Look, I know what you’re thinking. “Seattle On Tap talking about the Patriots? What gives?” But trust me, you gotta hear this. While the New England crew is trying to get their own record back to .500 on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, pushing for a 2-2 start, there’s some seriously wild stuff happening across the league in Week 4 of the 2026 NFL regular season that actually ties back to our own Emerald City.
The Patriots are focused on their own game, no doubt, but they’ve got their eyes on a ton of other matchups, hoping for specific outcomes that’ll boost their AFC standing. For example, they already beat the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1), so they’re hoping the Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns (2-1) on Thursday night. Why? Boosts their strength of schedule, obviously. They also want the Washington Commanders (1-2) to beat the Indianapolis Colts (1-2) because, classic scenario, you pick the NFC team over the AFC team when there are no direct ties. And get this, they’re actually pulling for the winless Tennessee Titans (0-3) to upset the Baltimore Ravens (2-1). Anything to keep an AFC rival down in the early playoff race.
They’re even hoping the Dallas Cowboys (1-2) take down the Houston Texans (0-3). That’s a double whammy for them: an AFC rival stays down, and it could even improve a draft pick they snagged in some trade. On the other hand, a few games, like the Arizona Cardinals (1-2) at New York Giants (2-1) or the Los Angeles Rams (1-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-1), are just “go good game” for them because there’s no impact on their season. But the Green Bay Packers (1-2) beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)? Yep, that’s another “strength of schedule” pick for New England. It’s a whole lot of weird chess, right?
But here’s where it gets really nuts, 12s. While they’re sweating all these AFC matchups, those guys back East actually need our Seahawks to WIN! Our 2-1 Seattle Seahawks are facing off against the 0-3 Los Angeles Chargers. The Patriots are on both of those teams’ schedules this year, and for their weird little calculations, they’re picking our NFC squad over an AFC squad. Can you believe it? The New England Patriots, of all teams, will be cheering for our Hawks this Sunday. It might end up hurting them in some other way, but for this specific game, they’re all about the green and blue.
So, while the rest of the league is doing their thing, our Seattle Seahawks are out there making waves. Let’s keep that momentum rolling, Hawks! Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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