Patriots' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Bracket Implications of Week 11

The New England Patriots come into Week 11 with just a two-game gap between themselves and the final AFC wild-card spot.

New England has five teams between it and the Denver Broncos in seventh place, but the inkling of a playoff dream is there because of how average the middle of the AFC has been in 2024.

The Patriots have a winnable game at home against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, and if they win that contest, they could seriously attempt a playoff push.

In order for the playoff discussion to truly be had, the Patriots need some help from the opponents of teams above them in the standings to make the dream even more real than it currently is.

Falcons over Broncos

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 10: Kirk Cousins #18 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrates a touchdown during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on November 10, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

The first order of business for a potential Patriots playoff push is for the Denver Broncos to lose.

Denver sits in a vulnerable spot in Week 11 after it poured an immense amount of energy into a failed upset bid of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Broncos face an Atlanta Falcons team that needs to bounce back from an unexpected loss to the New Orleans Saints.

The formula to favor the Patriots is there, and if the Falcons win, there will only be six AFC teams with a .500 record or better going into Week 12.

A Denver loss opens up playoff possibilities for a handful of other teams as well, but for their sake and the Patriots sake, that is the result that must happen to pull Sean Payton's team further down into the chaos.

Chargers over Bengals

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 10: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers drops back to pass during a game against the Tennessee Titans at SoFi Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

New England needs the Los Angeles Chargers to further open up the gap between the AFC's top six and the rest of the wild-card contenders.

The Chargers host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night. A Chargers win would make the Bengals vulnerable to the Patriots.

New England owns a head-to-head win over the Bengals from Week 1 that could catapult the Patriots over the Bengals in the standings on Sunday.

A Patriots win combined with a Bengals loss would put both teams at 4-7.

New England is in position to earn head-to-head wins over the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts in Weeks 12 and 13 to make its playoff case more interesting.

If New England reels off three straight wins, it would have split the regular-season series with Miami and the New York Jets and own head-to-head wins over Cincinnati and Indianapolis.

That is the Patriots' best-case scenario for postseason placement.

Colts over Jets

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HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 27: Anthony Richardson #5 of the Indianapolis Colts scrambles out of the pocket during an NFL football game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

New England's rooting interest in the Colts-Jets game should go against its divisional rival.

A Colts win would keep them ahead of the Patriots, but the Pats have a chance to close that gap in Week 13.

The immediate focus is on the Jets losing as many games as possible.

The Jets and Pats have the same overall record and division record going into Week 11. They also split their regular-season series, so the tiebreakers are not straightforward.

A Jets loss would knock them further down the standings, where the Pats wouldn't have to worry about tiebreakers.

Then, the Pats could just focus on beating the Colts to own head-to-head wins over them and the Bengals.