Former Patriots quarterback Cam Newton could help his former team out when the Panthers face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. John Bazemore/Associated Press
If the New England Patriots win their last four games of the regular season, none of the rest of the games matter. If they run the table, they’d be 13-4 and the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC.
But since it is hard to win four straight games, Patriots fans are rooting for a little cushion – results that help earn the AFC East title, whatever the highest seed possible, and until they’ve clinched a playoff berth, a spot in the field.
The Los Angeles Chargers nearly gave New England some help Thursday, before too many mistakes allowed the Chiefs to rally to an overtime win and a 10-4 record.
The Patriots (9-4) needed to beat Indy on Saturday night to keep pace.
Four division winners (seeds 1-4) and three wild-card teams (seeds 5-7) make the playoffs in each conference, with only the top seed getting a first-round bye.
Here are this weekend’s key games (teams listed by their current playoff rank), and who the Patriots will be rooting for:
Sunday
No. 12 (NFC) Carolina (5-8) at No. 7 Buffalo (7-6), 1 p.m.: Cam Newton was a popular teammate as a Patriot and his former teammates have been rooting for him anyway. They’ll really be doing so Sunday. A Bills loss would not only fortify New England’s hold on the AFC East, but would knock Buffalo to the wrong side of the playoff bubble.
No. 14 N.Y. Jets (3-10) at No. 13 Miami (6-7), 1 p.m.: This game is only on this list because the Dolphins already have a win over the Patriots and play them again. New England would be happy to get Miami out of the playoff picture.
No. 2 Tennessee (9-4) at No. 11 Pittsburgh (6-6-1), 1 p.m.: The Patriots are rooting against the Titans almost as vehemently as they are the Bills.
No. 9 Cincinnati (7-6) at No. 10 Denver (7-6), 4:05 p.m.: A Bengals win and a Ravens loss would leave Cincinnati in first place in the AFC North. A Denver win could vault the Broncos into solid wild-card position.
No. 2 (NFC) Green Bay (10-3) at No. 4 Baltimore (8-5), 4:25 p.m.: Obviously, root for the NFC team over the AFC contender in all scenarios. The Ravens are wobbly. The Patriots would be happy to see the Packers push them further down.
Monday
No. 12 Las Vegas (6-7) at No. 8 Cleveland (7-6), 4:30 p.m.: This game has been moved to Monday. The Browns could be leading the AFC North by the end of the weekend if they win and the Ravens and Bengals lose, but COVID has left Cleveland a mess. The Raiders desperately need this to have any chance to stay in the playoff race. The Patriots are probably rooting for the Raiders, as the Browns, when healthier, are more dangerous.
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