Week 17 preview: Sometimes when you win, you lose

“Sometimes when you win, you really lose. And sometimes when you lose, you really win. And sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie. And sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose. Winning or losing is all one organic mechanism, from which one extracts what one needs.”

The sage philosopher Rosie Perez said this to her degenerate boyfriend, played by Woody Harrelson, in the movie “White Men Can’t Jump.” She couldn't have been more right. Speaking of gambling, games like these are why I don't bet on sports. Could there have been anything more of a sure thing than Denver beating New England on Christmas Eve? The Denver Broncos were playing at home and needed a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Patriots came into the game as the second worst team in the NFL and without Hunter Henry and Jabrill Peppers.

So it should have been an easy win for Denver and everyone goes home happy, right? As Chris Berman once said decades ago, “And that’s why they play the games.”

The Patriots needed rookie kicker Chad Ryland to make a 56-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game to cap an unlikely victory. Despite Ryland badly missing a 47-yard field goal and an extra point in the game, Ryland’s final kick could not have been more perfect. Good for Ryland.

The Patriots’ victory meant they slipped from the number two spot in next year’s draft to fourth. It could mean the Patriots miss out on the consensus top two quarterbacks in the draft and if they beat the Jets in the final week, or maybe even Buffalo next week, they could miss out on the top three quarterbacks, the top wide receiver, and the top left tackle in the draft. Why did we fans suffer through this entire season for?

New England’s victory could mean the difference between the team being mediocre for the next decade or the team having the chance to mold a third dynasty this century. The team went from possibly having a promising young quarterback like Drake May or even Jayden Daniels at quarterback in 2025 to continuing to sputter with Bailey Zappe or Mac Jones or maybe some veteran like Kirk Cousins in 2024.

So do I feel the Patriots and Bill Belichick did a disservice to their fan base by winning on Christmas Eve? Of course I do. It might not seem like much if the Patriots need to trade up a spot or two in the draft but it is, indeed, costly trying to move up at the very top of the draft.

So do I think all the Patriots should start playing like Trent Brown? Not necessarily. But there are coaching decisions in critical times which could sway a game. Actually, having Ryland attempt a 56-yard field goal would usually fall into that category. So would playing for overtime like Belichick appeared to be doing at the end of regulation before Denver coach Sean Payton used all his timeouts with the Patriots on offense.

Come to think of it, the Patriots did try their best to lose this game. Zappe lost a fumble on the Patriots’ very first offensive play. Ryland had the aforementioned missed kicks. Denver is just that bad. And so is Russell Wilson who has already been benched by Payton for next week’s game. 

Prediction: Buffalo 24,  New England 17

The Patriots upset the Bills earlier in the season when things seemed to be at their worst for the Patriots. That was with Mac Jones. Now Bailey Zappe is at the helm and his confidence is continuing to grow. Zappe has a swagger about him that Jones hasn’t shown since he walked on stage on draft day.

Similar to Denver, Buffalo will be playing at home with playoff seeding on the line. The Dolphins are two games ahead of the Bills in the AFC East with two games to go. 

Similar to Buffalo, I am 9-6 this year on my Patriots’ picks.  I just can’t see the Patriots winning this game. Then again, I couldn’t imagine them winning last week. And I couldn’t imagine the Patriots beating Buffalo earlier this year.

The Patriots seem to win the games they should lose and lose the games they should win. It is all a matter of if the offense can put up any kind of points. The defense continues to be top notch. They’ve been waiting all year for the offense to catch up. With Zappe, things are looking up a little.