New England Patriots Face Playoff Elimination Sunday

With a loss and certain other results in Week 13, the New England Patriots could be one of the first teams eliminated from the NFL playoffs.

At this point, it's not a matter of if the New England Patriots will miss the playoffs, but when it will become official.

For the Patriots, the envy of the entire NFL not too long ago, this season has been an unmitigated disaster. Not only are they 2-9, their worst record through 11 games in 30 years, but they've become one of the league's laughingstocks this season. Between blowout losses, a revolving door at quarterback and plenty of other trials and tribulations, Patriots fans are just counting the days until the season is over.

New York Giants pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux sacks New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and forces a fumble / USA Today Sports Images

While the end of the season is still over a month, the Patriots can become one of the first teams officially eliminated from playoff contention this week. There are a few scenarios that can lead to an elimination, but the simplest one involves New England losing to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday coupled with wins or ties by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns.

Week 13 Playoff Elimination Scenarios: pic.twitter.com/NHz00RdKMZ

— NFLPlayoffScenarios (@NFLScenarios) November 28, 2023

Potentially joining New England in the elimination circle this week are the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals, the only teams with equal or worse records than New England. The Panthers can be eliminated with a simple loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the Cardinals need a loss to the Steelers and wins or ties by the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, among other possible scenarios.

On the other end of the spectrum, the 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles can become the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season. The easiest way for that to happen is for the Eagles to beat the San Francisco 49ers alongside a Los Angeles Rams loss.

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If the Patriots were to be eliminated this week, it would be their earliest elimination since 1993. New England also got the boot in Week 13, but that was in a 16-game season as opposed to the 17 the NFL uses now.

Regardless of when the elimination officially happens, it's fair to expect big changes in New England after its worst season in decades.

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