The (9-2) New England Patriots will travel to face the (4-7) Los Angeles Rams.
The New England Patriots are looking for their 10th victory in 2016 to keep ahead of an increasingly difficult AFC field. When looking at the AFC East, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the 4th place New York Jets, but lost to both the 2nd place Miami Dolphins and 3rd place Buffalo Bills. The Patriots cannot afford to lose this game.
Quarterback Tom Brady is also looking for his 201st career victory and it would be incredibly poetic for it to come against the same team that launched his stardom back in the 2001 Super Bowl.
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Date: Sunday, December 4th, 2016
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Kickoff: 1:00 PM EST
Betting line: Patriots are the 14-point favorites
SB Nation Affiliates: TurfShowTimes.com
TV: FOX
Early games rooting guide
Dolphins at Ravens (-3.5): The Patriots want the Ravens to win because a Patriots win and a Dolphins loss would eliminate a lot of wiggle room for Miami. It’s about winning the division first.
Chiefs at Falcons (-5.5): The Chiefs are one of three teams in the AFC West that are jockeying with the Patriots for homefield advantage in the AFC. The Patriots want the Falcons to leave with a win.
Broncos (-3.5) at Jaguars: The Broncos are another of the three AFC West teams fighting for supremacy. The Patriots want the Jaguars to win, no matter how unlikely that sounds. The Broncos are already on the outside of the playoff picture and another loss will push them further down.
Texans at Packers (-7): The Texans are the current 4th seed in the AFC and are barely ahead of the Titans and Colts. The Patriots wouldn’t mind a Texans victory that would boost New England’s strength of schedule.
Eagles at Bengals (-1.5): Cincinnati is out of the playoff picture and the Patriots would like to see the Bengals win for the sake of strength of schedule.
49ers (-2) at Bears: ...how are the 49ers the favorites? The Patriots want the 49ers to win for strength of schedule.
Lions at Saints (-6): This game doesn’t affect the Patriots, but the Patriots will probably be rooting for the Lions because of front office connections.
Use this as the open thread for discussion!