While the final four teams battling for a place in the divisional round of the 2019 NFL Playoffs square off on Sunday, the New England Patriots wait. They’re currently enjoying a first-round bye after earning the No. 2 seed in the AFC during the regular season. And while we know how one matchup in the conference looks, the Patriots’ schedule remains a question mark.
With the No. 6 seed Indianapolis Colts pulling off an upset of the No. 3 Houston Texans on Saturday, it means Andrew Luck and company are heading to Arrowhead. They draw the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes in a road game next weekend. In turn, this means Patriots fans will have their attention locked on the early matchup on Sunday’s wild-card slate.
Let’s take a look at not only the matchup but also when the Patriots will play next weekend.
Patriots Await Outcome of Chargers vs. Ravens
The good news is that the Patriots will know who they play at some point in the afternoon Sunday. The Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens square off at 1:05 p.m. EST, meaning New England can begin preparing by the end of the day. Considering the Colts were the last seed in on the AFC side, the Chargers and Ravens are playing for a date with Tom Brady.
Unfortunately, fans have to decide who they’d rather see their team play based purely on their own opinion, as the Patriots haven’t faced either team this season. There are obvious arguments both for and against playing both teams, but one thing we know is each finished the year strong.
The Chargers finished at 12-4 and are only a wild card team due to a lost tiebreaker with the Chiefs. They won five of their final six games to wrap up the season, with the only loss coming against Baltimore. On the other side, the Ravens and electrifying rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson won six of seven to jump the Pittsburgh Steelers and win the AFC North with a 10-6 record.
Patriots Date & Time of Divisional Round Matchup
Although the Patriots don’t know their opponent yet, the good news is they know how their postseason schedule looks. As NFL.com shows, New England will play on Sunday, January 13 at 1:05 p.m. EST on CBS. This is the early game on the second day of the divisional round with the New Orleans Saints hosting the late afternoon game.
If the Patriots can advance out of that round, they’ll know who the potential opponent would be the day before. The Colts and Chiefs matchup is set for Saturday, January 12 in the afternoon at 4:35 p.m. EST on NBC. From there, the AFC Championship Game is held the following weekend (Sunday, January 20) at 6:40 p.m. EST on CBS.
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Patriots Playoff Schedule: Impact of Sunday’s Wild Card Games