The New England Patriots don’t play until later. Here is the Patriots early games rooting guide.
1:00 PM EST
Steelers (-3) at Bengals: The Patriots are rooting for the Bengals to win because a Steelers loss will help the Patriots in the AFC playoff picture.
Jaguars at Texans (-4): The Texans are holding on to the AFC South by the skin of their teeth. The Patriots could root for the Texans to win for the sake of strength of victory, or the Texans could lose and the Titans could swipe the division. Win-win, here.
Browns at Bills (-10): Oh, please, Browns beating the Bills would be a cherry on top of the Patriots season.
Titans at Chiefs (-6): A Chiefs victory could help secure the AFC for the Patriots, but the Patriots would most want the Chiefs to lose to give the Patriots breathing room atop the conference.
Colts at Vikings (-5): The Patriots will be rooting for the Vikings because Indianapolis losing would be a wonderful gift for the holidays.
Lions at Giants (-4.5): The Patriots want the Lions to win because Detroit can pick up half a game on the Seahawks in the NFC standings. The Lions would hold the #2 seed and the Seahawks would have to play wild card weekend. Also, it’s always good to see the Giants lose.
Packers (-4.5) at Bears: This game doesn’t affect the Patriots.
Use this as the open thread for discussion.