Unfortunately, Denver Has Nothing to Lose Tonight

[PatsFans.com Article]

Unfortunately, Denver Has Nothing to Lose Tonight
By: Ian Logue

Sometimes there's nothing more dangerous than playing a team with absolutely nothing to lose....

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY​

 

[Ring 6]

I have to disagree. I understand the fans and the media have this perspective. The PERCEPTION of the teams leads to the Pats having everything to lose and the Broncos having nothing to lose.
But these are professional athletes going out on the field, and they do not think they are better or worse than the other team, lucky to be there, etc.
Both teams have a chance to win the right to play in the AFCCG or to lose the right to continue their season.
I do not believe the opinion fans and the media have of the teams has any impact on what will happen on the field.

 

[Nikolai]

The flip side to that "nothing to lose" idea is that losing isn't a big deal, so the team will come out flat. It's a different take on the "happy to be here" sentiment.

When's kickoff again?

 

[goheels22002]

I have to disagree as well.

Up in the press box sits HOFer and two-time SB winner John Elway who is looking at a team with so many pieces and a wily veteran coach who has taken another good, not great, team to the Super Bowl. A loss to the Patriots signals that the Broncos just are not there with the elite of the NFL and changes need to be made.

Tebow needs to cement his job tonite. The QB is a huge dilemma for the Broncos. Can you really build a team around him? Elite WRs who are free agents wouldn't want to come to Denver and catch two or three balls per game, tops. Wes Welker caught more balls since Tebow took over than all Denver receivers combined.

The Steeler win was more a function of injuries and poor defensive play calling and execution than a convincing win by Denver. On the road against a healthy NE team is the true test for these Broncos.

Guys like Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey are staring at the end of their careers and will likely be gone after this season. That's pretty big stakes in a game like tonite.

Also, Ian, enough of the 2nd worst defense nonsense. At least refer to the yardage stat. The Patriots defense is the #1 defense in takeaways in the AFC and 15th in points allowed.

 

[Double TE]

If you mean from a fans perspective then yes. The season is a success but players want to win!

 

[Armchair Bronco]

Guys like Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey are staring at the end of their careers and will likely be gone after this season. That's pretty big stakes in a game like tonite.

Dawkins may well retire after this season, but Champ will be back. He'll transition into a Safety. The Front Office and Fox have already been talking about this. So Champs days as a shut-down corner are limited: next year may or may not be his last one as a corner.

But he still can have a few more years as a productive Safety -- a sort of modern-day Steve Atwater who thinks more like a cornerback.

 

[Shevy]

The only thing more dangerous than a team/person with nothing to lose is a team/person with everything to lose.

So if you think Teblow and the Broncos have nothing to lose than that means Brady and his bunch have everything to lose.....

 

[Haley]

Tim Tebow has everything to lose tonight. Most notably, his job.

...not to mention his soapbox.

 

[PatriotSeven]

Tebow's not going to lose his job. Not only did the guy still carry a 1-4 team into the divisional round, but considering his popularity, there will be a line of teams waiting to take him off Denver's hands if Denver's stupid enough to try and bench him. Have some forgot the playoff game between Ravens and Patriots? Flacco won with a 10.0 QB passer rating, going on to build a reputation as having the 2nd best winning percentage as a quarterback in his first 4 years. That game Brady also lost with a ~34 QB passer rating. So why would a 2nd year quarterback lose his job considering his accomplishments this season? It's not going to happen no matter what happens tonight and honestly I wouldn't worry about the motivation behind either one of these teams. They are both motivated and ready for different reasons.

The only thing I'm worried about is the Pats got beat by the Steelers, who have been a suspect team all year long after their bye week. Granted they were healthier when the Pats played them, but I think the reason they lost was the bye week. Lots of team lost this year after the bye so I just always wonder about what that does to a playoff team. It sounds like Brady learned his lesson and was really pushing in practice but it can still take you out of your rhythm and the Patriots were really clicking prior to their bye. I hope they managed to maintain that momentum despite the break. If they did, they will be fine.

Having said that I don't think the Patriots need to put additional pressure on themselves just because they are facing the Broncos. This is a good team, despite what people are saying and had they played a full season, their record could have been a lot better. They are not underestimating them. All this team can do is also play like they have nothing to lose either because, honestly, they don't. The only thing they really have to lose is losing itself, like any other team, which sends you home. Nobody wants to go home after working so hard to make it this far, and in front of that crowd, Patriots will be motivated.

All they can do is give it their all and see what happens.

 

[Ring 6]

Tebow's not going to lose his job. Not only did the guy still carry a 1-4 team into the divisional round, but considering his popularity, there will be a line of teams waiting to take him off Denver's hands if Denver's stupid enough to try and bench him.

Your assessment of Tebow is either flawed, biased, or both.
A week ago his own team was preparing his back up, and they still will not admit to committing to him for the future,
His 'popularity' has no impact on whether other teams would want him.


[/quote]So why would a 2nd year quarterback lose his job considering his accomplishments this season?/quote]
You do realize that if he had played last week like he played the previous 2 games, the Broncos would be in the market for a starting QB, right?

It sounds like Brady learned his lesson and was really pushing in practice but it can still take you out of your rhythm and the Patriots were really clicking prior to their bye. I hope they managed to maintain that momentum despite the break. If they did, they will be fine.

What lesson did Brady need to learn? Are you saying he was lazy during the bye week? Do you have a source?

This is a good team, despite what people are saying and had they played a full season, their record could have been a lot better.

They are a thoroughly average team. They did play a full season, and were 8-8.

They are not underestimating them.

The Patriots never underestimate anyone. That is not evidence they are a good opponent. The Patriots didn't underestimate the winless Colts.

All this team can do is also play like they have nothing to lose either because, honestly, they don't. The only thing they really have to lose is losing itself, like any other team, which sends you home. Nobody wants to go home after working so hard to make it this far, and in front of that crowd, Patriots will be motivated.

Agree here. Both teams have the same thing to win or lose.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I take and grant the "their all professionals" point made by Andy, and I reply "Yes, of course, but..."

The "but..." here is that the Broncos are playing with house money. Brady and Belichick are still building the place their own "house" will hold in NFL history.

The Broncos will come out looser and there is a risk that the Pats will be a little tight at the start. That's just pure human nature.

Both teams are indeed playing for a place in the AFC Championship but I still look back on how amped the Rams were to build their own dynasty before SB XXXVI and the comparison with the image of Tom Brady taking a nap in the clubhouse before the game.

I don't see the Pats losing this game, but it's going to take BB coaching at his highest level (an elevated aerie indeed) to have the team on an even keel as it takes the field this evening.

 

[ivanvamp]

I have to disagree. I understand the fans and the media have this perspective. The PERCEPTION of the teams leads to the Pats having everything to lose and the Broncos having nothing to lose.
But these are professional athletes going out on the field, and they do not think they are better or worse than the other team, lucky to be there, etc.
Both teams have a chance to win the right to play in the AFCCG or to lose the right to continue their season.
I do not believe the opinion fans and the media have of the teams has any impact on what will happen on the field.

I agree with you Andy, 100%. Denver has exactly the same thing to lose as New England: the opportunity to play in the AFC Championship Game. There is no guarantee whatsoever that Denver will get back to this point anytime soon. It's been 6 years since they've played in the AFCCG. That's almost twice the length of the average NFL career (3.3 years, according to the NFLPA). These guys understand (at least the veterans do) that these opportunities don't come around every day. This may be the one chance for many of these players to get to play one game to get into the Super Bowl.

It's a huge game for the Pats for a lot of reasons. It's also a huge game for the Broncos for a lot of reasons. It's a total myth that Denver has "nothing to lose".

 

[Danielbaron1]

i have to disagree, they are 2 games from a superbowl. if tebow has a bad game everyone will be questioning him all off season. even if the broncos have nothing to lose, the Patriots have everything to win for. they can't afford to lose 4 playoff games in a row if you count that 1 loss in 2008 :enranged: anyways were gonna get to the Superbowl baby!!!!!!! :rocker:

 

[Ring 6]

I take and grant the "their all professionals" point made by Andy, and I reply "Yes, of course, but..."

The "but..." here is that the Broncos are playing with house money. Brady and Belichick are still building the place their own "house" will hold in NFL history.

The Broncos will come out looser and there is a risk that the Pats will be a little tight at the start. That's just pure human nature.

I don't see the Pats losing this game, but it's going to take BB coaching at his highest level (an elevated aerie indeed) to have the team on an even keel as it takes the field this evening.

I get your point, but I just dont think players go out on the field to play a game with their legacy in mind, nor do I think players ever go into a game thinking there is less pressure to win because no one expected them to get there. Players expect to get there. Do you think the Bronocs are going into this game thinking they have little chance to win? No. They EXPECT to win, so that no pressure, happy to be here stuff doesnt apply IMO.

What DOES matter is PREPARATION. Games are often decided before they are played based on the quality and focus of preparation.
In that case, it is reasonable to say that the Broncos could have not been focussed in preparing as they were celebrating an exciting win, and because they have never been there before were not grounded in their confidence or excitement. While, on the other hand, the Pats had 2 weeks to prepare for a spot they have been in many times.
These factors will certainly have an impact on the game, but I do not believe the players go in having different levels of pressure because winning or losing means something different to them.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

If Denver has nothing to lose than they also have nothing to win...

 

[Danielbaron1]

If Denver has nothing to lose than they also have nothing to win...

thats true lol

 

[PatsFanNM]

I think there are two emotional factors playing into this game. One is that the Broncos won their Super Bowl, so to speak, by beating the Steelers last week the first play in overtime, the only time that's been done. Huge emotional up. No matter what happens today, they've done much better than was expected. I think that favors the Pats.

On the other side, there's definitely going to be a lot of pressure on the Pats to not let what happen the last two years happen this evening. I doubt it will. But there's no way they can come to this game without it having some effect, no matter what they say.

I think the biggest factors will be the superiority of the Pats' players and the much greater time they've had to prepare, in addition to the fact that they don't (yet) have key players out, other than Andre Carter.

 

[Lansdowne]

Looks like Armchair Bronco must have hacked Ian's account. Wonderful.

 

[PatsFan24]

Unfortunately, Denver Has Nothing to Lose Tonight
By: Ian Logue

Sometimes there's nothing more dangerous than playing a team with absolutely nothing to lose....

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY​

I don't understand this. It is the playoffs. How can they have nothing to lose??

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

They have the exact same thing to lose as the Patriots do. The right to move on.

It's the playoffs? It seems silly to think otherwise. Everyone is one loss from season over.