The New England Patriots enjoyed a first-round bye in the AFC East this past week. The AFC wildcard games between the Chiefs and the Texans, and the Steelers and the Bengals, have concluded. The Chiefs dominated the Texans 30-0 and the Steelers almost gave up their lead, but were able to just squeak past the Bengals 18-16 in an incredibly emotional game. The Patriots prepare to face Alex Smith and the No. 5 seed Chiefs this Saturday in Foxboro while Denver will get to play the No. 6 seed Steelers at home.
Entering the playoffs after two consecutive losses in their own conference, the Patriots are looking pretty weak. The Patriots were unable to clinch the No. 1 seed after their loss to the Dolphins, which means that if the Patriots play Denver, Colorado, in the AFC championship, then game will be in Denver. Since the Patriots are the No. 2 seed, they have to face the next highest remaining seed, the Chiefs. The Chiefs have had a great comeback season, starting with a 1-5 record and then winning 11 consecutive games. The Patriots have struggled constantly throughout the regular season with injuries to key players like Dion Lewis, Julian Edelman, Dont’a Hightower, Sebastian Vollmer and Chandler Jones. After the first-round bye, the Patriots are hopefully rested enough to take on the Chiefs, who only have one notable injury. Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin suffered a strained knee in the game against the Texans, so Alex Smith is going to have to rely more heavily on tight end Travis Kelce and wide receivers Albert Wilson and Chris Conley. If the Patriots can win against the Chiefs, then the best scenario is for the Steelers to upset the Broncos in Denver because then the AFC Championship will be held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on the Patriot's home turf. If the Broncos win, it will be a tough battle for the Patriots. The only regular season game between the Patriots and the Broncos went to overtime after some controversial calls by the referees. The Patriots had a 14-0 lead and then allowed CJ Anderson to run all over their defense, losing their undefeated streak in overtime 30-24. Looking even further ahead, if the Patriots defeat the Steelers or the Broncos in the AFC championship, they are likely to face #=No. 1 seed Carolina Panthers or No. 2 seed Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl.
The main thing the Patriots need to focus on is getting healthy. If the Patriots have most of their starters back heading into the game against the Chiefs, then they will be in much better shape. Julian Edelman, who suffered a foot injury back in November, and Sebastian Vollmer, who recently hurt his ankle in Week 16, are both expected to return in the Jan. 16 game against the Chiefs. As long as the offense remains strong and protects Tom Brady, the Patriots should have no problem getting the ball downfield and doing what they do best.
