Rick: The loss to the Green Bay Packers makes the margin of error smaller for the Patriots if they want to keep the one seed. However, if they can win a tough game on the road Sunday night in San Diego, they have a great chance to be the one seed. New England plays their final three games in the division. They should be able to beat the Jets in Week 16 on the road and then Buffalo at home to finish the season. The key is the Week 15 home game against the Dolphins. Miami beat New England in the opener and has played the Patriots tough at Foxboro under Joe Philbin. That being said, the Patriots are a much different team than the one that got dominated in the second half back in the opener. I give the Patriots a 85% chance of obtaining the top seed.
Raj: I still think they got this. Thanks to Denver’s loss to St. Louis and KC’s 2 losses at Oakland and Denver, the Patriots still have a legitimate chance to clinch home field advantage despite the loss in Green Bay. Of course, the Justin Bieber curse may/may not be in effect. If that curse stays consistent, I don’t think the Patriots can win it BUT I highly doubt it’ll have any effect in the way the Patriots play. They’re much better than that and we will see thatthis Sunday night in San Diego. Look to see New England clinch home field in a few weeks.
Kyle: I think the Pats will hold on. In my opinion, they won’t hold on by running the table; rather, the other AFC teams will lose unexpectedly trip up allowing a 12-4 Pats team to claim the number one seed. There are numerous “Chicken Littles” in the local media decrying last week’s loss. What they fail to remember is the fact that prior to the six game, season-defining juggernaut, most would have been ecstatic with a 4-1 record after five. They will lose one more and be fine.
Derek: If the Patriots win these last four games, then home field is theirs regardless of what happens with the rest of the AFC. Can the Patriots take down the Jets on the road? I am going to mark that one down as a yes. Same for the Bills coming into Foxboro in Week 17. Going to Miami is always a bit of a question mark for New England, but their Week 15 matchup with the Phins is also at home, hopefully in a blizzard. I’ll give the Patriots the nod there as well. That really leaves today’s game as the pivotal contest upon which the road to the Super Bowl may lie. West Coast road trips are never easy for the Patriots, but coming fresh off a painful loss to Green Bay, I would hope that the Patriots are now focused enough to take care of business and are determined to get the taste of losing out of their mouths. All four games are ones that the Patriots should win. These are not the same as last week’s game against the Packers or a matchup with Peyton Manning and the Broncos where you hope the Patriots win but aren’t shocked if they lose. It would be nothing short of a major disappointment if the Patriots don’t finish this final quarter of the regular season 4-0 and snatch home field advantage from Denver.
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