Rivals and Contenders

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

In the AFC, the only team that can beat the Patriots is the Patriots. However, if the Giants can claw their way back to the super bowl, they have proven to match up with the Pats.

Other notable AFC teams

Tennessee is a fluke and will come back down to reality when they have a first place schedule. They will get pounded by New England when they meet in December.

Miami will struggle as well playing a first place schedule not to mention playing the Patriots twice a year.

Pittsburgh got to the super bowl by default. Had Brady been healthy, Pittsburgh would have eventually been eliminated by New England. I can't wait for the Pats to take out the "super bowl champs".

Indy is done! They may have a good record but they will always be that team that has an early exit in the playoffs. Last year is a good example. The Colts were 12-4 and lost to an 8-8 Chargers team in the first round without Shawne Merriman and a hobbling LT. The Colts will scratch and claw to win games with no legit deep threat and a struggling ground game. Also, their defense will continue to get pounded up the middle until they find a legit NT and DT.

San Diego is just about done. LT is looking pretty old and I don't Sproles carrying the load. Rivers is as inconsistent as they come. Same can be said about their WR's. However, I see their defense improving with the addition of Merriman and English.

I laughed when I saw Jacksonville as a contender.

 

[supafly]

In the AFC, the only team that can beat the Patriots is the Patriots. However, if the Giants can claw their way back to the super bowl, they have proven to match up with the Pats.

Other notable AFC teams

Tennessee is a fluke and will come back down to reality when they have a first place schedule. They will get pounded by New England when they meet in December.

Miami will struggle as well playing a first place schedule not to mention playing the Patriots twice a year.

Pittsburgh got to the super bowl by default. Had Brady been healthy, Pittsburgh would have eventually been eliminated by New England. I can't wait for the Pats to take out the "super bowl champs".

Indy is done! They may have a good record but they will always be that team that has an early exit in the playoffs. Last year is a good example. The Colts were 12-4 and lost to an 8-8 Chargers team in the first round without Shawne Merriman and a hobbling LT. The Colts will scratch and claw to win games with no legit deep threat and a struggling ground game. Also, their defense will continue to get pounded up the middle until they find a legit NT and DT.

San Diego is just about done. LT is looking pretty old and I don't Sproles carrying the load. Rivers is as inconsistent as they come. Same can be said about their WR's. However, I see their defense improving with the addition of Merriman and English.

I laughed when I saw Jacksonville as a contender.

Wow! The kool aid is flowing like a river around this thread.

I think you just picked off all 6 AFC playoff contenders from last yr, in one fatal swoop. I guess there's really no competition for our team now

Why even play the season this yr, when there isn't the slightest bit of competition? (Beside the league's 3rd hardest schedule)

Then you have the almighty Giants who finished their season 1-5 down the stretch. But wait, they actually beat us by 3 whole points once. In a game where 17 different fate-like things had to happen when they were down 7-3 in the beginning of the 4th quarter. I know they'd just pound us into the ground just like last time

Everyone has their own opinion, so I've enjoyed hearing yours. It's certainly brightened up my day

Myself, I like our chances to compete, just like every year. Depending on injuries, fate, and the 'any given sunday' rule, I hope to win 12 or so games and make the playoffs this year.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

18-1
to 11-5

i guess the pats are being dragged down by belichik

get real guys...try and use your brain

JC, thats a dumb comparison, and you know it. You're a much better poster than that. As for Norv, I guess people can debate whether the chargers are better with, or without him. I personally just don't like the guy. I thought he made some of the most boneheaded calls when he was Miamis OC, and havent respected him as a coach since. SD is pretty loaded with talent. When Norv took over, would he have had the same kind of success if he didnt have LT? I just think he he inherited a great roster. If he was coaching, lets say the Jets, I just don't think he would be successful. IMO

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

no rings since the spygate ;-)

NOW THAT WAS A LOW BLOW JC :banned:

 

[Miguel]

The Giants? Probably not but I think a lot of people would have had the other 3 teams on the top of their lists of title contenders.

In 2004 the general consensus on this board was that Peyton's contract would prevent the Colts from winning the SB during his term of the contract. This time in 2004 the Steelers were coming off a 6-10 season.

 

[zoostation]

how do people still get away with this fallacy that norv turner dragged sd down? when the simple fact is, that norv turner has been one of their best HC ever (this is statistically factual in terms of afc west titles and playoff wins)


so how do the ******s keep up with this lie that norv dragged sd down?

are they just ******ed?

No offense.......but that’s equivalent to saying Byron Scott was the best coach the LA clippers ever had. Simply doesn't carry much weight.

 

[dhamz]

In 2004 the general consensus on this board was that Peyton's contract would prevent the Colts from winning the SB during his term of the contract. This time in 2004 the Steelers were coming off a 6-10 season.

I was not speaking of this board. The consensus on this board is always that the Colts are falling apart. The national opinion had the Colts as preseason Super Bowl favorites in 2004. The Steelers were off a down year but they had a coach/GM combo that had a proven track record of winning a lot of games.

The Colts and Pats would have been 1-2 on most people's lists and the Steelers in the top 5.

 

[dhamz]

The Chargers of 2006 were 14-2. The reason they didn't win in the playoffs is because the Patriots beat them.

The Chargers of 2007 were 11-5. The reason they didn't get to the Super Bowl is because the Patriots beat them. Both teams they beat in the playoffs were teams they beat in the regular season.

Trying to pin that playoff loss nonsense on Schottenheimer about this is simply ridiculous. Marty took a team that hadn't had a winning season in 6 years and had only 1 losing season in his 5 year tenure. Turner's currently got the team trending in the opposite direction, much like the Pete Carroll trend when he took over the Patriots. It's even worse, though, because Parcells never got the Patriots to any more than 11 wins and had 2 losing seasons out of 4.

And I'm someone who defended the Turner hiring.

This is exactly right. The Chargers playoff "success" under Turner and failure under Marty is all about match-ups. Well, that and the extra round that they've gotten to play the last 2 years which is 2 of Norv's playoff wins. They match up great with the Colts, they don't match up well with the Pats.

 

[smg93]

If people think that Norv is the answer for San Diego, I'm not going to argue with them. I think that'll only help the Pats in the long run

 

[patsfan-1982]

#1 are bigest rival/contender is the steelers say what you want about ben hamburger lol he is a good young QB with 2 rings and will be in the HOF the hart of there D is there LB they are all young and the best in the NFL they are not going any where


#2 the colts i dont care who the HC is as long as payton is the QB they are a SB contender


#3 the chargers if there D gets better they can make some noise in the playoffs

#4 the ravens only if there young QB can step up


as far as the AFC east go's

#1 the jets if there new QB becomes a star


#2 the fins but they may take a step back this year and pennington is not known to play a full 16 game's one of the reasons why the jets let him go and there starting LB are older then our's i dont see them being a good team for year's to come


#3 the bills they started off 4-0 last year then they fell apart and they had the worst offseason of any team this yer they signed T.O to help the young QB and become more of a passing team but then for the life of me cant see why they would trade there all pro LT thats going to help the young QB there RB has a 3 game suspension i dont see them doing anything this year

 

[maverick4]

My guesses would be Tennessee, Jacksonville, Puittsburgh, in that order.

Based on the weak competition next year, this year is going to be a banner year for the Patriots, 1989 49ers-style.

 

[Ring 6]

how do people still get away with this fallacy that norv turner dragged sd down? when the simple fact is, that norv turner has been one of their best HC ever (this is statistically factual in terms of afc west titles and playoff wins)


so how do the ******s keep up with this lie that norv dragged sd down?

are they just ******ed?

If you had a strong argument, you wouldnt resort to insulting an entire group of people who were unfortunately afflicted with a disability, and do it twice.

Look at the trend of your team since he took over and his career as a HC.

 

[Ring 6]

no rings since the spygate ;-)

Compared to yuor no rings since the Birth of Christ.

 

[Ring 6]

2 general points from reading responses.
1) I do not believe that a QB alone makes a team a contender. NFL history is chock full of good QBs who ended up leading mediocre teams in the later part of their career
2) I do not see the evidence of Parcells building franchises or his success as a personell guy. I see his success as a coach, but i also see that his success as a coach diminished once he started 'picking the groceries'.

 

[Kontradiction]

how do people still get away with this fallacy that norv turner dragged sd down? when the simple fact is, that norv turner has been one of their best HC ever (this is statistically factual in terms of afc west titles and playoff wins)


so how do the ******s keep up with this lie that norv dragged sd down?

are they just ******ed?

Because San Diego, despite being as loaded as it is, went 8-8 last year and only got into the playoffs because the division you play in sucks so badly.

 

[Jimke]

Because San Diego, despite being as loaded as it is, went 8-8 last year and only got into the playoffs because the division you play in sucks so badly.

One of San Diego's wins was a 30 to 10 drubbing of the Patriots.

 

[Lampshade]

The usuals. Indy, Pittsburgh, San Diego. Not coincidentally, the 3 teams with the 3 best non-Brady QBs.

Indy as long as they have Manning will be a contender. That there is still a lot of other talent on that roster makes them the main year-in-year-out rival.

Of the other teams mentioned, I'm still baffled by the Jacksonville love. Until they get a consistent passing game they will never, imo, be more than a solid team that loses early in the playoffs. While Del Rio and Garrard are there I don't see that happening.

 

[Kontradiction]

One of San Diego's wins was a 30 to 10 drubbing of the Patriots.

With the Patriots being led by a QB that had started three games since graduating high school. Flip the situation around. Take away L.T. and replace Rivers with Volek then give the Pats Brady back and the drubbing would have went in the other direction.

 

[JoeSixPat]

no rings since the spygate ;-)

You're right. San Diego has no rings since the spygate. What do you suppose the connection is?

 

[TriplecHamp]

The Chargers of 2006 were 14-2. The reason they didn't win in the playoffs is because the Patriots beat them.

The Chargers of 2007 were 11-5. The reason they didn't get to the Super Bowl is because the Patriots beat them. Both teams they beat in the playoffs were teams they beat in the regular season.

Trying to pin that playoff loss nonsense on Schottenheimer about this is simply ridiculous. Marty took a team that hadn't had a winning season in 6 years and had only 1 losing season in his 5 year tenure. Turner's currently got the team trending in the opposite direction, much like the Pete Carroll trend when he took over the Patriots. It's even worse, though, because Parcells never got the Patriots to any more than 11 wins and had 2 losing seasons out of 4.

And I'm someone who defended the Turner hiring.

How can you say they are going in the wrong direction when they are winning??? They are getting to the playoffs and winning games what more can you ask. Marty never won a playoff game with the Chargers, why would they keep him around? If we went 16-0 every season for the next ten years and lost in the first round of the playoffs I would be pissed. I would much rather pull what the Giants did and win the superbowl how could you not??? Again both teams won the division but one team won a playoff game.