Wow! Mike Florio actually has an insightful comment about this game - New England Patriots Forums

***Rob0729*** · 01-14-2011, 06:53 AM

Here is his prediction about the game:

Quote:

Florio’s take: Early in the week, I planned to pick the Jets. The Pats ran up the score when the two teams played in December, hoping to spark a tailspin that would wash the Jets right out of the playoffs. But the Jets have been chattering too much, and the Patriots will now be even more motivated to repeat the outcome of the Monday night massacre. Though it won’t nearly be so lopsided this time around, these two teams have different agendas. The Jets are determined to beat the Pats, and the Pats are determined to beat the NFC representative in the Super Bowl.

Florio’s pick: Patriots 30, Jets 21.

This is the greatest psychological advantage the Pats have. All the pressure should be on the Pats, but it seems none of it is on them. The Jets have taken all the pressure off the Pats and put it on themselves. The Jets aren't positioning this game as the next step towards a Lombardi trophy, they are positioning it as revenge for the 45-3 drumming. They have made it that they must avenge this loss or their season is a complete loss.

Meanwhile the Pats have approached this as just another playoff game (as silly as it sounds). They seem to know no trophies are awarded this weekend and it is just the first of three games they must win to achieve their ultimate goal.

I'm sure the Pats want to embarrass the Jets again like they did in December, but they are not putting everything on the line for this game like the Jets are. The pressure should be on the Pats since they are the best team of the regular season and the team that everyone feels they must bring down to win a Super Bowl. But now the pressure is on the Jets because they need to beat the Pats to be validated again.

xmarkd400x · 01-14-2011, 07:26 AM

Is Florio suggesting that the Patriots are looking ahead?

HE'S A WITCH!

***patsfaninpittsburgh*** · 01-14-2011, 07:45 AM

Still don't get the "ready to pick the Jetss".

What has materially changed?

45-3 could only be a fluke with turnovers/ bad bounces.

Also, all the pressure should be on the Jets/Colts/Steelers/Ravens anyway. These four teams are the ones facing the window with their fossil lineups.

102 Pat · 01-14-2011, 07:48 AM

I really think that all the pressure is on the Jets. As this week has gone on (feels like it's taking forever for sunday to get here) I've reflected on the season so far and ever since after the Browns loss, something really special has been happening and I can't see them coming out and playing a bad game on sunday.

I'll echo the thoughts of others that the only way for the Pats to lose on sunday is if they beat themselves, ie-giving up turnovers.

***BradyFTW!*** · 01-14-2011, 08:27 AM

I still dunno if I'd call it insightful. He went from wrong for a stupid reason to right for a bland, obvious reason. If it's a positive for him, it's only because of how low he's set the bar previously.

***Rob0729*** · 01-14-2011, 08:35 AM

I did brush over his stupid comments to talk about the insightful one (I guess I like the way he said it rather than how insightful it really was). I think the dumbest theory he has is that the Pats' tried to knock the Jets so off their game in December that they miss the playoffs and since the Jets recovered (going 2-2 the rest of the way in the regular season) that somehow the Pats are now afraid or at a disadvantage.

***BradyFTW!*** · 01-14-2011, 08:46 AM

Anyone who was even considering picking the Jets needs to have their head examined, IMO. 45-3 doesn't happen by accident. A six touchdown gap means that one team has the other team's number, and on a deep, systemic level, is just flat-out better.

Yes, it's possible that the Jets could win. They might make history like that. But to predict that that will happen is just dumb. The Jets aren't anywhere close to as good as the Patriots are. They barely beat a Colts team that has gotten steadily worse since we played them (while the Pats have become progressively better). A Colts team that, playing for the playoffs and home field, could barely put away a Titans team that had been quitting on its coach for two solid months leading into the game.

sieglo · 01-14-2011, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob0729

The Jets aren't positioning this game as the next step towards a Lombardi trophy, they are positioning it as revenge for the 45-3 drumming. They have made it that they must avenge this loss or their season is a complete loss.

Meanwhile the Pats have approached this as just another playoff game (as silly as it sounds). They seem to know no trophies are awarded this weekend and it is just the first of three games they must win to achieve their ultimate goal.

This actually worries me. I'd hate to see the Pats come out flat again like last year vs. the Ravens.

NYCPatsFan · 01-14-2011, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradyFTW!

Anyone who was even considering picking the Jets needs to have their head examined, IMO. 45-3 doesn't happen by accident. A six touchdown gap means that one team has the other team's number, and on a deep, systemic level, is just flat-out better.

Yes, it's possible that the Jets could win. They might make history like that. But to predict that that will happen is just dumb. The Jets aren't anywhere close to as good as the Patriots are. They barely beat a Colts team that has gotten steadily worse since we played them (while the Pats have become progressively better). A Colts team that, playing for the playoffs and home field, could barely put away a Titans team that had been quitting on its coach for two solid months leading into the game.

I agree with your second paragraph but want to point out that the Jets lost their starting safety just days before the game and right AFTER the game plans were set. That IMO is the reason for the wide margin of the loss because their D couldn't adjust to the new calls. (similar to what happened to us back when Harrison got injured.)

But then, even if Leonard played in the Nov game, I would have still expected us to post a double digit W back then because in addition to that being a revenge game @ home, we are just, to use your words, flat-out better.

***NEGoldenAge*** · 01-14-2011, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BradyFTW!

Anyone who was even considering picking the Jets needs to have their head examined, IMO. 45-3 doesn't happen by accident. A six touchdown gap means that one team has the other team's number, and on a deep, systemic level, is just flat-out better.

Yes, it's possible that the Jets could win. They might make history like that. But to predict that that will happen is just dumb. The Jets aren't anywhere close to as good as the Patriots are. They barely beat a Colts team that has gotten steadily worse since we played them (while the Pats have become progressively better). A Colts team that, playing for the playoffs and home field, could barely put away a Titans team that had been quitting on its coach for two solid months leading into the game.

There are some reasons the Pats beat the Jets 45-3. The Jets came out with a bad gameplan on offense that played to the Pat's strengths and Jet's weaknesses. The Pats capitalized on this and jumped out to a quick lead. The Jets aren't built to play from so far behind, so the game just got out of hand. I believe the Pats are a better, more focused, mentally tougher team than the Jets and should win at home. That said, I think claiming that the 45-3 blowout is enough evidence to conclude that a team is clearly systemically inferior is ignoring whe actual circumstances of the game.