I'm picking the Pats to win it all...

[trumad]

This has been one funky season of football. Scratch that--- this has been one bad season of football with a lot of mediocre teams making the playoffs. What will come out on top is the team with the most experience in the playoffs and a team that has a clear record of winning important games.

That would be the Pats.

The again..they could flame right out of the gate.

[tjwash]

1. Don't forget though...

...the first year the Pats won the SB, they didn't have any playoff experience.

See you guys in San Diego in a couple of weeks...

[Awsi Dooger]

2. Their stats are lousy, but that's typical of the entire league

By far the worst year I've ever seen in terms of the statistical blueprints of the playoffs teams, and I've been following it for more than 20 years. Even the vaunted AFC teams look like crap in the vital categories. I've seen years with 4 or 5 teams above anyone in this crop.

Believe it or not, the best stats of the entire league are owned by New Orleans. Not great, but a standout when measured against this group. They are +1.4 in yards per pass attempt differential and excellent rushing numbers also.

Yards per pass attempt differential is normally the vital stat in the playoffs. Last season every team with at least a +.5 edge over its opponent in the playoffs won the game and covered the spread. It was 7-0. This week that fits the Colts, Eagles and Cowboys.

New England is a pedestrian +.08 in YPPA differential, 6.81 offensively to 6.73 defensively. Normally that equates to an early out in the playoffs but not necessarily this year. The Jets are marginally better, but not .5. Baltimore is even worse than the Pats, at +.01. And two of the teams with very good YPPA differential by '06 standards, the Colts and Eagles, flop the rushing categories.

[H2O Man]

3. What does this

have to do with BOXING?????

[LSK]

4. Yep

[Future Principal]

5. not going to happen.

it's going to be chicago from the nfc and, most likely, san diego from the afc.

urlacher and lt are leading their squads and play like men possessed. personally, the patriots look too content and lazy for me.

[trumad]

6. Can you say Rex?

[smtpgirl]

10. eagles & ravens what about that pick?

[trumad]

11. The ratings will be about a 10

meaning 10 viewers... ;-)

[nickgutierrez]

7. This would be a good place to blast the system of league-enforced mediocrity.

The salary cap system just doesn't work, at least not in terms of putting a quality product on the field. I haven't watched an entire NFL game all year, and I can't tell you how many times I've sat down to try. The product is boring, too diluted maybe, no teams worth watching certainly.

There is something to be said for having a few great teams and for having a few truly bad ones. Of course, some degree of equality is a good thing, but too much of it isn't equality, it's mediocrity.

[SpiralHawk]

8. Ooops - missed this thread, or I would have posted here.

The Pats looked solid and confident today at home, beating the Jets in the first round of the playoffs.

Now its off to California to face the Chargers -- in what should be a great game.

If the Patriots can beat the Chargers in an away game, then I think they are CONTENDERS.



P.S. -- Has to be weird for Baltimore folks having the Colts come back to town to play the Ravens. I'm going with the Ravens, who have EARNED their fan following in Charm City the old fashioned way, with grit.

[Rockholm]

9. Exactly. Pats vs Chicago. Rematch, Baby!

[SpiralHawk]

12. Trumad looking like a genius this morning. Go Patriots!

Patriots have the hearts of Champions !

And they proved it in San Diego.

Now it's time to kick some horse butt.

[BOSSHOG]

13. An honest appraisal of sunday's game

can come to only one conclusion; San Diego lost the game with temper tantrums and silly turnovers and the divine intervention fumble. There was no evidence of a champion's heart, just a team hanging around waiting for their opponents to implode. It was a very Steeleresque "victory" where too much external assistance was required for one to be actually proud of the win. But, what are you gonna do. If there is any justice in the AFC, the Colts will be headed to Miami, not because they deserve it but because the Patriots surely to God have run out of luck.

[SpiralHawk]

14. Awww, Boss, please put those sour grapes back in the bowl

I gotta agree that the Chargers' tantrums and mental mistakes cost them, and that the Pats were not exactly brilliant on offense, but in the course of a long, long season a team with a Champion's heart -- like the Pats -- will hang in there and make the best of it. Especially far, far from home on unfriendly turf.

The Pats did hang tough. And at the end of the game -- when they needed it and when it counted -- they put 11 big points up on the board, and they emerged victorious.

Put the grapes away and grab a bowl of popcorn so you can enjoy the Pats-Colts game. It should be a doozy.

In my estimation (and I am totally biased) Trumad's prophecy has an EXCELLENT chance of coming true.

[BOSSHOG]

15. I wouldn't call it

sour grapes because I'm not a Charger fan nor a Patriot Detractor, (I didn't care who won the game.) but I saw two lousy football games on Sunday. It seemed neither Chicago nor Seattle wanted to win the first game and the second game, one would expect to see in early September. The Chargers had the game wrapped up, heart of a champion Brady throws an interception then whoops it instantly turns into a fumble and whoops the champions get the ball back. The 3 Stooges could not have performed better. I'll break out the popcorn cause the Saints are marching into Chicago in the first game in what will hopefully be the first half of an awesome Super Bowl Story. The Saints vs the Manning (from New Orleans.)

[SpiralHawk]

16. As if...

The Saints have gotten this far strictly on talent, without any luck breaks...

Fer sure.

See you at the Super Bowl, where talent, training, luck, and Heart all make the difference -- as the Patriots have proved repeatedly this Millennium.

[BOSSHOG]

17. Oh, you are absolutely right

I look back at the Saints 40 year history and see nothing but endless examples of lucky breaks.

[SpiralHawk]

18. I am rooting for the Saints against the Bears

and I do think they can win it.

And if the Saints go to the SB, and the Pats poop out in Indy, then I will be rooting for the Saints when THE BIG EASY goes to THE BIG GAME.

How could anyone -- other than a republicon -- be against New Orleans?

[Captain Hilts]

19. The Saints truly are "America's Team." I'd LOVE to see them go to the White House!! nt

[Hobarticus]

26. I was rooting for the Saints before, but damn...

To see them in the Rose Garden, with Dubya nervously squirming about and grinning painfully as he holds up his Saints jersey for the photogs...ah yeah, baby.

[BOSSHOG]

21. Thank you my friend

That odd shaped ball does bounce funny for all teams on occasion. Good breaks, bad breaks, luck, hard work all are on display throughout the season. I truly believe republicans could be against the Saints. Just let the city and all its occupants be swallowed by the Gulf of Mexico. Who needs the port of New Orleans anyway?? (Well most of the country but who's being rational here.)

[Phredicles]

20. Go Saints, Go Colts:

The Patriots have had their days in the sun, and now they're becoming obnoxious, especically with ESPN serving as homers for them.

Aside from the obvious reasons to cheer for the Saints, the current Bears don't seem to have many mediagenic personalities apart from Uhrlacher and maybe the fellow who keeps getting arrested for firearms offenses. That'll mean a vacuum to be filled by one thing: '85 Bears retospectives, with all sorts of stories about how "colorful" McMahon, Ditka, the Fridge, etc., etc. all were. McMahan hasn't darkened my TV set in ages and I'd really like to keep it that way. Needless to say, a Bears-Patriots rematch would be the worst of all possibilities.:scared:

[BOSSHOG]

22. In a little bit of football karma

the Pats-Bears Super Bowl was played in New Orleans where McMahon and friends were quite adept at showing thier asses (literally) in the Quarter. My favorite Bear of that team was Dan Hampton.

[SpiralHawk]

27. Ouch - you would have to mention that.

Please, please, please don't anybody mention Refrigerator Perry.

Oh, the unBEARable mortification of it all...

[BOSSHOG]

28. My boss at the time

was a Patriots fan. I tiptoed around for a week after the game.

[Hobarticus]

23. Saints seem to have it together...

Every other team last weekend just seemed to be waiting for the other team to screw up...which they all did, spectacularly.

The Saints were making plays and taking names, on both sides of the ball. They looked great.

[BOSSHOG]

24. Drew Brees is a cool customer

Who uses his offensive weapons very judiciously. If the defensive backfield can hang in there, its off to Miami. And ole Rex has had his one good game for the month.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

25. Good bet

most experience, especially at the QB position........

[soleft]

29. The only consolation should the Pats win

I'd love to see Vinnie get a ring.

[Captain Hilts]

30. Yes, love Vinnie. He's a good sport and a gentleman. nt

[HuckleB]

31. I think you're right.

Alas...

[HuckleB]

34. But I'm happy you're not.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

What a refreshing Super Bowl.

[Cush]

32. nope

[TroubleMan]

33. LOL.....not again.

They just won't let you forget about it, will they?