New England Patriots: 3 games of intrigue around the NFL Week 14

Tennessee Titans vs. Oakland Raiders

Why should there be interest in this game for New England Patriots fans?

Well, both the Tennessee Titans (7-5) and the Oakland Raiders (6-6) are in tight contention for a wild card spot, which means either one of these teams can be headed to Foxborough in the AFC Divisional round game whether the Patriots are the No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

While the Raiders are sputtering a bit, old friend Mike Vrabel has his Titans rolling after big wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and a road game at the Indianapolis Colts.

If you are a Patriots fan, root for the Raiders in this game.  Not only would it push the red-hot Titans back in the standings, it will pull John Gruden’s team closer to the Chiefs for the AFC West title if the Patriots defeat Kansas City.

In a suddenly very tight race for playoff spots between multiple teams, the team that doesn’t win the AFC West or AFC South may not make the playoffs given the way the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing.

Let’s hope Derek Carr and that Raiders offense can get it going against the Titans defense.  Although Patriots fans don’t fear Ryan Tannenhill coming into Foxborough, the load that is Derrick Henry rushing the ball could be a problem in the playoffs.