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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jordy McElroy

Where do Patriots rank in playoff picture after back-to-back losses?

Another one bit the dust for the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football with a loss to the visiting Buffalo Bills in Week 13. That makes two straight for the team and puts their postseason future in doubt.

That isn’t to suggest coach Bill Belichick couldn’t throw on the warrior face paint and rally the troops like William Wallace for the final five-game stretch. Unfortunately for the Patriots, they still have a road game against the Bills for the finale, and that will come after they host the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.

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Oh, and those red-hot Cincinnati Bengals will also be coming to town for a visit.

So this isn’t just a normal mountain to climb for the Patriots. At this point, it’ll be like free climbing Mount Everest. If the Patriots could pull off a feat like that, not only would they be playoff contenders, but they would be legitimate Super Bowl contenders as well.

Their backs are against the wall this week in the latest AFC playoff rankings.

1
Buffalo Bills (9-3)

Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

2
Kansas City Chiefs (9-3)

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

3
Baltimore Ravens (8-4)

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

4
Tennessee Titans (7-5)

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

5
Cincinnati Bengals (8-4)

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

6
Miami Dolphins (8-4)

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

7
New York Jets (7-5)

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

8
New England Patriots (6-6)

Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

9
Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

10
Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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