What's At Stake For Patriots On Monday Night Vs. Ravens
BOSTON (CBS) -- When the Patriots take the field at Gillette Stadium on Monday night, their mission will be what it always is: win the football game.
But the home team won't have the opportunity to turn it into a famed "hat and T-shirt game," because the pesky Miami Dolphins keep winning football games of their own.
The Dolphins' dramatic 26-23 win at home over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon improved Miami's record to 8-5 on the season. And by winning, they've postponed a potential Patriots victory party by at least a week.
If the Patriots do defeat the Ravens, they will own an 11-2 record -- which, considering the reported season-ending knee injury to Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill, is a virtual lock to win the AFC East. But it would not technically clinch the division.
A Patriots loss to Baltimore would keep the division lead at just two games with three weeks left to play, including a head-to-head meeting in South Florida in Week 17. As a 5-10 Dolphins squad proved last year in the final week of the season, a Patriots victory in Miami cannot ever be assumed.
As it currently stands, the Patriots own the No. 1 spot in the AFC -- a spot they will maintain with a win over Baltimore. A loss would drop the Patriots to 10-3, putting them in a virtual tie with Kansas City and Oakland with three weeks to sort out that situation. Both Oakland and New England have games remaining on the schedule against Denver, so even though the Broncos aren't in their familiar position jockeying for the No. 1 seed, they still have a chance to play a major role in shaping the AFC playoff picture. Considering they're still holding on to a wild-card spot, the Broncos figure to be doing all they can to beat both the Patriots and the Chiefs.
For the Patriots, Monday night's game against Baltimore should be considered a playoff game. Though the loser of Monday night's matchup won't pack up their gear and head home for the winter and spring, a victory would go a long way in ensuring that the season extends through at least the middle of January. A loss at home, and the AFC belongs to anybody.
