Jets, Patriots Playing for High Stakes in Latest Edition of Bitter Rivalry

Filed under: Jets, Patriots, AFC East

It doesn't take much for the New York Jets and New England Patriots to get fired up for each other whenever they play, but next Monday night in Foxborough, Mass., at Gillette Stadium the two teams will be in the middle of a playoff atmosphere.

Tied atop the AFC East with identical 9-2 records, this game for all intents and purposed will determine which one will be the division champion as third-place Miami is three games back at 6-5 and has lost to both of them. Tony Massarotti of The Boston Globe broke down the intricacies of this game and how it ranks as one of the most important yet in the rivalry.

Here's the meat and potatoes of the column as it pertains to the Patriots and why they need to extend their regular-season home winning streak to 26:

"Home field advantage and byes are critical advantages for any team in any postseason, but they are especially valuable to these Patriots at this particular time. As a result, this game means far more to the Patriots than it does to the Jets. New York can lose this game and still end up with home field advantage and a bye in the playoffs because the Jets currently own tiebreakers over, among others, New England. The Ravens and Steelers go head-to-head this week. The Jets and Steelers still have to face one another. Even with a loss, New York's fate would still very much be in its own hands.

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/11/29/jets-patriots-playing-for-high-stakes-in-latest-edition-of-bitt/

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