Patriots-Browns Could Have Massive Impact On New England’s Playoff Chances
While oddsmakers had the New England Patriots missing the playoffs at the start of the season, the Patriots have flipped the script with their recent hot streak. After winning four straight games, New England is now 5-2 and has surprisingly passed the Buffalo Bills for first place in the AFC East.
With an easy schedule ahead of them, the Patriots are now considered virtual locks to make the postseason. According to The Athletic’s updated playoff predictor, New England has the second-best odds to make the postseason of any NFL team at 92%, behind only the AFC-leading Indianapolis Colts (96%).
However, the Patriots’ Week 8 home matchup with the Cleveland Browns could have a major impact on their playoff odds.
According to Football Sensei’s simulations, New England has an 86.6% chance of reaching the postseason. If the Patriots win, their odds will increase 3.9% to 90.5%.
If they lose, however, their odds will drop 12.5% to 74.1%. With a possible 16.5% swing, it’s one of the most impactful games of the week.
Accordingly, New England needs to take the Browns seriously this week. While Cleveland is 2-5 and has yet to win a road game this year, the Browns are coming off their biggest win of the season after destroying the Miami Dolphins last weekend. Their defense is no joke and leads the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game.
With the Bills facing the Carolina Panthers, there’s a good chance Buffalo wins this week, putting extra pressure on the Patriots to beat Cleveland. If they don’t, it could prove to be a significant setback.