Who should the New England Patriots be rooting for during AFC Wild Card Weekend? Let’s take a look at the possible options.
Let’s be honest, the New England Patriots are not exactly firing on all cylinders. We cannot ever count out a team who is led by Bill Belichick and has Tom Brady under center, but the Patriots will undoubtedly have a tough path to the Super Bowl this season.
In a way, the Patriots have limped to the postseason. They are 2-2 in their last four games, but did take care of business in a big way last week, defeating the New York Jets, 38-3. New England has had a bit of an up-and-down season, but they are undoubtedly a massive threat in the postseason going forward.
As the two-seed, the Patriots have a first-round bye and will host a game in the Divisional Round. With an 8-0 record at home this season, getting that playoff home game was a massive win for the Pats.
In the AFC Divisional Round the New England Patriots will host one of three teams. Either the Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens or Houston Texans will be coming into Foxborough for a Divisional Round matchup. The Patriots will feel confident against any team at home, but what should they be rooting for this weekend?
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Out of the three teams, the Chargers probably have the most raw talent. Philip Rivers leads an impressive offensive unit stocked full of weapons. Talented skill position players like Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon and Mike Williams would undoubtedly create a challenge for the Pats defense.
On top of that, the Chargers are loaded with players who can make an impact on the defensive side of the ball. Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram lead an impressive front that can create a ton of pressure up front. The Chargers also have an impressive secondary led by cornerback Casey Haryward and playmaking rookie safety Derwin James. Simply put, the Chargers have the defensive pieces that could give Brady fits.
That being said, Brady and Belichick have always seemed to have the Chargers’ number in the Rivers era. The Chargers quarterback has had a long and successful NFL career, but he always seems to struggle against the Patriots. For his career, Rivers is 1-7 against the New England Patriots, with his only victory coming at home in 2008 with Matt Cassel under center for the Pats.
Simply put, I have a hard time seeing Rivers and the Chargers coming into New England and taking down Brady and the Patriots. That being said, Los Angeles is clearly the more talented overall team and would create obvious challenges for Belichick and company.
Of the three possible Divisional Round matchups for the Patriots, the Baltimore Ravens are the most frightening. The Ravens are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, winning six out of their last seven games to end the season. The Ravens struggled out of the gate this season, but really turned the corner once they turned to rookie Lamar Jackson under center after their Week 10 bye.
Jackson has plenty of room for improvement as a passer, but his ability to make plays with his legs is incredibly impressive. The Patriots defense lacks speed in the front seven and Jackson’s elite mobility at the quarterback position would be a major issue.
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Ever since Jackson took over as the Ravens’ starting quarterback, Baltimore has become an extremely run-heavy offense. Jackson is obviously a major threat with the ball in his hands, but do not forget about running back Gus Edwards. An undrafted rookie out of Rutgers, Edwards is a powerful back who is averaging 5.36 yards per carry with Jackson under center.
The Ravens are not exactly a modern offense, but they know what they are and stick to their strengths well. They have arguably the best rushing attack in the entire NFL and would undoubtedly give the Patriots’ defense issues.
On top of that, the Ravens have one of the best defenses in the entire NFL. They allowed a league-best 292.9 total yards per game and an impressive 17.9 points per game (second-fewest in the NFL, trailing only the Chicago Bears). Simply put, the Ravens defense is loaded with talent across the board and is elite against both the run and the pass.
The Ravens’ combination of an elite rushing attack and dominating defense makes them a tough matchup for any team in the NFL playoffs. On top of that, we know they are not afraid to come into Foxborough and take on the New England Patriots.
In my opinion, playing the Ravens in the Divisional Round is the worst case scenario for the Patriots. Obviously, they could still pull off a victory, but it is far from a guarantee.
The Houston Texans are the final possible Divisional Round matchup for the New England Patriots. Houston enters the playoffs with the same 11-5 record as New England. They have had an interesting 2018 season and are undoubtedly dangerous in the playoffs.
The Texans lost their first three games of the year before rattling off an impressive nine game winning streak in the middle of the season. Houston did not exactly face a murder’s row of teams during that stretch, but nine wins in a row are impressive no matter how you look at it.
Similar to New England, went 2-2 in their last four games, giving them the AFC South Championship and the third seed in the AFC Playoffs. Houston has a lot of top end talent on both sides of the ball. Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins are arguably the best quarterback-wide receiver tandem in the entire league. Watson is an incredible playmaker with both his legs and arm, while Hopkins is as physically impressive as any pass catcher in the entire NFL.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Texans are led by an impressive pass rush up front. The combination of J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus compares favorably to any pass rush trio in the entire NFL. That being said, while Houston is loaded with star power, they lack impact depth, particularly offensively.
Guys like Watson and Hopkins cover a lot of holes, but the Texans offense has some serious issues that could really cost them in the postseason. In particular, their offensive line is a mess. Priority number one for Houston this offseason is to fix the offensive line. If they ever expect Watson to reach his full potential on a consistent basis, they need to improve their stock of talent up front. For now, the Texans’ obvious issues up front will continue to hold them back.
On top of their offensive line issues, injuries are leaving Houston short at the wide receiver position. Demaryius Thomas is out for the year with an Achilles injury and rookie Keke Coutee is struggling with a hamstring issue. The Texans are going to be counting on unproven receivers like Vyncint Smith and Steven Mitchell Jr. going forward. Hopkins is an absolute stud, but teams facing the Texans are going to be able to put a lot of extra attention on him in the postseason.
Out of these three teams, the Texans are the only one who the New England Patriots played in the 2018 regular season. The Patriots controlled that Week 1 matchup, coming away with a 27-20 victory at home. That opening week win was the Patriots’ eighth consecutive victory over the Texans. Simply put, the Patriots have dominated the Texans over the years and would undoubtedly be confident going into that game.
The Texans are a talented team, but I simply cannot see them taking down the Patriots at home in the postseason. They would be able to keep consistent pressure on Watson and give Hopkins consistent double-team attention on the outside.
As long as the offensive line can give Brady enough time to make plays, the Patriots should not have an issue against the Texans at home.
Honestly, I do not think this one is even close. The Ravens are the toughest matchup, but the talented Chargers are incredibly scary as well. The Texans are talented enough to beat anybody on any given week, but their lack of depth across the roster causes a lot of inconsistency. Nobody is better at attacking weaknesses than the New England Patriots, and the Texans have a lot of them. Trust me, Pats fans, you need to be rooting for the Houston Texans to advance this offseason.