Patriots' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 10
The New England Patriots could use help from a few different places to emerge from their Week 10 bye in a better position to secure a playoff position in the AFC.
The Patriots come into the bye with a 5-4 record, but that is the worst mark in the AFC East. The path to a divisional title is still there for Bill Belichick's team, but it requires a good amount of losses from the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
Miami is one of the direct competitors for a wild-card spot that the Patriots would love to see lose, but the Dolphins host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The more realistic rooting spots start in Buffalo, where Josh Allen is listed as questionable for the clash with the Minnesota Vikings.
A Minnesota win would make things very interesting in the AFC playoff picture for all parties. The Patriots are just one of many AFC squads rooting for the Vikings on Sunday.
Since the Jets are off and Miami hosts Cleveland, the Patriots could use help from other NFC teams to clear out some AFC wild-card contenders in the team's best-case scenario for Week 10.
Vikings over Bills
All of the AFC is rooting for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The Vikings have a better chance than usual to win in Buffalo because Josh Allen is questionable with an elbow injury that he suffered in a loss to the New York Jets last week.
If Allen does not play, Case Keenum will slide into the starting quarterback role, but we will not know if he'll be lining up until Sunday morning.
The Bills are vulnerable at the moment, and this is the perfect time for the Patriots and others to gain ground on them before Allen returns to full strength.
Buffalo is two games up on the Patriots in the loss column, so a defeat helps New England inch closer in the AFC East race.
The Patriots can alter the complexion of the AFC East race on their own, starting with the Week 11 clash against the New York Jets. But for now, they could use a favor from Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and Co.
49ers over Chargers
New England could use some help from an old friend to take out an AFC wild-card rival.
Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers play host to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. Los Angeles sits in the spot directly above the 49ers in the AFC wild-card hunt.
Los Angeles has dealt with injuries all season long, but it has found a way to win games and get to 5-3.
The Chargers have plenty of other opportunities to stumble in the next few weeks in their divisional games, so even if they win, they may not end up as New England's main threat for a wild-card position.
Los Angeles hosts the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday, and it plays Miami and Tennessee in Weeks 14 and 15. There are three potential losses there on top of whatever is left outside of Kansas City in the AFC West.
San Francisco could set the tumble in motion with a home win that it needs to be in good shape in the NFC playoff picture.
Jaguars over Chiefs
Needing a Jacksonville win over Kansas City seems out of the box for New England's playoff hopes.
However, it could be important if the Patriots go on a run and land in first place in the AFC East.
Kansas City, like Buffalo, is 6-2 coming into Week 10, and the Patriots need the Chiefs to stumble in order to bring the rest of the conference back toward them.
Cincinnati, Baltimore and the New York Jets are all off this weekend, so the Patriots can't root for any of those teams to lose. Miami will likely beat Cleveland at home, so it seems unrealistic to root for the Browns.
The Jaguars have a small path to victory because Kansas City might be worn down from their overtime battle with the Titans last week. It may affect the Chiefs in the first half, which will keep Jacksonville in the contest.
Andy Reid's team should eventually pull out the win, no matter how it starts, but the Jags have a better path to an upset than the Browns do against Miami.