The New England Patriots are arguably the best team in the league, but you need more than talent to win a Super Bowl. In order to increase New England’s Super Bowl odds, Patriots fans should be rooting for certain outcomes across the league. Let’s take a dive into every Week 4 matchup to determine the Patriots rooting guide.
New England Patriots Rooting Guide: Week 4
Kansas City Chiefs at Detroit Lions
The Chiefs are the biggest threat to New England’s Super Bowl aspirations. Patrick Mahomes is playing like the best quarterback in football while Andy Reid is one of the NFL’s brightest minds. These two have been destroying the NFL since 2018 and have the ability to eliminate New England from postseason contention.
The Chiefs are undefeated and could take postseason home-field advantage away from the Patriots. New England should root for a Chiefs’ loss each and every week. An added bonus is that rooting for the Lions means rooting for old friend Matt Patricia.
Washington Redskins at New York Giants
This game has no effect on the New England Patriots. However, since the Giants took two championships away from the Patriots, you should root for the Redskins.
Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons
The Titans don’t look that great, but technically they could pose a threat to New England’s Super Bowl aspirations. Even though the Titans aren’t nearly as good as the Patriots, they still play in the AFC. Any time an AFC team plays an NFC team, root for the NFC team.
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
Patriots fans are all too familiar with how annoying the Baltimore Ravens can be. While Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Joe Flacco are gone, this team remains one of the best in the NFL. Lamar Jackson took a major leap in his second season, and this defense remains one of the best units in football. Baltimore stands a considerably larger chance of ending New England’s season than the Browns do, so root for the Browns in this one. If the Ravens keep on losing, then New England should be guaranteed to land one of the two first-round byes in the playoffs.
Oakland Raiders at Indianapolis Colts
Neither team poses a real threat to the Patriots, but the Colts are the better outfit here. Jacoby Brissett has played well in relief of Andrew Luck, and Indianapolis has one of the deepest rosters in the league. The Raiders are still a work in progress and don’t stand a chance of making the playoffs, much less beating New England. Root for the Raiders to pull the upset.
Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans
Sorry, Bill O’Brien, but the Patriots need you to lose this one. Houston’s roster has a lot of holes, but they still have a great young quarterback in Deshaun Watson. Watson isn’t on Brady’s level, but he proved in 2017 that he can go blow-for-blow with the greatest quarterback of all time. Root for Kyle Allen to pull the upset.
Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins
Even though the Dolphins reside in the AFC East, Patriots fans should pull for the Dolphins. Miami is easily the worst team in football and shouldn’t pose a threat to any of the other 31 NFL franchises. The Chargers, meanwhile, are a talented roster who could earn a wild card spot in a crowded AFC West. The Patriots would be better off not facing Los Angeles in a single-elimination game.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos
In a perfect world, the Jacksonville Jaguars will somehow find a way to win the AFC South. Say what you will about their genuinely talented defense, but I’d rather face Gardner Minshew than Deshaun Watson or the Colts in the postseason. The Titans don’t stand a chance at the AFC South crown, but the Jaguars could pull it off. Root for Jacksonville, as a victory for them helps push better teams out of the playoff picture.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Neither team can directly threaten the Patriots this year, but New England fans should still root for the Steelers. The Dolphins own Pittsburgh’s 2019 first-round pick, and that pick gets more and more valuable with every Steeler loss. The Dolphins might be terrible now, but they have the draft ammunition to build an elite roster over the next handful of seasons. Don’t think of it as rooting for the Steelers, think of it as rooting against the Dolphins.
Patriots Rooting Guide: No Impact Games
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints
