The New England Patriots are off this week, which means it’s time to kick back and relax. That being said, we will naturally be keeping a close eye on the rest of the NFL between Thursday, Sunday and Monday. After all, the playoff picture is still taking shape and the Patriots would appreciate a little help in their quest to win the AFC East and earn the number one seed in the conference.
With that said, let’s go through the list and find out who you should root for in Week 14.
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Sunday
1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Seattle Seahawks (9-3) against Atlanta Falcons (4-8): Let’s go hawks! Should the strength of the schedule tiebreaker somehow come into play (it won’t if the Patriots and Broncos end up fighting for first place), then a Falcons win is the preferred outcome here. | FOX
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) at the baltimore ravens (6-6): Go crows! Both teams enter Week 14 with identical records, but there are two reasons why the current AFC North leaders get our nod here. A Baltimore win could end up increasing the strength of New England’s win (they visit the Ravens in Week 16) while also increasing Pittsburgh’s odds of missing the playoffs. The sixth-round pick the Patriots received from the Steelers via Kyle Dugger would benefit from that. | C.B.S.
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Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) in Buffalo Bills (8-4): Go Bengals! This one is easy. A Cincinnati win at Buffalo would make next week’s Patriots-Bills matchup a “hat and jersey game” for New England, meaning they could close the division for Week 15. | FOX
Indianapolis Colts (8-4) at the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4): Let’s go colts! Losers of three of their last four games, the Colts have begun to fade in the race for the number one spot in the AFC. In fact, they are the current No. 6 seed, behind the Jaguars in their own division. That’s precisely why we’re rooting for Indianapolis here to keep as much distance as possible between the Patriots and another potential contender for first place in the conference. | C.B.S.
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Washington Commanders (3-9) in minnesota vikings (4-8): What a good game! Two disappointing teams, zero real impact on the Patriots. | FOX
Miami Dolphins (5-7) on the New York Jets (3-9): Let’s go Jets! In addition to putting a dent in the Dolphins’ slim playoff hopes, a New York victory would also push them further away from the top of the draft. | C.B.S.
Tennessee Titans (1-11) on the Cleveland Browns (3-9): Let’s go titans! The Patriots already beat both teams, so this has nothing to do with their playoff outlook and everything to do with the draft. To ensure the Jets stay as far out of the top spots as possible, a Titans win would be helpful here. | FOX
New Orleans Saints (2-10) in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5): Let’s go Bucs! Both teams have already been defeated by the Patriots this year, but only one of them is in the running for those top draft spots. | C.B.S.
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4:05 pm Eastern Time
Denver Broncos (10-2) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-10): Let’s go raiders! It’s not hard to see why a surprise for the Raiders is the play here. In the unlikely event that that happens, it would give the Patriots sole possession of the AFC’s best record and a clearer path to first place. | C.B.S.
4:25 pm Eastern Time
Los Angeles Rams (9-3) at Arizona Cardinals (3-9): Come on, rams! This NFC West battle doesn’t really matter for the Patriots’ playoff prospects, so we’re once again going to play sabotage of the Jets’ draft position. | FOX
Chicago Bears (9-3) at Green Bay Packers (8-3-1): What a good game! Interesting matchup, no real impact on the Patriots. | FOX
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8:20 pm Eastern Time
Houston Texans (7-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (6-6): Let’s go Texans! The Patriots are almost certain to make the playoffs and are the favorites to end up winning the AFC East, so the fortunes of neither of those teams have too much of an impact on them. That said, New England owns the Chiefs’ 2026 sixth-round pick, so missing the playoffs would be best for them from that perspective. | NBC
Monday
8:15 pm Eastern Time
Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) at Los Angels Chargers (8-4): Let’s go Eagles! NFC team against AFC team with a chance to end up overtaking the Patriots in the standings. Easy call. | ESPN/ABC
At the beginning of the week the following games were played:
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Thursday
8:15 pm Eastern Time
Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) vs. Detroit Lions (7-5): What a good game! The game has no significant impact on the Patriots and their place in the playoff picture, so nothing stands in the way of a fun Thursday night. | DAL 30, DET 44
This article also serves as an open thread for this week’s games. Head to the comments section to discuss and share your thoughts on the games as they develop.