Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

So You're Saying There's a Chance! Patriots' (Unlikely) Path to Playoffs

Originally posted on FanNation Patriot Maven
By Geoff Magliocchetti | Last updated 12/9/23

Baby steps out the door, baby steps to the elevator ... baby steps to the playoffs?

The advice that Bill Murray's eponymous character received from Richard Dreyfuss in the 1991 black comedy "What About Bob?" probably isn't going to help the New England Patriots at this point, but this is the season of miracles, after all.

Amid their most joyless season in decades, the Patriots offered a smidge of yuletide glee on Thursday night, taking an unexpectedly offensively swift 21-18 decision from the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. New England (3-10) ended a four-game losing streak and dealt a sizable blow to Pittsburgh's playoff case.

Speaking of the postseason, the Patriots' win, irrelevant as it may be in the grand scheme of things, temporarily kept its dwindling playoff hopes alive. Fellow New Englander Lloyd Christmas may have a better chance of living happily ever after with Mary ~~Samsonite~~ Swanson than the Patriots do of making the playoffs ... but as the Jim Carrey-portrayed character confirmed, there is indeed a chance.

Prior to Thursday's game, CBS Sports outlined the Patriots' unlikely path to the playoffs on its social media channels. The numerical labyrinth requires plenty of fortune from the football gods ... and that's not even taking into account the fact that New England must win each of its final four games. Two of them come against teams they're "chasing"... and another is against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The entire scenario is listed below, week-by-week ...

Week 14

PATRIOTS beat Pittsburgh
Houston loses to NY Jets
Cincinnati loses to Indianapolis
LA Chargers beat Denver
Buffalo loses to Kansas City

Week 15

PATRIOTS beat Kansas City
Pittsburgh loses to Indianapolis
Houston loses to Tennessee
LA Chargers beat Las Vegas
Denver loses to Detroit
Buffalo loses to Dallas

Week 16

PATRIOTS beat Denver
Pittsburgh loses to Cincinnati
Houston loses to Cleveland
LA Chargers lose to Buffalo

Week 17

PATRIOTS beat Buffalo
Pittsburgh loses to Seattle
Houston loses to Tennessee
Cincinnati loses to Kansas City
LA Chargers lose to Denver

Week 18

PATRIOTS beat NY Jets
Pittsburgh loses to Baltimore
Houston loses to Indianapolis
Cincinnati loses to Cleveland
LA Chargers lose to Kansas City
Denver loses to Las Vegas
Buffalo loses to Miami

Anyone with even the most fleeting interest in the Patriots' season knew it was a long shot. The most delusionally optimistic supporters probably checked out a while ago. Even after securing a hard-fought victory, New England's work might all be for naught, as official elimination could still come as soon as Sunday.

But a fleeting modicum of hope ... perhaps those with a financial interest in the affairs ... lingers and the Patriots completed the first step on Thursday night.

Patriots fans looking for gridiron tidings of comfort and joy would be better off looking at the current NFL Draft ledger: even with Thursday's win, New England still holds the second overall pick behind only the Chicago Bears (who own the first-round choice of one-win Carolina).

This article first appeared on FanNation Patriot Maven and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: