Wow! Mike Florio actually has an insightful comment about this game

[Rob0729]

Here is his prediction about the game:

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]

Is Florio suggesting that the Patriots are looking ahead?

HE'S A WITCH!

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

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]

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!]

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]

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!]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[Rob0729]

Even the one you highlighted is dumb. I hope to god the Pats are focused on beating the NFC opponent this week. We all know they aren't. And obviously, the Jets goal is to win the superbowl, Rex has been screaming it since the second he came to town. Unfortunately the Pats stand in the way.

Florio's point is the Pats are looking to win a championship and not overemphasizing on one game. He is saying the Jets seem to be haunted about the 45-3 and putting too much emphasis on winning this game than focusing on the overall goal of winning a Super Bowl. I think he is spot on.

 

[Zeus]

I rewatched the 45-3 game this week. NE didn't run up the score - what really happened is that the jets flat out quit. Not only do the Patriots know that to be true, so do the jets ...

 

[Rob0729]

I'm sure that both teams entire emphasis this week is on winning this week. You cannot put too much emphasis into winning this week IMO.

Whether or not the Jets are "haunted" by the last game is beyond me.

I think you can put too much emphasis in a game when you do it stupidly. The Jets keep on harping about what happened the last game. They are focused on the past to look to the future for one game. That is how they are too much emphasis on this week's game. The Pats seem to be more focused on the Xs and Os and avoid the past. The Jets appear to be more focused on righting the wrong of 45-3.

They are clearly haunted by the game when they are still upset about Brady pointing to the sidelines after throwing a TD.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Realistically, I think the Pats win by about 10-14 points. If the Pats get out to a quick lead though, this game could easily get much uglier. The Jets don't play well from behind. They just aren't built as a comeback team. Their offense isn't the type that can do that.

 

[crasherino]

Florio's point is the Pats are looking to win a championship and not overemphasizing on one game. He is saying the Jets seem to be haunted about the 45-3 and putting too much emphasis on winning this game than focusing on the overall goal of winning a Super Bowl. I think he is spot on.

That seems to fly in the face of everyone else saying that the Jets chatter makes the Pats even more focused than they already were. But, at the same time, they also are treating this like every other game? How does that work exactly?

Every game in the playoffs could be your last - why are the Pats focusing on beating the NFC team right now? And if that's their end game, how does that affect Sunday's outcome? I can understand the logic that if the Jets somehow beat the Pats, you could argue that the Jets were due for a letdown on account of their ultimate goal being to beat the Pats. But, if this is the Jets Super Bowl, as you claim, how does that disadvantage them?

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

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.

This is true.

However, there should also be systemic evidence that the loser learned or tried to learn from failure. BB did after Week Two.

I have no problem with anybody picking the Jets. However, this has to be backed up with a rationale or evidence of closing a 6 TD gap. I could also accept a very young Pats team/playoff pressure angle.

There are seven other teams in the playoffs. The Pats dismantled three, beat two, dismantled one in the preseason and have a 7-9 non compete. Yet somehow all the articles center around who we are afraid to play, and how these teams have the strategy.

It's like Mayock claiming the Jets/Ravens/Steelers can come to Gillette and win. Fine, what's the evidence?