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Here is his prediction about the game:
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.
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.