Why Patriots fans should root for Titans, Giants in final Week 14 games

Why Patriots fans should root for Titans, Giants in final Week 14 games originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots were officially eliminated from playoff contention in the AFC on Sunday, but they still have something to play for.

Sort of.

The Patriots are in a competitive fight for positioning in the 2024 NFL Draft order. They currently own the No. 2 pick with a 3-10 record at the bottom of the conference standings, but they have very little margin for error.

If the Patriots lose their remaining four games, they will be guaranteed a top-three pick. But if they win one or more games, they will put themselves at risk of falling several spots in the draft order. Even a drop of two to three spots could be monumental depending on how the draft ultimately shakes out and where the top quarterbacks are selected.

Here’s the updated top 10 of the draft order:

10. Los Angeles Chargers, 5-8

9. New York Jets, 5-8

8. Las Vegas Raiders, 5-8

7. Chicago Bears, 5-8

6. Tennessee Titans, 4-8

5. New York Giants, 4-8

4. Washington Commanders, 4-9

3. Arizona Cardinals, 3-10

2. New England Patriots, 3-10

1. Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers, 1-12)

Luckily for the Patriots, two of the fpur-win teams right in front of them in the draft order entering Week 14 — the New York Jets and Chicago Bears — won on Sunday. The Jets beat the Houston Texans and the Bears defeated the Detroit Lions.

These results shrunk the group of four-win teams to three. Two of them — the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants — play on “Monday Night Football” to wrap up Week 14.

The Giants (4-8), who occupy the No. 5 spot in the draft order, host the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium. This is a tough matchup for the Giants. The Packers have won three in a row and four of their last five. They also have a slim lead over the Los Angeles Rams for the third and final wild card playoff berth in the NFC, so New York should get Green Bay’s best effort.

The Titans (4-8), who occupy the No. 6 spot in the draft…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-patriots-fans-root-titans-202850842.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2023-12-11 20:51:18

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