a top-tier pass rush that can expose the Chargers' biggest weakness: the offensive line. Sure, the Pats have a good run defense, but the Chargers don't need to be a run-first team to beat them. Let's not forget Los Angeles has Justin Herbert.
And as great as the Patriots have been this season, they have beat up on the softest schedule in the league. They've still been solid against fellow playoff teams, but it's not like the Pats are the same world-beating team they were a decade ago."
The argument about their schedule is at the point of beating a dead horse, so there doesn't seem to be much reason to argue why it's an invalid statement to make.
However, the Chargers are in for a rude awakening if they feel as confident as their fans about the Patriots' defensive line. With a healthy group expected to return, they'll be at their best and should easily dominate a weak Chargers' o-line, and that's a recipe for disaster for QB Justin Herbert.
Making matters worse is Reed's confidence in Drake Maye's inexperience, which he feels becomes a significant factor that swings momentum in LA's favor. Considering he's the current favorite for MVP, it's probably not smart to believe your defensive coordinator can easily trip him up.
"Plus, while he may end up winning the MVP, Drake Maye is still a second-year quarterback who has no playoff experience. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter could put Maye in a blender with various defensive looks."
The second-year quarterback has been impressive against better defenses this season, so this shouldn't be a talking point.
But we'll have to see what comes to fruition after this week's final games. The Patriots are probably circling the Chargers, too, for some of the same reasons, but more so since they're likely the easiest opponent they could face, even if LA thinks otherwise.