Big week for the Patriots’ draft position. The Giants and Raiders, who both are currently ahead of New England in the NFL Draft order as it sits now, each have a game they can win.
The Raiders host Mac Jones and Jacksonville, while the Giants face the Falcons and first-time starter Michael Penix.
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The Raiders and Giants are both likely to take a quarterback. If the Patriots, who don’t need a QB, get a top-two pick, they’d be in position to trade down to any one of a number of other teams (Browns? Tennessee?, Jets?) who would want Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward and get a pretty big return. New England could do that and still get a top offensive lineman or receiver.
This is not advocating for tanking, which has drastically less value when a team already has a quarterback. Fans can want to the Patriots to win, but still root for results that will help their draft position in a win or a loss.
As always, strength-of-schedule info is from Tankathon.
Thursday
Broncos (9-5) at Chargers (8-6) — Just a strength of schedule game. Root for the team the Patriots play to lose. Root for: Broncos
Saturday
Texans (9-5) at Chiefs (13-1) — Same as above. It would help for Kansas City, possibly without Patrick Mahomes, to keep winning Root for: Chiefs
Sunday
Rams (8-6) at Jets (4-10) — Since the Patriots played the Jets twice and the Rams once and the Jets are still close recordwise. Better to be safe. Root for: J.E.T.S.
Giants (2-12) at Falcons (7-7) — Big opportunity here to move up. Can the Giants beat the Falcons, who are starting a rookie QB for the first time? Root for: Giants.
Cardinals (7-7) at Panthers (3-11) — A Carolina win pulls the Panthers out of the 3-11 logjam and lowers the Patriots’ schedule strength. Root for: Panthers
Browns (3-11) at Bengals (6-8) — A Browns win would be doubly valuable as it would lower New England’s S.O.S. and pull Cleveland out of the 3-11 log jam. Root for: Browns
Titans (3-11) at Colts (6-8) — Either result adds a win and a loss to the Patriots strength of schedule. A Titans win gives the Patriots some breathing room in the logjam of 3-11 teams. Root for: Titans
Lions (12-2) at Bears (4-10) — It’s fun to root for the Lions anyway and doing so helps Pats’ S.O.S. Root for: Lions
Vikings (12-2) at Seahawks (8-6) — Another S.O.S. game. Root for: Vikings
Jaguars (3-11) at Raiders (2-12) — This is a huge game for draft positioning. HUGE. It’s one the Raiders can win and maybe should win. A Raiders win and a Patriots loss moves New England up a spot in the draft order. Root for: Raiders
49ers (6-8) at Dolphins (6-8) — For schedule strength purposes root for the team that beat the Patriots once over the one who did it twice. Root for: 49ers
