My AFC playoff projections

[MoneyFX]

It will most likely be in the AFC playoffs:

6. Bengals/Steelers/Jets vs. 3. Patriots
5. Colts vs. 4. Ravens

Assuming the Patriots win:

5. Colts/4. Ravens vs. 1. Texans
3. Patriots vs. 2. Denver

I'm confident about Denver, but that matchup could go either way and the Texans can definitely beat whoever wins the 4/5 matchup. You just gotta pray for a Texans upset. But the AFC championship game will most likely be:

3. Patriots/2. Denver vs. 1. Houston

Thoughts?

 

[JMC00]

Patriots will be making a return trip to the SB.

That Denver defense is still pretty much the same defense the Pats have seen the last three times.

Texans will continue to crap themselves on the big stage. Don't be surprised if they lose out either. Peterson literally can not be stopped right now. The Colts were a blocked punt returned for a TD away from making that a real game. They get them again at home in two weeks where they are 6-1 on the season.


And who knows maybe Manning has that game he is due for in these next two weeks.

 

[PatriotSeven]

You know I believe the NFL loves stories.

There is a possibility, however unlikely it seems now, that we can still end up with the #2 seed and the Texans with the 4th seed.

The Colts end up facing the Ravens, and the NFL get their Luck vs Manning matchup in the divisional round. We get the Texans/Bengals(most likely Texans-Pats rematch) in the divisional round and then NFL still gets their Manning/Brady in the AFC Championship game..if the Colts get past the Ravens.

I don't see the Bengals advancing, which would leave the Colts as the lowest seed if they win their wildcard round. There is just no way in hell I see the NFL allowing the possibility of Colts-Texans 3 this year in the divisional round, when they played them today and will play them again in 2 weeks.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

just pissed we have to play in denver if it comes down to it....****

 

[bostonia3333]

Don't like our chances in Denver---makes an insanely huge difference playing there.

Playing at home we'd be a TD favorite, but going there, I'd give them the 3 pt edge. Feels like we lost a playoff game tonight. Good news is the season isn't technically over, but Houston and DEN did some huge celebrating tonight

 

[Gronkowski123]

same here.

with gronk back im a optimistic. lets not get ahead of ourselves though.

 

[PATS16N0]

I don't understand this fear of Denver. Putting aside the fact that Peyton Manning is a huge play off choker who will be nervous about the possibility of losing ANOTHER game to Tom, the Patriots have, over the course of their last three meetings with Denver, a combined total of about 50 billion points.

I'm not scared of any AFC team.

Our season ends, one way or another, in the Superbowl.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I don't understand this fear of Denver. Putting aside the fact that Peyton Manning is a huge play off choker who will be nervous about the possibility of losing ANOTHER game to Tom, the Patriots have, over the course of their last three meetings with Denver, a combined total of about 50 billion points.

I'm not scared of any AFC team.

Our season ends, one way or another, in the Superbowl.

brady and the pats don't play well in denver..ever since the jake plummer days..they have issues for whatever reason

 

[SVN]

I don't understand this fear of Denver. Putting aside the fact that Peyton Manning is a huge play off choker who will be nervous about the possibility of losing ANOTHER game to Tom, the Patriots have, over the course of their last three meetings with Denver, a combined total of about 50 billion points.

I'm not scared of any AFC team.

Our season ends, one way or another, in the Superbowl.

Manning can choke vs a great defense. Ours is not a great defense and on the road and it will be a primetime game ,its just going to be even harder.

 

[PATS16N0]

Oh Jesus, enough with the sky is falling after tonight's tough but hard fought loss.

We face Denver, Gronk and Hernandez are on the field at the same time.
What's Denver's answer? They don't have one.

We'll stop Manning enough. They won't stop us at all.

 

[JMC00]

Oh Jesus, enough with the sky is falling after tonight's tough but hard fought loss.

We face Denver, Gronk and Hernandez are on the field at the same time.
What's Denver's answer? They don't have one.

We'll stop Manning enough. They won't stop us at all.

Seriously.

Let's just forget the Pats have put up 117 points and 1400 yards the last three times they have played Denver.


And if the Pats secondary is full strength and they do play them expect Manning to throw a pick or two. He will throw that mistake ball in the middle and as McCourty has shown the last two games he will go get it.

The funny thing about it is the Pats didn't even try to beat the Broncos with their Pass attack in the game this year. They did it strictly running. Brady complete 23 passed for 223 yards on 31 throws.

You know how many weeks Brady has had Welker, Gronk, Hernandez, Lloyd and the 3rd receiver 100 percent healthy in the same game?

Once. Week 1.

This offense has just put out insane numbers and it hasn't even been full strength since Week 1.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

It will most likely be in the AFC playoffs:

6. Bengals/Steelers/Jets vs. 3. Patriots
5. Colts vs. 4. Ravens

Assuming the Patriots win:

5. Colts/4. Ravens vs. 1. Texans
3. Patriots vs. 2. Denver

I'm confident about Denver, but that matchup could go either way and the Texans can definitely beat whoever wins the 4/5 matchup. You just gotta pray for a Texans upset. But the AFC championship game will most likely be:

3. Patriots/2. Denver vs. 1. Houston

Thoughts?

Indy v houston is a toss up, especially since it's a division game

 

[ivanvamp]

Seriously.

Let's just forget the Pats have put up 117 points and 1400 yards the last three times they have played Denver.

And they just put up 34 points and 520 yards on the NFL's #1 defense, who hadn't allowed anyone to get more than 24 points in any one game prior to facing NE.

520 yards and 34 points, while never having good field position and turning it over 4 times is pretty unbelievable.

If they don't turn it over, nobody is stopping, or even really slowing down, these guys. It's why I think Ridley is seeing the pine in favor of Boldin next week. BB has to have RBs he can trust with the ball.

 

[dannydyn]

Denver the team doesn't scare me. It's Denver the town. I don't know what the deal is but aside from last year's Tebow massacre, we never get our stars lined up when playing at Mile High.

Denver at Gillette? - I'd say that's a given win for us. But playing in Denver, will not be easy.

 

[denverpatsfan]

I am having nightmares about Jake Plummer and Champ Bailey again!! This time it is Seyton Manning.

This town is crazy right now. It's going to be VERY hard to win a playoff game here for any team.

That being said if Tom has a good game they can beat anybody.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't understand this fear of Denver. Putting aside the fact that Peyton Manning is a huge play off choker who will be nervous about the possibility of losing ANOTHER game to Tom, the Patriots have, over the course of their last three meetings with Denver, a combined total of about 50 billion points.

I'm not scared of any AFC team.

Our season ends, one way or another, in the Superbowl.

Me either. Who have the Broncos' beaten? They have faced four teams that currently have 9 or more wins and they are 1-3 against them. Their only win is against a declining Ravens' team that has lost three of its last four games.

Also, John Fox has yet to find a way to even slow down the Pats' offense. In three games in the last two years, the Pats have scored 117 points against the Broncos (31 this year, 45 in the playoffs last year, and 41 in Denver during the regular season last year). The Pats shut down Manning for three quarters last time they met.

The Broncos are a team that starts slow and usually doesn't do much in the first half and then comes alive in the second half. They have lost to teams that have gotten sizable leads early that they were not able to overcome. I can see a scenario where the Pats are up 28-10 or something like that at the half and the Broncos not able to keep up.

I think the Broncos have a better shot than most to beat the Pats, but the Pats are not a good match up for the Broncos because their defense can't stop Brady and the Pats' offense.

 

[BlueThunder]

It seemed like alot of guys had the dropsies last nite. Weather related, not sure. Vereen,Ridley,Hernandez, all were guilty. I think there were a few more balls slipped thru recievers hands and Brady sailed a few. Not a good nite obviously but I would bet on the Pats in any rematch. :rocker:

 

[Rob0729]

I am having nightmares about Jake Plummer and Champ Bailey again!! This time it is Seyton Manning.

This town is crazy right now. It's going to be VERY hard to win a playoff game here for any team.

That being said if Tom has a good game they can beat anybody.

That 2005 Patriots team wasn't all that good. This Patriots team is worlds better than the 2005 Patriots. I don't see any coorelations to that game to any playoff game this year. Heck, the Pats' 45-10 beat down last year in the playoffs has more to do with this year than 2005 because at least it is basically the same Pats' offense and Broncos defense playing.

 

[sevengables_2207]

The key is getting the guys who are dinged up as healthy as possible while finishing the season on a high note with momentum by beating the Jaguars and Dolphins.

After that? We shall see how it unfolds, but I know that when this offense has all of its playmakers on the field and the execution is crisp, there is not a defense in the NFL capable of stopping it, let alone slowing it down.

The defense has made some improvements, but as we saw last night, the zone schemes are not working as assignments are being blown due to a lack of communication etc. Also, the pass rush is inconsistent, especially when they do not bring the heat with the blitz.

All in all, I would say the Patriots are more than capable of beating any team be it at home, on the road, or in New Orleans.

 

[sevengables_2207]

Me either. Who have the Broncos' beaten? They have faced four teams that currently have 9 or more wins and they are 1-3 against them. Their only win is against a declining Ravens' team that has lost three of its last four games.

Also, John Fox has yet to find a way to even slow down the Pats' offense. In three games in the last two years, the Pats have scored 117 points against the Broncos (31 this year, 45 in the playoffs last year, and 41 in Denver during the regular season last year). The Pats shut down Manning for three quarters last time they met.

The Broncos are a team that starts slow and usually doesn't do much in the first half and then comes alive in the second half. They have lost to teams that have gotten sizable leads early that they were not able to overcome. I can see a scenario where the Pats are up 28-10 or something like that at the half and the Broncos not able to keep up.

I think the Broncos have a better shot than most to beat the Pats, but the Pats are not a good match up for the Broncos because their defense can't stop Brady and the Pats' offense.

I also do not understand this fear of the Broncos. Their schedule has been cupcake city during their win streak.

Hearkening back to our matchup in October, I seem to recall the Patriots dog-walking that defense up and down the field at will. I think that purported "comeback" by the Broncos would never have manifested without that helmet-to-the-football hit from Miller on Ridley, which prevented the Patriots from securing the blowout win as they were marching down the field at ease.