This Given Sunday

The last time we (okay, maybe it was just me) were irresponsibly confident in a Patriots victory over a stumbling opponent at home, well, we know what happened, don't we?

Okay, I realize the things I say or the clothes I wear don't really have any impact on the outcome of a football game. Then again, there's that Butterfly Effect thing so yeah, I'll be wearing the gray hoodie at 1:00pm this Sunday.

Big game.

The Titans are coming to town!

Last year, the Patriots could afford to rest starters and basically give away a game in Week 17 knowing they had the #1 seed locked up, finishing 12-4-0. This year, they may need to run the table to a 14-2-0 record to get home field throughout the playoffs. Restating the obvious, a lot depends on how the Broncos and Bengals finish and all of a sudden that's surprisingly reassuring. The Broncos looked decidedly average in their loss – at home – to the Raiders while the Bengals are hoping A.J. McCarron can become the first championship QB from Alabama since Joe Namath. Were we worried about the Bengals with Andy Dalton, he of the 0-4-0 playoff record? Probably not. If you're a Broncos fan, are you hoping Brock Osweiler just had a bad day and he'll be just fine, a cross between Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady or are you hoping Peyton Manning can dig deep one more time and pull a Lombardi Trophy out of his ass?

Me? All I want for Christmas is a healthy New England roster.

Rooting Interests

NYJ at DAL – While that #1 seed is in front of the Patriots, the Jets are in their rear view and while they can't catch the Patriots for the AFC East, I'm starting to get annoyed with their constant tailgating. Okay, I hate the Jets. If the Jets were 0-13-0 right now, I'd be rooting for the Cowboys in this one. I know I should be afraid of the Steelers. I hear they're the team nobody wants to face in the playoffs. I thought it was a healthy Patriots team nobody wanted to face in the playoffs but maybe that's just me. More importantly, I don't want to see the Patriots facing a desperate Jets team coming off a loss next week in the Meadowlands. Jets 31, Cowboys 18.

DEN at PIT – Classic irresistible force meets unmovable object game with the explosive Steelers offense facing off with the stalwart Broncos defense. I'm not as worried about Pittsburgh coming to The Razor in January as I am with New England flying to Mile High. Okay, I'm not that worried about a rematch in Denver – if New England has Brady, Gronk, Jules, Hightower and McCourty healthy. More importantly, Ben Roethlisberger is playing better than whoever the Broncos start at QB this week. Steelers 23, Broncos 13.

HOU at IND – Because I'm rooting for any team playing the Colts because, well, you know why. J.J. Watt should be looking to bounce back from his disappearing act against the Patriots, shouldn't he? A full rack of Matt Hasselbeck's ribs with the honey barbecue sauce with a Charlie Whitehurst flan for dessert, please. Texans 41, Colts 13.

CAR at NYG – As Patriots fan, I probably shouldn't be rooting for the Giants to get into the playoffs. After the Patriots perfect regular season, I probably shouldn't care if the Panthers win out. After all, the Seahawks will beat the Panthers in the NFC Championship Game in any case. Whatever. Giants 24, Panthers 17.

CIN at SFO – The 49ers stink. The Bengals could probably play the entire game in the Wild Cat, complete 2 of 3 passes (both for touchdowns) and still beat the Niners. Having said that, San Francisco is so bad McCarron could put up the kind of numbers that force Cincy HC Marvin Lewis to answer the inevitable "If A.J. McCarron continues to play like this…" questions. Wishful Thinking: 49ers 27, Bengals 26.

KCC at BAL – Because I'm rooting for any team playing the Ravens. Baltimore has a better team on IR than they have on the field. Deflategate Karma? Deflategate Karma. Chiefs 52, Ravens 9.

TEN at NWE – In my pigskin fantasy world, it's 41-0 at the end of the 3rd quarter and Belichick has Brady, Gronk and the rest of the starters rolled up in bubble wrap for the final 15 minutes of this one. After that Eagles game, though, I refuse to allow myself any expectations. So. This is going to be a barn-burner, a slug-fest, a fill in your favorite hyphenated cliché here kind of game.

Brady missing practice with an illness is a monkey in the wrench for sure. Can New England win with Jimmy Garoppolo at QB? Well, yeah, but I probably would've said, "Well, yeah" before the Eagles game, too. Who is the Pats emergency 3rd QB, anyway? I suppose it would be Edelman if he was healthy but he isn't. Gronk should be on the field again but not so much for Edelman, Hightower and McCourty. Could Leonard Hankerson be the deep threat Brandon LaFell has proven he isn't? Probably too much to ask after just three days in Foxborough. Who would've thought Danny Amendola would go from in-the-dispensary to indispensable? Anyway, I shouldn't get down on JoJo, who's played better than you'd think. He isn't matching his career-year numbers from 2014 but he's still outperforming his career game day averages. Then again, this isn't a game of averages, it's a game of big moments and so far LaFell's 2015 season will be remembered more for drops than catches.

I'm thinking this will be one of those instant New England folk hero kind of games. Jimmy G throwing for 350 and 4 TD – all to Gronk? It could happen. Brandon Bolden and James White both total 200 all-purpose yards and 2 TD? It wouldn't surprise me. Duron Harmon with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a sack on a safety blitz and a pick-6? Hey, we've all been waiting for him to have that kind of game, haven't we? Jerod Mayo with 10 tackles with an INT and a fumble recovery? Yeah, that might be a little bit of Christmas come early. I'll take it. Patriots 41, Titans 8.