The team that beat us should win. Unless that team is the Patriots. Then they can suck it.
I usually root for teams in my state or in the same conference or division.
The obvious exception being the SF Giants. it’ll be a cold day in hell before I root for those basterds.
My rooting interest is fairly complicated by all the possible permutations but in general I root against whichever fan base has enjoyed the most success.
I’m a Clevelander. And the team who usually knocks the Browns out of the playoffs is the Browns, so the question is kind of moot.
Ordinarily I might want to see the Ravens lose for knocking out my Broncos, but since they then knocked out the Pats it is hard to hold a grudge. So I guess I don’t care, but will still be rooting for the 49ers if only because I think they are the better team.
Aha, there is another element. For me, the default sympathy in a don’t-care situation is the underdog. If I knew or thought that team X was “clearly better” than team Y in a one game matchup, and had no particular reason to root for either X or Y, I’d be rooting for Y all the way. Who takes joy in rooting for Goliath? (Other than all those fans of the Yankees, Cowboys, Lakers, etc., etc. :))
In this case I do have a tie-breaker though, having lived in Baltimore for 2 years starting the year after the Ravens came into existence. Under other circumstances I would root for the 49ers over another team I had no connection with, as I have many friends in SF and it would be my easy #1 choice of where to relocate if I were forced to leave NYC, but… Go Ravens! (But I’d be pretty much just as happy, really, to see the 49ers win!)