NFL... Playoffs?!?

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Originally Posted by chionos

The world will never know.

I'm more perplexed by the question--How would the Raiders, as a team and as a city, have prospered as the result of a win in that Super Bowl? The Pats would still be where they are because they got where they are by being dirty rotten cheaters.

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This whole thing is just annoying that years later people who clearly don't know the facts harp on it. This article is perfect
New England Patriots: Why Can't Spygate Just End, Forever? | Bleacher Report

and to add
Here is what Dick Vermeil had to say about Spygate:

"I don’t know if everyone was doing it, but everyone might’ve had a method of trying to do it. Maybe he did it better than everyone else. OK? And I’ll tell you this: In all honesty, I’ve coached as a head coach 15 years and an assistant four years, I know some things that have been done in the National Football League and I could document them, if I wanted to, that are far worse than that ever came close to being."

THE JACKEL

For those of you here to discuss the playoffs, ignore the spoiler.
(SPOILER)
Oh, the "everybody's doing it" excuse. That's a good one.
An article defending the Patriots from a blatant Patriot fan? That's your perfect evidence? First of all the article contradicts itself. The guy first goes on about how pointless it would be to tape the opponent's hand signals because it's not possible to use the knowledge gained in any way (implying then that there was no reason for the Patriots to tape anything). But then he attempts to make the point that the same thing was prevalent in the NFL and had been for years, using Jimmy Johnson of the Cowboys as an example. Well? So what if it did exist? All that means is that Jimmy Johnson was a dirty cheater too. And there are plenty of other examples of teams cheating (the dolphins did something similar to the patriots), but Spygate aside, the Patriots have been tripping over allegations of cheating for years (even before they became became kings of the NFL), and won't admit it even when the evidence is thrown in their face, other than Bellicheck's generic, "I accept full responsibility for accidentally misunderstanding the rules" bullshet, after they were caught red-handed and reprimanded by the NFL. And in the end, it doesn't matter what anyone else does, the Patriots have been the face of the NFL over the last decade, and as such they should hold themselves to higher standards.

I'm thinking Atlanta might have an upset or 2 in them. They're a good team, I'd like to seem them make a run one of these years.

Forgot to make my picks

Houston over Cincinnati (doesn't really count now)
New Orleans over Detroit
NY Giants over Atlanta
Pittsburgh destroys Denver

bonus stat prediction:
Tim Teblow - 10/30 passing for 130 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 30 rush yards

Cincinnati really fell apart after the first quarter, which was disappointing, though they wouldn't have made it past the next around anyway. New Orleans looks like they should beat the Lions, up 10 with 4 minutes left and the ball. And oh man, Drew Brees just threw it 50 yards downfield in a ballsy move. I love Drew Brees (though I did like the Lions making the playoffs for RSL's sake).

Unfortunately I will be missing the whole Falcons/Giants game as I'm driving back to my apartment, but I will get back just in time to (hopefully) see Tebow get slaughtered.

So neither of the games today were particularly competitive. I knew Houston would beat Cinci but I honestly thought it would be a closer game. Good experience hopefully for Cinci's babyfaces though.

Hopefully tomorrow's games will be more exciting.

Brees 33/43 466 yards 3 TDs 0 INTs

Lions need to work on that D (especially the secondary).

Giants/Falcons just ended, kinda crazy to see big blue's defense and rushing operating at the same high level as passing, they're a pretty dangerous team. When you consider how close they came to beating the Packers during the regular season, back when they weren't anywhere close to this lineup, this could potentially be a brutal game next sunday.

Obviously Steelers destroying Broncos tonight...

I'm thinking Saints to take 49ers... I want Giants to stop Packers. But Saints really destroyed Giants in the regular season... That would be an interesting NFC championship at least.

In AFC, I'm feeling Pats to beat Texans... Steelers to top Ravens this year... and Steelers, despite everything, to beat the Patriots. I think their time has passed. With Brees and Rodgers battling for best ovearll QB, Manning having a record year and what a journey to the playoffs, Stafford and Alex Smith on the come-up and of course the Tebow phenomenon, I think Tom Brady's struggling to find an identify in this league.

Giants homerism looking pretty good so far.


Take care all.

OK I know there's a long way to go in this game but did Denver change quarterbacks at the end of the first quarter without telling anyone?

Tebow has his moments.

Are the Steelers really going to lose this game?

The Steelers looked terrible in the first half, letting Denver throw deep way too easily in the second quarter. But they just scored, so now it's back to a one possession game.

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Originally Posted by Cap'n

Giants homerism looking pretty good so far.

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I never said your pick was bad. :p Just that, while Eli had a good year, the praise has been a bit gratuitous. I think the defense will have more to do with whether the Giants beat the Packers, though; if they can play Rodgers tough, the Giants should be ahead.

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Originally Posted by Bolivar

Giants/Falcons just ended, kinda crazy to see big blue's defense and rushing operating at the same high level as passing, they're a pretty dangerous team. When you consider how close they came to beating the Packers during the regular season, back when they weren't anywhere close to this lineup, this could potentially be a brutal game next sunday.

Obviously Steelers destroying Broncos tonight...

I'm thinking Saints to take 49ers... I want Giants to stop Packers. But Saints really destroyed Giants in the regular season... That would be an interesting NFC championship at least.

In AFC, I'm feeling Pats to beat Texans... Steelers to top Ravens this year... and Steelers, despite everything, to beat the Patriots. I think their time has passed. With Brees and Rodgers battling for best ovearll QB, Manning having a record year and what a journey to the playoffs, Stafford and Alex Smith on the come-up and of course the Tebow phenomenon, I think Tom Brady's struggling to find an identify in this league.

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You realize your AFC predictions are way off base. The only way the Texans will play the Pats is in the AFC championship match. Whoever wins the broncos Steelers plays the Pats next week.

If the broncos win, then every wildcard team will have lost.

THE JACKEL

I wouldn't have guessed this would be the only good game of the weekend. The first three were snoozers unless you are a fan of the home teams.

So weren't endings like this exactly what the new playoff rules were trying to avoid?

Well now I don't know who to root for in the Broncos/Patriots matchup.

EDIT: Del, yeah, it does seem a bit odd to randomly exempt TDs from the rules. I suppose the NFL overtime rules can only inch towards more fairness.

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Originally Posted by Del Murder

So weren't endings like this exactly what the new playoff rules were trying to avoid?

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I think the main thing they were trying to avoid was: teams with good kickers getting a couple first downs and then kicking for the win. At that point offenses are playing for the field goal, and that's both not very fair for the defense, and not very exciting for the fans. Too often teams got into their kicker's range and didn't even try to keep going for the TD, they'd just kick.

I'll pick for you Raistlin, Broncos. I'm ready for the Patriots to just fade away.