The New England Patriots just dropped their Thursday night game to the Chicago Bears, falling 30-24. Are you kidding me? That puts head coach Mike Vrabel’s squad at 4-3 on the season and, worst of all, *out* of the current AFC playoff picture. One game in the books for Week 7, but 13 more are coming at us between Sunday morning and Monday night, and suddenly, every single one of them matters for the Pats.
The Thursday Night Fumble: How We Ended Up Here
Dropping a game you should win, especially on a short week, is always tough. But to fall out of the playoff hunt at 4-3? That stings. The offense couldn’t get it done, the defense let up crucial plays, and now we’re staring down the barrel of a crucial Week 7 where we’re not even playing. This is when being a fan gets wild, because suddenly, we’re rooting for teams we usually love to hate, and hoping for some seriously unexpected upsets. We’ve got to claw our way back in, and that starts with what happens when other teams hit the field.
Your Week 7 Rooting Playbook: Get Your Snacks Ready
With 13 games left to play, here’s the rundown of who we absolutely need to win (or lose) to help the Pats get back on track. Get ready, because it’s a lot:
* **Sunday 9:30 a.m. ET: Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) at New Orleans Saints (2-4) , GO SAINTS!** We already hold the head-to-head over the Steelers, but a Saints win keeps us ahead in the standings. Yeah, we know it might mess with that sixth-round draft pick from the Ja’Lynn Polk trade, but priorities, people!
* **1 p.m. ET: San Francisco 49ers (6-0) at Atlanta Falcons (2-4) , GO GOOD GAME!** Honestly, neither of these teams is on our schedule, and there are no 2027 draft picks tied to them. Just enjoy the football, I guess.
* **Cincinnati Bengals (3-2) at Baltimore Ravens (4-2) , GO BENGALS!** We’d love a tie here, wouldn’t we? But since that’s a long shot, we’re backing the team with fewer wins. It’s all about weakening those AFC rivals.
* **Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5) at Carolina Panthers (3-2) , GO GOOD GAME!** Same deal as the Niners-Falcons. No direct impact. Move along.
* **New York Giants (3-2-1) at Houston Texans (2-4) , GO GIANTS!** NFC vs. AFC? Easy call. Root for the team not in our conference. Plus, this might even help that sixth-round pick we got from the Marte Mapu trade. Win-win!
* **Indianapolis Colts (2-4) at Minnesota Vikings (5-0) , GO VIKINGS!** Another NFC vs. AFC showdown! And get this: a Vikings win actually helps improve our strength of schedule. Smart, right?
* **Miami Dolphins (0-5) at New York Jets (2-4) , GO DOLPHINS!** Okay, this one is tricky. A Dolphins win gives them momentum, sure, but it *really* hurts the Jets in the AFC playoff race. And hey, we’re heading to Miami next Sunday, so some scouting doesn’t hurt.
* **Cleveland Browns (4-2) at Tennessee Titans (1-5) , GO TITANS!** Two AFC teams going at it? You know the drill: root for the one with the worse record. Every little bit helps.
* **4:05 p.m. ET: Denver Broncos (4-2) at Arizona Cardinals (2-4) , GO CARDINALS!** AFC vs. NFC again. It’s pretty clear who we want winning these.
* **4:25 p.m. ET: Green Bay Packers (4-2) at Detroit Lions (3-2) , GO GOOD GAME!** We play both these teams later in the season, so this all-NFC North battle doesn’t impact us *yet*.
* **Los Angeles Rams (2-4) at Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) , GO RAMS!** We already beat the Raiders in Week 5, so we’d still be ahead of them. But when in doubt in an AFC vs. NFC game? Always go with the NFC team.
Phew. That’s a lot to keep track of! The source article cuts off at the Kansas City Chiefs game, so we’ll stop there. But man, every single one of these games has real stakes for us.
Next up for the Pats, we’re heading to Miami next Sunday. What’s at stake? Everything. Getting back into the playoff picture, fixing this 4-3 start, and showing the AFC we’re not done yet. We need a strong showing next week, but first, we need some help from around the league. Let’s go!
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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