makewayhomer
Rotational Player and Threatening Starter's Job
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this idea is basically BS. look at the last few years:
in 2006, SB champion Colts went 2-3 in December, losing by 27 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and by three to a 6-10 Houston Texans team before narrowly beating a 6-10 Miami Dolphins team to finish the year. They went and won four straight games en route to the Super Bowl.
In 2007, the Giants supposedly picked up momentum when they played the undefeated New England Patriots to an extremely close game, losing by three before starting off their hot streak. That's reasonable, but it was preceded by a 3-3 stretch that saw the team lose to the Minnesota Vikings by 27, the Washington Redskins by 12, and narrowly pull out victories over mediocre teams in the Detroit Lions (six points), Chicago Bears (five points), and Philadelphia Eagles (three points). The idea that the Giants' win over the Patriots had given them momentum didn't come until they actually made it to the Super Bowl, and their "momentum" consisted of one game.
the 2008 Cardinals take the cake, though. After virtually locking up the NFC West with a 7-3 start, Arizona took the rest of the season off. Finishing 2-4, the Cardinals lost to the Giants by eight and the Eagles -- the same team they'd beat in the NFC Championship Game -- by 28. It got worse in December. Playing two playoff-caliber teams, the Cardinals lost by 21 to the Vikings and the Patriots by 40. The idea that they had momentum is absurd; time will not produce a better example of a team limping into the playoffs for decades.
other examples:
The 2007 Redskins won their final four games after burying Sean Taylor, pushing them into the playoffs after a 5-7 start, but got annihilated in Seattle when Todd Collins started throwing interceptions.
Last year's San Diego Chargers went 4-0 in December to sneak into the playoffs, and beat the Colts with a great performance at home in the Wild Card round, but were summarily dispatched in Pittsburgh a week later.
The Atlanta Falcons finished 5-1 last year, winning their final three, and lost to the Cardinals in the Wild Card round.
The Dolphins went 5-0 to end last year, and 9-1 in their last 10 -- and got stomped, 27-9, by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round
in 2006, SB champion Colts went 2-3 in December, losing by 27 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and by three to a 6-10 Houston Texans team before narrowly beating a 6-10 Miami Dolphins team to finish the year. They went and won four straight games en route to the Super Bowl.
In 2007, the Giants supposedly picked up momentum when they played the undefeated New England Patriots to an extremely close game, losing by three before starting off their hot streak. That's reasonable, but it was preceded by a 3-3 stretch that saw the team lose to the Minnesota Vikings by 27, the Washington Redskins by 12, and narrowly pull out victories over mediocre teams in the Detroit Lions (six points), Chicago Bears (five points), and Philadelphia Eagles (three points). The idea that the Giants' win over the Patriots had given them momentum didn't come until they actually made it to the Super Bowl, and their "momentum" consisted of one game.
the 2008 Cardinals take the cake, though. After virtually locking up the NFC West with a 7-3 start, Arizona took the rest of the season off. Finishing 2-4, the Cardinals lost to the Giants by eight and the Eagles -- the same team they'd beat in the NFC Championship Game -- by 28. It got worse in December. Playing two playoff-caliber teams, the Cardinals lost by 21 to the Vikings and the Patriots by 40. The idea that they had momentum is absurd; time will not produce a better example of a team limping into the playoffs for decades.
other examples:
The 2007 Redskins won their final four games after burying Sean Taylor, pushing them into the playoffs after a 5-7 start, but got annihilated in Seattle when Todd Collins started throwing interceptions.
Last year's San Diego Chargers went 4-0 in December to sneak into the playoffs, and beat the Colts with a great performance at home in the Wild Card round, but were summarily dispatched in Pittsburgh a week later.
The Atlanta Falcons finished 5-1 last year, winning their final three, and lost to the Cardinals in the Wild Card round.
The Dolphins went 5-0 to end last year, and 9-1 in their last 10 -- and got stomped, 27-9, by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round
credit to Bill BarnwellBottom line: Teams win in the playoffs because they play well and breaks go their way, the same way they do in the regular season. And if teams really can peak, the right time to peak isn't the end of December. It's the end of January.
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