How Patriots Can Clinch A Playoff Berth In Week 14
BOSTON (CBS) -- The New England Patriots will look to clinch a playoff spot this weekend. Again.
The Patriots could have punched their ticket to the postseason with a win last Sunday, but the Houston Texans had other plans. So the 10-2 Patriots will try again this weekend when they face off against the 8-4 Kansas City Chiefs in Foxboro. New England is looking to clinch a playoff berth for the 11th straight season.
It's pretty simple this time around: Beat the Chiefs and the Patriots are a playoff team. But should the Patriots lose their second straight game this weekend -- or walk away with a pesky NFL tie -- there are other ways for them to make the postseason.
New England can clinch a playoff spot with a tie, just as long as the Pittsburgh Steelers lose at Arizona. If the Pats tie and the Steelers win, they'll need either the Houston Texans (hosting the Denver Broncos) or the Tennessee Titans (visiting the Oakland Raiders) to lose or tie. And there is one scenario where the Patriots can lose on Sunday and still clinch a spot in the playoffs, but a lot will have to fall in their favor around the AFC.
Here are the five scenarios where the Patriots will clinch on Sunday:
1. Patriots win
2. Patriots tie and Steelers lose
3. Patriots tie and Texans lose or tie
4. Patriots tie and Titans lose or tie
5. Texans loss, Colts loss or tie, Raiders-Titans tie
New England's best bet is to beat the Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. And they could certainly use a win after going 2-2 over their last four games, a "skid" that has seen them fall from the No. 1 seed in the AFC to the two-seed.
Tune in to Sunday's Patriots-Chiefs clash on WBZ-TV — the flagship station of the New England Patriots. Pregame coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay, kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m., and after the game switch to TV38 for full analysis and reaction on Patriots 5th Quarter!
