No Patriots? No problem. There were several games that took place Sunday that had some sort of impact on New England’s situation. (For the record, the game that will have the greatest effect on the state of the Patriots has yet to be played — Rams vs. Chiefs on Monday night in Los Angeles.) Here are five takeaways from Sunday's games as viewed from a New England perspective.
1. The Patriots got no help from the Jaguars.
In a performance that pretty much encapsulated their season ever since they won their September Super Bowl against New England, the Jags gagged away a 16-point second-half lead and lost in the final seconds to the Steelers, 20-16. Jacksonville, which has lost six of seven since celebrating its Sept. 16 win over the Patriots (7-3), could have done New England a solid. But instead, Pittsburgh escaped with the win, moving to 7-2-1 and solidifying its hold on the No. 2 seed in the AFC, just barely ahead of the Patriots.
FINAL: The @steelers score 20 unanswered points to WIN! #PITvsJAX#HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/TIWaqynry7
— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2018
FINAL: The @HoustonTexans win their 7th straight game! #Texans#HOUvsWAS pic.twitter.com/9W3Kc7bBFw
— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2018
FINAL: @Colts defeat the Titans! #Colts#TENvsIND pic.twitter.com/RKtiO3wTc1
— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2018
FINAL: The @Broncos win in L.A.! #BroncosCountry#DENvsLAC pic.twitter.com/0fIj0uQrXU
— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2018
FINAL: The @Saints improve to 9-1! #GoSaints #PHIvsNO pic.twitter.com/oj9LrzmmQT
— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2018