The Patriots and Steelers, both coming off tough losses, look to get back in the win column, as the AFC playoff races heat up.
The lineup for Week 15 in the NFL is shaping up nicely, with multiple matchups between possible playoff contenders. The Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs started things off Thursday, with Philip Rivers orchestrating a last-second comeback win to pull the Chargers even with the Chiefs. Kansas City owns the tiebreaker and still has the inside track on AFC West title. The Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts are each jockeying for playoff position in their respective conferences. While the Cowboys control their own destiny, the Colts, for now, find themselves on the outside looking in.
And then there’s Sunday’s New England Patriots – Pittsburgh Steelers grudge match. Both of these teams are quite familiar with December (and January) football that matters. The Patriots have won the AFC East nine seasons running, and look destined to make it 10, last Sunday’s last-second collapse notwithstanding. The Steelers took the AFC North in three of the last four seasons, but find themselves fending off the rallying Baltimore Ravens. Obviously this marquee Week 15 matchup matters for both teams.
The Patriots, in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era, are about as clutch of a team as we’ve ever seen in the NFL. That makes moments like last week’s ‘Miami Miracle’ loss all the more surprising. Don’t expect them to get caught flat-footed again, with a chance at clinching a playoff spot. A win would make them 10-4, and a Titans loss on top of that would ensure a postseason berth.
Brady is having another strong season, with top-10 showings so far in touchdown passes and yards per game. Nearing the end of his hall of fame career, he also continues to break record after record. Brady’s complement of weapons, which seemed to be a trouble spot early on, has evolved, as often happens with this team.
