The New England Patriots’ season is over, but the NFL playoffs continue nevertheless. Today, the first two games of the divisional round are on the menu and we will see one game each in the AFC and the NFC. First, the Minnesota Vikings will travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. Later, the Tennessee Titans will try to advance past the top seed in the AFC — the Baltimore Ravens — one week after eliminating the reigning world champions.
Speaking of which: Who should Patriots fans root for today? Let’s take a look at the two games to find out.
#6 Minnesota Vikings (10-6) at #1 San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
When: 4:35 p.m. ET
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara CA
Television: NBC
Live streaming: fuboTV (sign up here)
SB Nation coverage: Daily Norseman (Vikings), Niners Nation (49ers)
Patriots rooting guide: Go 49ers! There are two reasons why fans should root for the home team: one is ex-Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the other Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski. If Minnesota loses, after all, there is a realistic chance the Cleveland Browns jump onto him as their next head coach — leaving New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels free to return to the Patriots. If Minnesota advances, however, the Browns might decide that waiting another week might be to risky and instead go for McDaniels.
#6 Tennessee Titans (9-7) at #1 Baltimore Ravens (14-2)
When: 8:15 p.m. ET
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore MD
Television: CBS
Live streaming: fuboTV (sign up here)
SB Nation coverage: Music City Miracles (Titans), Baltimore Beatdown (Ravens)
Patriots rooting guide: Go Titans! With the Patriots no longer in the playoff race, their fans should root for the next best thing: the team led by former New England linebacker Mike Vrabel, fielding ex-Patriots such as Logan Ryan and Dion Lewis. While a Tennessee win would be an upset against a strong Ravens squad, rooting for the team over New England’s long-time rivals is a no-brainer.