While the Patriots take a few well-earned days off of rest, let's look at five key questions facing the Patriots once they get back for the final four games..
Previously:
5. Have they settled on their rotations?
4. Can they hold up in the secondary without Gilmore, Jones?
3. Can the Patriots come from behind, if needed?
2. Can the Patriots stop the run vs. balanced offenses?
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And down the stretch they come.
The 2021 Patriots have been one of the great stories of this NFL season. From a 2-4 start where some left them buried and wondered about the future of Bill Belichick, to a seven-game win streak that has left them as the top seed in the AFC with a rookie quarterback. Amazing, really.
But how is this story going to end?
Are they going to walk in the footsteps of the 2001 squad — a team no one really thought could do the unthinkable until Adam Vinatieri's kick sailed through the uprights — or will the season end before the Super Bowl, but full of promise for the future of Mac Jones and these Patriots?
Well, we're going to give it our best shot by predicting all the games through the end of the season. We can say this: it's going to be a lot of fun and the scoreboard watching in the final weeks is going to be fascinating.
We'll start right here: even if you give the Patriots a 2-0 finish (despite concluding the season in that hell hole that is Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.), New England's season largely comes down to these next two games: at Indianapolis on Saturday night, and vs. Buffalo.
If the Patriots go 2-0, the AFC World is there for the taking.
Go 1-1, and the road gets a bit more daunting without the bye.
The Patriots will be going head to head with the Chiefs and Titans for the AFC's top seed. Let's look at the schedules for each.
New England (FootballOutsiders.com Future Schedule Rank: 22)
We have the Patriots with a 3-1 finish with the loss coming on Saturday night against the Colts. While we think this is going to be a great, tight game, we think the home-field advantage, Frank Reich with an extra week to prepare and a well-balanced team on both sides of the ball (similar to the Patriots), gives Indy a slight edge in this one.
Buffalo is going to be a very tough game and could also go either way, but the Patriots get the home-field advantage edge.
Miami will not be a gimme. Patriots will have to finish strong.
Kansas City (FootballOutsiders.com Future Schedule Rank: 21)
Not one gimme on this remaining schedule, especially the first one against the Chargers tonight. LA won the first matchup 30-24, but that was in Week 3 during KC's 3-4 start to the season when it was still finding itself — and terrible on defense. KC is a totally different team now. The Chiefs just beat Denver 22-9 and have allowed double digits once in the previous five games.
We have them going 4-0 to close. Certainly some losable games in there but they will be favorites in each of them.
Tennessee (FootballOutsiders.com Future Schedule Rank: 29)
Outside of Houston, no gimmes. Steelers will go down swinging, and that one is on the road. 49ers is a very tough matchup, as is Miami but both of those games are at home.
Of course, the Titans' entire season is riding on how healthy they are. Julio Jones is back. When will Derrick Henry and AJ Brown return?
We have the Titans going 3-1 down the stretch with a loss to the 49ers. That is going to be some kind of game.
FINAL AFC STANDINGS
As a result of our predictions, the Chiefs barely edge out Patriots for the top seed:
The top swing games every week:
Week 15
KC at LA (tonight ... huge, huge matchup that of course the Chiefs will lose and make this all moot ... that would be just my luck so thank me)
NE at IND (Saturday night)
TEN at PIT
Week 16
SF at TEN (Thursday night)
BUF at NE
PIT at KC (going to be a lot of Steelers fans in New England these next couple of weeks)
Week 17
KC at CIN
LV at IND
MIA at TEN
Week 18
NE at MIA
KC at DEN
WILD-CARD WEEKEND
Patriots would host the Broncos under this scenario, but it could also be the Chargers or Ravens. In all three matchups, the Patriots would be big favorites and I see no reason why they wouldn't cruise to a victory.
Two good matchups in the AFC with the Bills and Titans having a QB Sneak Bowl Rematch of the game the Bills blew in Week 6 in Nashville, 34-31.
If the Bills win, they would go to KC and the Patriots would host a rematch against the Colts. If the Titans win, we get Vrabel vs. Belichick and the Colts go to KC. Either way, tremendous matchups await in the AFC.
In the NFC, Rams vs. Dallas and 49ers vs. Cardinals are epic first-round matchups that could go either way. Tom Brady gets the Tomato Can Matchup while Packers sit on a bye.
DIVISIONAL ROUND
Well, we get the rematch I was all but begging for after the Titans lost 36-13 in Week 12. That was a game some saw as evidence of the Patriots' growing strength just looking at the final score. I was wondering why the Titans were 2 yards away from making it a one-score game midway through the 4th quarter with half a roster.
That led me to this question:
Answer me this: Do you think Vrabel and the Titans sat on that flight home more or less fearful of the Patriots, should the two teams meet again in the postseason in any location?
Well, we'll get our answer. Of course, this all depends on how healthy the Titans are. I'm going with the belief that they are at full strength with Henry, Brown and Jones, which makes this game totally different. The Patriots can still definitely win this game, but having to throw bodies at Henry and the threat of the Titans' playaction game makes them very tough to defend. It's why they beat the Colts, Bills, Chiefs and Rams before the injuries took hold.
If I'm the Patriots, a healthy Titans team is the last squad I want to see coming in here for the divisional round.
So I have the Patriots finishing 13-6 with a playoff win before falling to a tough team that could very well win the whole thing.
I'd say that would be a very successful season — who would have imagined that at 2-4 with a rookie QB and so many new faces — with much to build on for the future.
The entire playoff slate, with the Chiefs finishing on top:
The next month should be a lot of fun and fascinating.