AFC playoff bye for PATs?

[ctpatsfan77]

i don't see us winning out...i can see pitt however leap frog us. Really wish they lost last night

PIT-NYG =

 

[jah]

I'm thinking the AFC seeds, in order, are going to be:

*Houston - clearly the best team in the AFC.
*Denver - not necessarily the second-best team, but with a schedule like that, hard to see them not getting the second seed.
*Pittsburgh - they'll overtake Baltimore and have a better W-L record than us.
*New England - can't be the #1 every year. Not necessarily a bad thing.
*Baltimore - best wild card team by far.
*San Diego - the Colts and Dolphins stories are cute, and all 3 of these teams will probably win 9-10 games, but San Diego's schedule is too easy for them not to grab the last spot.

 

[QB12]

Sorry Elijah, but you're not a prophet when it comes to playoff seedings.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Here's how I see it breaking down (I put the Colts in there for fun because of the potential Luck/Manning matchup, although they have as good a shot as any team right now for the last WC):

1. Texans, 12-4 (throwing the last game)
2. Patriots, 11-5
3. Broncos, 11-5
4. Steelers, 10-6
5. Ravens, 10-6
6. Colts, 9-7

Wildcard Round:
Broncos over Colts
Steelers over Ravens

Divisional Round:
Patriots over Broncos
Steelers over Texans

AFC Championship:
Patriots over Steelers

Super Bowl:
Patriots over Bears


I'm not a homer, right?

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

What is your reasoning on Oak? I can mke one for the others but the Raiders.......

The Raiders are a hard team to gauge this year,one minute they beat Pittsburgh,the next they lose to TB.

If only they had just a tiny bit of consistency they could win 9 games,the AFC could possibly have a WC team get in at 8-8....if that occurs then Oakland has a shot at the 6th seed.

 

[jah]

Sorry Elijah, but you're not a prophet when it comes to playoff seedings.

I never claimed to be. Is my opinion invalid? If so, why?

 

[Haterproof]

Well, I saw the Bills-Texans game yesterday, and I respectfully disagree. As someone else said, their offense lacks explosion, and the defense, while good, is not dominant. The Packers exposed them.

I think Houston gets a Chicago beatdown on Sunday night. If NE runs the table & win their remaining games,the SB goes through NE. I can definitely see us getting one of the top 2 seeds (No less than the 3rd seed).

 

[aluminum seats]

It's too early for the conversation, really, but you'd be crazy to bet against the Pats getting a bye. They lose at most once more, with other teams bound to have the missteps that other teams invariably have.

 

[everlong]

The Raiders are a hard team to gauge this year,one minute they beat Pittsburgh,the next they lose to TB.

If only they had just a tiny bit of consistency they could win 9 games,the AFC could possibly have a WC team get in at 8-8....if that occurs then Oakland has a shot at the 6th seed.

I think beating Pitt had more to do with the Steelers imploding and TB's defense is just so beat up and then they almost fumbled it away. In the end Carson Palmer isn't going to lead them anywhere. I don't see them getting to 8 wins. Baltimore and Pitt will have one take the division and the other one of the WC spots. Indy has games against Jacksonville, Buffalo, Detroit, Tenn and KC. If they can just win 4 of those 5 that's 9 wins. They also have Houston week 17 at home in their pocket which is most likely a meaningless game for them.

 

[PatsFan2]

Guys lets how our Secondary plays in the next few to make bold predictions. I am not looking past Miami. They are a tough gritty Team who is up and coming.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Guys lets how our Secondary plays in the next few to make bold predictions. I am not looking past Miami. They are a tough gritty Team who is up and coming.

Personally, I'm not looking past Buffalo on Sunday. I already tried the whole "looking past" thing two weeks before the Ravens game and that didn't work out too well, as I recall.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

It's too early for the conversation, really, but you'd be crazy to bet against the Pats getting a bye. They lose at most once more, with other teams bound to have the missteps that other teams invariably have.

Huh? And which, do tell, is the one game that we lose? One of the four remaining Division games, including @MIA, where we have had a tough time over the years, despite doing well there recently? Houston or the Forty Niners, a combined 13--3? Of course, we could never lose to the 5--3 Colts...I mean that would be like losing to the now 4--4 Cardinals or something like that...

[edited to correct an error]

 

[PatsFanSince74]

...If NE runs the table & win their remaining games,the SB goes through NE...

Yes, it probably would.

 

[Ring 6]

Personally, I'm not looking past Buffalo on Sunday. I already tried the whole "looking past" thing two weeks before the Ravens game and that didn't work out too well, as I recall.

Thats OK, don't blame yourself, I'm pretty sure that you looking ahead didn't affect the team.

 

[Ring 6]

Huh? And which, do tell, is the one game that we lose? One of the four remaining Division games? Houston? Forty Niners?

They will be favored in every one of those games, not that it means anything, but you seem to think they are unwinnable. (at least SF and Houston)

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Personally, I'm not looking past Buffalo on Sunday. I already tried the whole "looking past" thing two weeks before the Ravens game and that didn't work out too well, as I recall.

I feel that way this season, too.
In some past seasons I've obsessed with seed and bye scenarios, which rarely turned out as I expected. Rather than torture myself, I'm in the mode of watching each week's game enjoying it for itself and savoring the priceless personal lifetime unique productive years of our HOF QB and HC.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Thats OK, don't blame yourself, I'm pretty sure that you looking ahead didn't affect the team.

It sure did. Like my getting a new TV cost them the last two SB's...I mean...2002, 2004, 2005...I watch the SB on my trusty, old 40" Mitsubishi...bam! I get a nice new 61" Plasma and they lose both times. It is, indeed, all my fault!

 

[PatsFanSince74]

They will be favored in every one of those games, not that it means anything, but you seem to think they are unwinnable. (at least SF and Houston)

That's a leap! Read my post. I only implied that losing just one of the remaining games was improbable, not that any particular game was "unwinnable." I think I'll stand by that, even though it means that my Pre-Season Prediction of a 12--4 season would be toast.

I'm not smart enough to predict every game, but I look at the remaining schedule and say, "Hey, 6--2 would be damn good and I'd be resigned to but not ecstatic about 5--3, the Division and a number three seed. Just trying to stay in touch with what might reasonably be construed as realistic. I thought 12--4 was realistic back in August, despite the proliferation of 15--1 and 14--2 predictions; I was wrong, but not as far off as others.

And, BTW, just because I don't think they will win every game doesn't mean I'm not hoping they do. That's an important distinction that sometimes gets lost in homeric feeding frenzies out here.

 

[jah]

Huh? And which, do tell, is the one game that we lose? One of the four remaining Division games, including @MIA, where we are 1--2 in the last three years? Houston or the Forty Niners, a combined 13--3? Of course, we could never lose to the 5--3 Colts...I mean that would be like losing to the now 4--4 Cardinals or something like that...

We're 2-1 at Miami since 09. I don't mean to take away from your point, because I actually think we'll lose @MIA, but just correcting your fact.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I feel that way this season, too.
In some past seasons I've obsessed with seed and bye scenarios, which rarely turned out as I expected. Rather than torture myself, I'm in the mode of watching each week's game enjoying it for itself and savoring the priceless personal lifetime unique productive years of our HOF QB and HC.

The beginning of wisdom, IMO! I truly believe that if the Pats get the pieces in place, end up at 10--6 or 11--5, win the Division and get the number three or four seed, they will be in a very strong position.

Sure, I'd like them to be 12--4 and perhaps have a bye, but every season has its own rhythm and that just doesn't feel to me like where this season is going. I hope I'm wrong about that...but I am keeping my focus on their playing in the Superdome in February and bookending the Belichick/Brady era with two SB victories in New Orleans!