No doubt this should be one of the best championship playoff weekends.
As scotti- has picked = each game really is a coin flip.
We really do have the best four teams this year. Good stuffs.
On a side note: I really want Peyton to win one more ring. He gets so much grief from analysts about his "playoff record", etc. I know they say "championships define your legacy" or whatever, but come on... he's one of the best ever and needs another ring!
Of course, I know I'm biased because, after Cincy, I have always been a Miami fan back in the days of Shula, Marino, and the Mark's Brothers. And Marino only made one Super Bowl...
In other words = I can't stand seeing great players with one or no championships.
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Quote from "Mysticake" »
(about the English language) It's kinda like a raft that was cobbled together from parts of three different boats and since then has been kept barely afloat with crude repairs every time a leak appeared.
Both games are a coin flip. San Francisco has improved so much and gotten much more consistent since their last trip to Seattle and home field means less when you get to this point of the season. The stage, pressure, and competition become so big that both teams play things closer to the vest longer and the game stays close naturally. I just think both defenses are a wash while the 49ers have more weapons on offense and take that to a 20-17 win.
I think the cards are more stacked against the Patriots and they have been all season long. This season more than any other has shown that it's "all about having Brady/Belichick".
Manning can carve any team in the league on any day but he's had offenses like this against Patriot defenses like this and still managed to put up numbers far under his average at the time. I just somehow see Manning getting drives going, stalling out, and not getting all the points he is capable of. If the Patriots can do what the Chargers did (and their defense isn't much better in the eye test than New England's tbh) and hold Manning to 24 I think the Patriots will win.
Anybody who watched both of these teams would have to agree that the Broncos defense is worse. Their 7th ranked run defense is a product of teams falling behind and abandoning the run. I think Brady can go in with a more balanced attack and eat clock keeping Manning off the field. If the Patriots can score a couple early than the "Gotta beat Brady in a playoff game panick Manning" will show up with picks. Of course Mile High's crowd and air can be a factor. Getting ahead early is so key in this one.
Getting pressure on Manning is so hard because he gets rid of it quick. If the Patriots can jam the Bronco receivers and take the quick options away it will be huge. Jamie Collins has really grown into a player lately but scares me in a matchup against Julius Thomas. Welker vs. Arrington would keep any DC awake at night. Talib needs to erase Demarius or forget it. The run defense has to find away to slow down Moreno (he put up 200+ last time).
In the past 2 AFC Championship games vs. the Ravens I was literally in fear. They were the kind savvy veteran, tough team that could come into Foxboro and win and they did once handily and should have the won the other. I feel more confident this time around and I really don't know why. I probably feel like Giants and Ravens felt the past couple years. Like we are some kind of team of destiny this time around. I think the Patriots are that team; not as veteran but savvy, tough both physically and mentally team that fits the mold. There were so many "Yeah that one will screw us" moments with injuries this year and somehow the Pats keep getting up before the ref finishes counting the tapout.
As distubed as this makes me, I have to root for the Patriots.
I dont like Peyton Manning. I dont like the Broncos. I dislike them more than the Patriots.
I wonder how good the Broncos could be without Peyton. Yes, you can say the same thing about the Patriots, but this past weekend showed that Brady isnt the end-all/be-all for the teams offense.
The other game is a team whose fans I hate (Seahawks) vs a team whose personel I hate (49ers for the post-game comments where Kapernicous disparaged Cam Newton).
Honestly, for lack of a better rooting, I want a Seahawks vs. Patriots Superb Owl.
In regard to the Denver rush defense, your theory is debunked by their 7th best yards per carry allowed. Your contention holds true where yards per game are concerned, but not here. As with most matchups, turnovers will likely be the deciding factor in both games. Its hard to pick SF in Seattle where theyve only managed 16 pts total the last two years.
You know what's really remarkable about this championship weekend? We've got the clear four best teams in the NFL playing. Nobody squeaked by. Nobody got in on a huge upset. Nobody just happened to get hot at the right moment. Over the entire course of the year, these have been the four best teams.
Should be two great games. All four teams are deserving, but damn do I hope Manning falls short.
Wind will be a major factor in the DEN/NE matchup. A gusty day will favor NE. Manning's passes are more easily disrupted. Just heard DEN lost CB Chris Harris to a torn ACL. Looks like Champ Bailey will see full time duty
Should I like this move? or no? I honestly have no idea what to think on the matter.
Caldwell has been a coach before, and he won a Superb Owl as our OC, igniting a spark in our offense in that run....
....BUT..... Our offense was ranked 29th last year, and speculation is that Caldwell will take a couple more of our coaches out of Baltimore. This has led people to wonder who really ran the offense (I think he's taking 3 more guys.)
Caldwell has the record to show he can coach, but the question is if thats in the past or if he still has it. Considering Megatron/Stafford/Bush-Bell Tri-power, I'd not expect a short coming offense, but its something to look out for.
Should I like this move? or no? I honestly have no idea what to think on the matter.
I think DET completely screwed up here. With Stafford regressing and Wisenhunt's transformation of Philip Rivers back into a top 5 QB, he was the obvious choice imo.
Honestly, for lack of a better rooting, I want a Seahawks vs. Patriots Superb Owl.
I'd root for a Superb Owl any day. I mean, it has to be better than a Super Pigeon, right?
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Quote from "Mysticake" »
(about the English language) It's kinda like a raft that was cobbled together from parts of three different boats and since then has been kept barely afloat with crude repairs every time a leak appeared.
I think the Pats are the worst team out of the four, but on the other side, I'm a Pats fan, so I'm celebrating already
Clearly the Pats have the least talent of the four teams. However, as we have seen in the NFL the most talented team doesn't always win it all (This isn't the NBA in other words). I'd go as far as to say every team left has enough talent to win it all, but who has the most means nothing now. It'll come down to who can execute a gameplan and mental toughness. Things that the Patriots have hung their hat on for oh I don't know 12 years now and can't be discredited.
--EDIT ADD--
Coaching becomes the biggest factor now. The biggest weapons that got these four teams here will be neutralized or downgraded by coaching; it'll be the team that can gameplan around that and respond when things aren't going the way they expected. Bill Belichick's halftime discussions this year should be bottled and sold the way the Patriots have second half adjusted this year.
I think that NE would be the favorite over Seattle right now. NE has suddenly developed a great running game, and Seattle has struggled against the run for the last month or so. Plus Seattle's offense has been miserable, and they aren't nearly as intimidating on the road.
I would take Seattle over Denver, though. Denver only really knows how to pass the ball, and Seattle's secondary is just incredible. Plus, both teams would likely have the same 'cold weather' struggles.
I would take the 49ers over Denver or NE, but I don't think that they'll be able to win in Seattle this weekend, no matter how much I want them to. Their last 2 games there have just been so atrocious. And while I recognize that they are running hot right now(and Seattle has been sputtering some), it's not enough for me to think that they will overcome having been outscored 76-16 in their last 2 outings there.
If NE can run on Seattle, or if the game is played in a snowstorm, I'll take the Patriots (I don't know if Seattle's players can play in snow, but I do know that New England's players tend to be at their absolute best in the snow). If Seattle can keep the Pats run game in check, I don't give them any real chance to win by passing against that secondary.
I think New England ought to beat Denver based on matchups, but that's like a 51/49 prediction, I have low confidence in it. No result in this game would surprise me, whether NE wins 9-7, NE wins 38-3, Denver wins 14-10, Denver wins 53-7, anything could happen.
Seattle ought to beat SF. I think that's the safest bet remaining in the playoffs. It's still not a very safe bet, though - SF is a very talented team.
This is one of the most exciting playoff fields I can remember - there is no matchup among the final four that I'd say is better than 60-40.
I lost any personal stakes I had in the playoffs once the Chiefs were eliminated (I predicted during the preseason they would win a play-off game ) and the Panthers were eliminated. I'm trying to motivate myself now by putting stock into coaches.
Carroll: Something chafes me about him. Maybe it is his personality (see Rex Ryan before the last couple of humbling seasons) or his handling of USC. One positive thing I can say is that I like that he is the only one of the four to not have any Superbowl experience as a head coach.
Fox: Recovering from midseason heart-surgery makes for an interesting storyline. Another bonus is he is a former coach of my favorite team, the Carolina Panthers. It is interesting to see him up against the coach that beat him in his only Superbowl appearance, Bill Belichick, in the AFC championship game.
Harbaugh: Wow. This guy has made it to the NFC championship game in each of his first three seasons as head-coach. Carolina Connection: He dressed for six games as a quarterback for the Panthers during their 2001 season. He's an all football all the time kind of guy, something I can appreciate in a head coach. Some may not like his fiery intensity on the sideline, but I respect that passion a lot, even if he is fired up about a justified call against his team.
Belichick: Like Harbaugh, I appreciate his passion for the game, even if he is less animated than Harbaugh. He does have Spygate against him, but even after that, he has coached his Patriots well and proved ignoring certain ethical boundaries during the 'spygate' years was not the sole reason the Patriots were a superb team. My biggest consideration here, and the reason I want the Patriots to go to and win the Superbowl, is something that I think applies to my age group.
I was only six at the end of the last dynasty before the Patriots, the domination of the Dallas Cowboys in the 90s. I was too young to appreciate it. I'd like the Patriots to win their fourth title so when the next dynasties crop up I can compare them to the Patriots like my elders compare the Pats against dynasties like the 70s Steelers and the 80s Niners.
I have noticed on occasion Harbaugh's rage is justified, although he does blow it out of proportion sometimes to what the call is.
I realize he can annoy fans of opposing teams though, because he does look like he gets upset over everything that doesn't go his way. The odds are stacked against SF making it to the Super Bowl this year though, because as they said on ESPN no team has gone to back to back Super Bowls since the Patriots did it in 03 and 04.
In addition to how hard it is it make back to back Super Bowls, it's much tougher to do this in the NFC then it would be in the AFC since I feel that it is the stronger conference at this time.
The Broncos destroyed us, they were the better team and proved it today (well yesterday now). Congratulations to Denver, Peyton Manning, and the Broncos fans!
I didn't get to watch the AFC game but the Hawks/Niners game was great. I'm pretty stoked for the Super Bowl, nice to see both the #1 teams got in.
I'll be routing for the Seahawks since I'm a Washington state native. If I had to pick a favorite team I suppose I'd go with them as I really only watch football on the occasional Seahawks game and during the post season.
i'm pretty sure I'm going to go 50% for the Championship Weekend too. I'm just going to coin-flip these two games.
NFC:
49ers
Seahawks
AFC:
Patriots
Broncos
I used away team as heads, and home team as tails. Both flips were tails.
I may use this method on my NCAA bracket this year...
EDIT: Con_Valian noticed my screw up of the NE/Denver game. Redid the flip. Same result. Pats.
Denver is the home team next week.
"If you don't meet the confrontations that life gives you, you're going to be screwed anyway." - JohnPopper
well crap. I thought NE had the better record for some reason.
Fixed the post though. Redid the coin flip. Got Pats again.
As scotti- has picked = each game really is a coin flip.
We really do have the best four teams this year. Good stuffs.
On a side note: I really want Peyton to win one more ring. He gets so much grief from analysts about his "playoff record", etc. I know they say "championships define your legacy" or whatever, but come on... he's one of the best ever and needs another ring!
Of course, I know I'm biased because, after Cincy, I have always been a Miami fan back in the days of Shula, Marino, and the Mark's Brothers. And Marino only made one Super Bowl...
In other words = I can't stand seeing great players with one or no championships.
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I think the cards are more stacked against the Patriots and they have been all season long. This season more than any other has shown that it's "all about having Brady/Belichick".
Manning can carve any team in the league on any day but he's had offenses like this against Patriot defenses like this and still managed to put up numbers far under his average at the time. I just somehow see Manning getting drives going, stalling out, and not getting all the points he is capable of. If the Patriots can do what the Chargers did (and their defense isn't much better in the eye test than New England's tbh) and hold Manning to 24 I think the Patriots will win.
Anybody who watched both of these teams would have to agree that the Broncos defense is worse. Their 7th ranked run defense is a product of teams falling behind and abandoning the run. I think Brady can go in with a more balanced attack and eat clock keeping Manning off the field. If the Patriots can score a couple early than the "Gotta beat Brady in a playoff game panick Manning" will show up with picks. Of course Mile High's crowd and air can be a factor. Getting ahead early is so key in this one.
Getting pressure on Manning is so hard because he gets rid of it quick. If the Patriots can jam the Bronco receivers and take the quick options away it will be huge. Jamie Collins has really grown into a player lately but scares me in a matchup against Julius Thomas. Welker vs. Arrington would keep any DC awake at night. Talib needs to erase Demarius or forget it. The run defense has to find away to slow down Moreno (he put up 200+ last time).
In the past 2 AFC Championship games vs. the Ravens I was literally in fear. They were the kind savvy veteran, tough team that could come into Foxboro and win and they did once handily and should have the won the other. I feel more confident this time around and I really don't know why. I probably feel like Giants and Ravens felt the past couple years. Like we are some kind of team of destiny this time around. I think the Patriots are that team; not as veteran but savvy, tough both physically and mentally team that fits the mold. There were so many "Yeah that one will screw us" moments with injuries this year and somehow the Pats keep getting up before the ref finishes counting the tapout.
34-27 Patriots.
I dont like Peyton Manning. I dont like the Broncos. I dislike them more than the Patriots.
I wonder how good the Broncos could be without Peyton. Yes, you can say the same thing about the Patriots, but this past weekend showed that Brady isnt the end-all/be-all for the teams offense.
The other game is a team whose fans I hate (Seahawks) vs a team whose personel I hate (49ers for the post-game comments where Kapernicous disparaged Cam Newton).
Honestly, for lack of a better rooting, I want a Seahawks vs. Patriots Superb Owl.
540 Peasant cube- Gold EditionSomething SpicySEA 27
SF 20
DEN 37
NE 31
Should be two great games. All four teams are deserving, but damn do I hope Manning falls short.
Should I like this move? or no? I honestly have no idea what to think on the matter.
Caldwell has been a coach before, and he won a Superb Owl as our OC, igniting a spark in our offense in that run....
....BUT..... Our offense was ranked 29th last year, and speculation is that Caldwell will take a couple more of our coaches out of Baltimore. This has led people to wonder who really ran the offense (I think he's taking 3 more guys.)
Caldwell has the record to show he can coach, but the question is if thats in the past or if he still has it. Considering Megatron/Stafford/Bush-Bell Tri-power, I'd not expect a short coming offense, but its something to look out for.
540 Peasant cube- Gold EditionSomething SpicyI think DET completely screwed up here. With Stafford regressing and Wisenhunt's transformation of Philip Rivers back into a top 5 QB, he was the obvious choice imo.
I'd root for a Superb Owl any day. I mean, it has to be better than a Super Pigeon, right?
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Clearly the Pats have the least talent of the four teams. However, as we have seen in the NFL the most talented team doesn't always win it all (This isn't the NBA in other words). I'd go as far as to say every team left has enough talent to win it all, but who has the most means nothing now. It'll come down to who can execute a gameplan and mental toughness. Things that the Patriots have hung their hat on for oh I don't know 12 years now and can't be discredited.
--EDIT ADD--
Coaching becomes the biggest factor now. The biggest weapons that got these four teams here will be neutralized or downgraded by coaching; it'll be the team that can gameplan around that and respond when things aren't going the way they expected. Bill Belichick's halftime discussions this year should be bottled and sold the way the Patriots have second half adjusted this year.
I would take Seattle over Denver, though. Denver only really knows how to pass the ball, and Seattle's secondary is just incredible. Plus, both teams would likely have the same 'cold weather' struggles.
I would take the 49ers over Denver or NE, but I don't think that they'll be able to win in Seattle this weekend, no matter how much I want them to. Their last 2 games there have just been so atrocious. And while I recognize that they are running hot right now(and Seattle has been sputtering some), it's not enough for me to think that they will overcome having been outscored 76-16 in their last 2 outings there.
I think New England ought to beat Denver based on matchups, but that's like a 51/49 prediction, I have low confidence in it. No result in this game would surprise me, whether NE wins 9-7, NE wins 38-3, Denver wins 14-10, Denver wins 53-7, anything could happen.
Seattle ought to beat SF. I think that's the safest bet remaining in the playoffs. It's still not a very safe bet, though - SF is a very talented team.
This is one of the most exciting playoff fields I can remember - there is no matchup among the final four that I'd say is better than 60-40.
Carroll: Something chafes me about him. Maybe it is his personality (see Rex Ryan before the last couple of humbling seasons) or his handling of USC. One positive thing I can say is that I like that he is the only one of the four to not have any Superbowl experience as a head coach.
Fox: Recovering from midseason heart-surgery makes for an interesting storyline. Another bonus is he is a former coach of my favorite team, the Carolina Panthers. It is interesting to see him up against the coach that beat him in his only Superbowl appearance, Bill Belichick, in the AFC championship game.
Harbaugh: Wow. This guy has made it to the NFC championship game in each of his first three seasons as head-coach. Carolina Connection: He dressed for six games as a quarterback for the Panthers during their 2001 season. He's an all football all the time kind of guy, something I can appreciate in a head coach. Some may not like his fiery intensity on the sideline, but I respect that passion a lot, even if he is fired up about a justified call against his team.
Belichick: Like Harbaugh, I appreciate his passion for the game, even if he is less animated than Harbaugh. He does have Spygate against him, but even after that, he has coached his Patriots well and proved ignoring certain ethical boundaries during the 'spygate' years was not the sole reason the Patriots were a superb team. My biggest consideration here, and the reason I want the Patriots to go to and win the Superbowl, is something that I think applies to my age group.
I was only six at the end of the last dynasty before the Patriots, the domination of the Dallas Cowboys in the 90s. I was too young to appreciate it. I'd like the Patriots to win their fourth title so when the next dynasties crop up I can compare them to the Patriots like my elders compare the Pats against dynasties like the 70s Steelers and the 80s Niners.
I realize he can annoy fans of opposing teams though, because he does look like he gets upset over everything that doesn't go his way. The odds are stacked against SF making it to the Super Bowl this year though, because as they said on ESPN no team has gone to back to back Super Bowls since the Patriots did it in 03 and 04.
In addition to how hard it is it make back to back Super Bowls, it's much tougher to do this in the NFC then it would be in the AFC since I feel that it is the stronger conference at this time.
Feel free to bid on my cards here!
Now I`m just hoping my 49ers win against the Seahawks
We'll get 'em next year!
GO PATS!
I'll be routing for the Seahawks since I'm a Washington state native. If I had to pick a favorite team I suppose I'd go with them as I really only watch football on the occasional Seahawks game and during the post season.
...But the ridiculous douchebaggery of Richard Sherman is enough to make me a Denver fan for the game. Calm the hell down dude.
EDH:
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GUEdric, Spymaster of TrestUG <- Link! (Mini-Primer - Dredge)
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WUGeist of Saint TraftUW <- Link! (Aggro-Control)
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Church of the Wary
Don't wanna cheer for the Broncos but can't bring myself to cheer for the team that beat my team