Week 13 was a successful one for the New England Patriots, with the team’s 45-0 win over the Los Angeles Chargers improving its record to .500. Fans can therefor lean back and relax while watching Monday’s double-header that starts with the Washington Football Team visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers before the San Francisco 49ers will host the Buffalo Bills.
With that said, here’s how you can watch the games and who Patriots fans should root for.
Washington Football Team (4-7) at Pittsburgh Steelers (11-0)
When: 5:00 p.m. ET
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh PA
Television: FOX
Live streaming: fuboTV (Try for free here!)
SB Nation coverage: Hogs Haven (Football Team), Behind the Steel Curtain (Steelers)
Patriots rooting guide: Go Football Team! While a Washington win would improve the strength of schedule tiebreaker in favor of the Baltimore Ravens — one of the competitors for a wild card spot in the AFC — the fact that the team was beaten by the Patriots makes this essentially a toss-up. In that case, rooting for the underdog to upset the undefeated Steelers is the way to go.
Buffalo Bills (8-3) at San Francisco 49ers (5-6)
When: 8:15 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale AZ
Television: ESPN
Live streaming: ESPN+ (Try for free here!), fuboTV (Try for free here!)
SB Nation coverage: Buffalo Rumblings (Bills), Niners Nation (49ers)
Patriots rooting guide: Go 49ers! This one is pretty straight forward: the Bills are leading the AFC East and there is still a small mathematical chance that the Patriots can win the division. A road loss against San Francisco would therefore be big from New England’s perspective — also because it would improve the team’s playoff odds from currently 16 to 18 percent, per Five Thirty Eight.