Insider Names Wild-Card Matchup Patriots ‘Should Want’
The Patriots could host one of four teams in wild-card weekend
The New England Patriots are still hoping to earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed for the playoffs and a first-round bye.
New England will need to defeat the Miami Dolphins at home and have the Denver Broncos lose to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18 to earn the bye, however.
Los Angeles head coach Jim Harbaugh isn’t doing Patriots leader Mike Vrabel any favors by resting Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert for Sunday’s AFC West clash.
Assuming that Denver holds onto the top seed and New England stays at No. 2, the Patriots could host one of four teams during wild-card weekend — the Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans or Jacksonville Jaguars.
Senior writer Chad Graff of The Athletic ranked New England’s potential first-round opponents on Tuesday, saying that Los Angeles would be the best matchup.
“Jim Harbaugh has done an impressive job in getting the Chargers to an 11-5 record without two of their best players. Yet this is the matchup the Patriots should want,” Graff wrote. “With left tackle Joe Alt and right tackle Rashawn Slater injured, the Chargers have arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL. They’ve allowed pressure at the second-highest rate (42.3 percent) in the league. For a Patriots defense that has struggled to get pressure, this is one of the few potential opponents where you could imagine them getting to the quarterback.”
The Patriots insider opined that the team’s worst opening-round matchup would be the Bills.
It’s hard to argue against that view, as Buffalo has arguably the most dangerous rushing attack in the NFL, headed by reigning MVP quarterback Josh Allen and three-time Pro Bowl running back James Cook.
On the other hand, Graff said Tuesday that the Chargers’ offense “hasn’t been anything to be afraid of.”
“Of course, this isn’t to discount the Chargers as a worthy playoff opponent. The Los Angeles defense is legit and is ranked second among these four teams, behind only Houston’s. Since Week 9, the Chargers have the third-best defense in the league and the second-best unit against the run,” he wrote. “But if you have to pick one of these as a favorable matchup for the Patriots, it’s probably the team with a below-average offense and a beat-up offensive line.”
It’s almost time to find out if New England is a true contender.
