Here's the real lesson learned...

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I'm all about obsessing over the Patriots, but I really went too far this year in analyzing other teams and hoping for favorable matchups.

From November, in hoping San Diego - perceived at that time as a huge threa, to get knocked out, to wanting the Colts to knock off the Jets so we would avoided Baltimore a play a team we had just smashed 45.3.

Saw Vick as a threat and hoped GB would beat them. Now it seems I'm wrong again about the true threat. Hoped either the Saints or Falcons would get bounced so there would be a weak NFC team... wrong again, it appears. Don't say it. 2007 Giants. I just did. Talk about matchups in that game and the prior game they played, but the entire sports world thought it would be a cakewalk for the Pats.

The bottom line is, besides our own team, it's just useless to predict and project who might be a more favorable matchup for us. Teams this far into the playoffs are very strong in at least one area and can beat us; at the same time, can beat them if we execute our gameplan.

Three emotionally invested games rooting for Indy to lose their division so we wouldn't have to face them. All for naught. Rooting for the Jets to loose all season became irrelevant. They could have lost more games and still would have been in the exact position to knock us off.

Anyway, next year the NFL has lost a fan for the other 15 games of the week, besides some showdowns. I'm not mad at myself for following the Pats hardcore this season, but I need to take a step back, breathe, and stop worrying about the power polls, "teams to watch," "nightmare matchups," etc. etc. etc.

If the Patriots just play their game well, in the position to win playoff games, they will win playoff games. None of these teams are the incarnation of the 1985 Bears x 1989 Forty Niners.

Hope this rant made some sense. I have NFL Sunday Ticket, and the Patriots simulations go through my head like an algorithm. New Year's Resolution: Pay attention to the Pats. Don't worry about the other teams until we are playing them. Too much wasted effort.

 

[D-Money]

It still hurts and bothers me that this team came out so flatNext year there will be no excuses if they make the playoffs which they should.No more one and doned plzzzzzz

 

[andrewgarrr]

It still hurts and bothers me that this team came out so flatNext year there will be no excuses if they make the playoffs which they should.No more one and doned plzzzzzz

Pushing the ball down-field in the two offensive series, and holding the Jets offense to three points on their first two drives (one of which they started at the NE 20) is not coming out flat. In my opinion, the Patriots lost that game more than the Jets won that game, but coming out flat was not the reason. Don't mean to be antagonistic, but I don't agree with the assessment that they were flat. The team was energized, focused, and ready to go at the first whistle.

 

[D-Money]

Maybe not flat but terrible execution.I shouldnt have said flat.It still bothers me that they could not make any adjustments at all.Everything seemed cover.It looked like the jets knew what was coming.:snob:

 

[Mosi Moose]

I'm all about obsessing over the Patriots, but I really went too far this year in analyzing other teams and hoping for favorable matchups.

From November, in hoping San Diego - perceived at that time as a huge threa, to get knocked out, to wanting the Colts to knock off the Jets so we would avoided Baltimore a play a team we had just smashed 45.3.

Saw Vick as a threat and hoped GB would beat them. Now it seems I'm wrong again about the true threat. Hoped either the Saints or Falcons would get bounced so there would be a weak NFC team... wrong again, it appears. Don't say it. 2007 Giants. I just did. Talk about matchups in that game and the prior game they played, but the entire sports world thought it would be a cakewalk for the Pats.

The bottom line is, besides our own team, it's just useless to predict and project who might be a more favorable matchup for us. Teams this far into the playoffs are very strong in at least one area and can beat us; at the same time, can beat them if we execute our gameplan.

Three emotionally invested games rooting for Indy to lose their division so we wouldn't have to face them. All for naught. Rooting for the Jets to loose all season became irrelevant. They could have lost more games and still would have been in the exact position to knock us off.

Anyway, next year the NFL has lost a fan for the other 15 games of the week, besides some showdowns. I'm not mad at myself for following the Pats hardcore this season, but I need to take a step back, breathe, and stop worrying about the power polls, "teams to watch," "nightmare matchups," etc. etc. etc.

If the Patriots just play their game well, in the position to win playoff games, they will win playoff games. None of these teams are the incarnation of the 1985 Bears x 1989 Forty Niners.

Hope this rant made some sense. I have NFL Sunday Ticket, and the Patriots simulations go through my head like an algorithm. New Year's Resolution: Pay attention to the Pats. Don't worry about the other teams until we are playing them. Too much wasted effort.

This is a great post. I did the same thing as you, and it was all for nothing. I really didn't want the Jets in the playoffs and was really really upset when they beat PIT after losing to us and MIA, and I was furious that JAX couldn't knock of Indy to win the South, because I saw Indy as a threat to us and I DEFINITELY didn't want SD in the playoffs. Instead of enjoying the Pats, I was too worried about who we might play in the playoffs and let it affect my Sundays (and most times, Mondays as well) after week 11/12. At the end of the day, we're going to play a good team in the playoffs. I would've loved to have played KC in the playoffs instead of NYJ, but then again, who knows what might've happened. I'm going to try and not get too wrapped up the 'match ups" in the playoffs next year and try to just enjoy and focus on the Pats. That said, I'll definitely be cheering for us to get a BYE and will be cheering against the teams that stand in our way to do that ;-)

 

[Wax Frog]

I broke a similar habit sometime in the 90s, and from then on took the approach of "which team would it hurt most to see go all the way?" For this reason, all I cared about was seeing the Jets eliminated. I still have hope...

 

[Speedy Welker]

Next year, I'd like to see the Pats play like the Giants in 2007. Forget about the record and home field...just get into the post season and go all the way no matter who and where they'll playing. Be the under dog and win rather than top dog and lose...it blows...

 

[hellolin]

you know we are only suppose to be best at 10-6 this year, as season goes on BB showed his magic at how he squezzed so much talent out of all the rookies, but in playoffs you need tons of experience and finess, which only comes with time, and BB can't do anything about that.

 

[CheeseMonkeys]

This is why in the offseason it's almost pointless to watch NFL network or ESPN while they make all their predictions and thoughts about the upcoming season. It's fun to analyze and make predictions but nobody should take it seriously because anything could happen. It's kinda like reading NFL mock drafts. They just aren't going to be right in the end because of all the trades and different things that will happen.

 

[Deus Irae]

you know we are only suppose to be best at 10-6 this year, as season goes on BB showed his magic at how he squezzed so much talent out of all the rookies, but in playoffs you need tons of experience and finess, which only comes with time, and BB can't do anything about that.

:welcome:


Don't forget to tip your waiter.

 

[sevengables_2207]

I think the media plays a crucial role in this. The fact is, the NFL analyzed 24/7 year round. It is only natural that fans of teams will follow suit and "scout" for themselves, spending hours every week evaluating opposing teams strengths and weaknesses, in an attempt to gauge just how much of (or lack of) a threat they pose.