New England Patriots 2017 second half preview and predictions
Week 15: Sunday, December 17th 4:25 PM at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Patriots will likely be in a battle for the #1 seed in the AFC with the Steelers and the Chiefs. Kansas City has already beaten the Patriots this season, and sadly I think the Steelers will too. They’re tough to beat when they have Big Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and LeVeon Bell all healthy. Right now that’s the case, and although things could change I’m predicting this game as if they’ll all be in. The Patriots offense should be able to score, but I believe Pittsburgh will as well.
New England may very well have the better record at this point in the season though, as the Steelers have 5 games before this one. The Titans, Ravens, and Bengals could all potentially beat Pittsburgh but I doubt Green Bay or Indianapolis will.
The game with the Patriots will be extremely close, but I give Pittsburgh the home field advantage 3-point win.
Game Prediction: Steelers 34, Patriots 31
Week 16: Sunday, December 24th 1 PM vs Buffalo Bills
After a high-scoring game in week 13 in Buffalo, I believe we get a more defensive battle in week 16. This Christmas Eve matchup will hopefully be the beginning of a white Christmas in some snow. Those types of games are always the best as teams rely on their running game to slow the tempo and control the game. New England would have the edge, and they’ll find the end zone twice while their defense shuts down Buffalo.