It was a rough Sunday for all the Patriots' fans last week. Not just because of one play, but how the whole game went. Why can't the Patriots beat the Dolphins in South Beach? What happens to Tom Brady and the Patriots against the Miami Dolphins in Miami? It doesn't matter what time of the year it is, and it doesn't matter who the quarterback of the Dolphins is, the Patriots always end up struggling in South Beach! However, there is always one good thing about losing to the Dolphins in South Beach. Tom Brady and the Patriots bounce back strong by beating a good team, following their loss to the Dolphins. They did it last year when the went to Heinz Field to face the 11-2 Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots beat them 27-24, then they beat the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets to snatch the number one seed from the Steelers.
It is going to be a challenge for the New England Patriots to clinch the number one seed this year, as the Kansas City Chiefs have control of the number one seed. The Patriots will need to win their remaining three games, which they can certainly do, but then they will also need the Chiefs to lose at least one of their remaining two games. Chiefs could possibly go 1-1 but I highly doubt it.
So what do the Patriots need to do after the stunning loss to the Miami Dolphins? Just win games and secure the AFC East as they have been doing since 2009? Well, they should definitely do that, but we are talking about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's New England Patriots. They are about making deep runs in the playoffs and contend for Super Bowls pretty much every year. In my opinion, going three for three in their remaining regular season games isn't going to cut it. They need to dominate their opponents, and yes, that includes the Pittsburgh Steelers! I know the Pats will be playing the Steelers in Heinz Field, and the Steelers are a really good team, but they aren't as good as used to be. The Steelers are entering week 15 with three straight losses. First, they got beat by Case Keenum and the Broncos. Then they were defeated by the LA Chargers at home in a game in which they led the Chargers 23-7 at halftime. Finally last week, they lost to the Oakland Raiders who don't even have an identity for their team at the moment. Remember, these three straight losses came after the Steelers barely beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the last second. The Jaguars are 4-9 and at the bottom of their division.
This is going to be a great game since both the Steelers and the Patriots are coming off tough losses. Both teams need to win this week. You could argue that the Steelers need this game more than the Patriots do, but it is equally important to the Patriots, as they know how good they do in the playoffs when they have home-field advantage. Whichever team loses this game, that team will be going nowhere in the playoffs. The Patriots can't go into the playoffs by losing their last two road games of the year, and the Steelers might not even make it to the playoffs if they lose this game.
So who's going to win this game? The New England Patriots! There is no reason for the Patriots to lose this game. Steelers' defense is good and their offensive line is one of the best in the game, but their offense overall hasn't been that good. Ben Roethlisberger is throwing a lot of interceptions this year and he doesn't care about it (don't know why?). James Connor has done well in Le'Veon's absence, but there is a chance that he might not play the Patriots tomorrow. Antonio Brown has put up great numbers this year like he does all the time, but he hasn't been taking over the games like he has in the past five seasons. JuJu Smith-Schuster is having a monster year and I believe he's the best number two receiver in the game. It is not easy to lock down two really good receivers in a game. However, Patriots know how to slow down a good duo of receivers. The Patriots' defense two weeks ago, held Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings, to a total of eight catches for 77 yards and just one touchdown. Patriots' defense might be below average, but they know how to take away your best weapons from the game.
How are the Patriots going to win this game? Like I have said before, it isn't easy to predict in the NFL, but if I have to guess, I think the Patriots are going to eat the Steelers alive. I have four really good reasons to think that the Patriots are going to blow out the Steelers. First, the Patriots almost never lose more than two games in the month of December. They have already lost one game so far in December this year. Secondly, the Patriots' roster is very healthy right now. All of their key players on offense and defense will be playing tomorrow. The third thing is, Pittsburgh Steelers have no answer for Rob Gronkowski. Gronk always shows up against the Steelers. Finally, Tom Brady owns the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brady knows the Steelers' defense better than any other defense. That's why Brady always ends up shredding the Steelers and their fans. For Steelers, Tom Brady is like what LeBron James is to the Toronto Raptors. The Steelers fear Tom Brady!
The Patriots are going to win this big game by at least two touchdowns. Gronk's gonna have a big game, Julian Edelman will catch crucial third downs in the game, and Josh Gordon will catch one pass for over forty yards. Tom Brady might start off slow, but he's going to finish the game strong. Defense is going to struggle in the first half, but they will settle down by midway into the third quarter. This game will fuel the New England Patriots' deep run in the playoffs.
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