Byrne: "Impossible" for Pats to win the SB

[goheels22002]

Passing yardage allowed doesn't mean jack squat!

Try as I might on Mr. Byrne's site and others I cannot get a comparative "yards allowed per passing attempt" statistic. If no one can see it, you must be right. How about providing the link to the statistic and some fundamental proof that you aren't making it up?

Here is similar data, with a link, correlating success in the regular season with making the playoffs.

Last season - 2010 - 7 out of the top ten defensive teams in passing yards allowed per game did not make the playoffs! Those teams included in order by NFL Rank: #1 San Diego, #2 Oakland, #3 Buffalo, #7 Tampa Bay, #8 Miami, #9 Minnesota, and #10 NY Giants. See: NFL Football Stats - NFL Team Opponent Passing Yards per Game on TeamRankings.com

The Elite 8 teams in the 2010 divisional round finished #4, #5, #6, #11, #14, #21, #24, #29. Not much of a pattern there, but I think I found my Megabucks number!

My data tells me that Mr. Byrne is the biggest pantload liar in the United States. I keep my data very secret so it cannot be corrupted, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

 

[Jangles]

Only a sith deals in absolutes

I don't trust this guy

 

[Koma]

And a missed Asante pick. And a non in-the-grasp call on Gomer Jr.

And Pierre Woods falling on a fumble in Giants territory, but then rolling over and letting them take the ball right back.

Honestly, it was like the Patriots were on the receiving end of every break and hustles play that went their way in the SB years, except it all happened in one game. </salt_in_the_wound>

 

[jlu52]

Byrne needs to convey his conjecture directly to Vince and Big Al, face to faces. I want a front row seat for the "event".

 

[oldrover]

In the end, all the defense had to do was not allow Eli Manning to drive 90 yards in 2 minutes.

We can look at the box score in a vacuum and come to conclusions, or we can realize that it was clear it was a slow, defensive struggle from the onset - and that there weren't a lot of possessions in that game (consider, for instance, the first quarter only saw two possessions; the fourth quarter also only saw two possessions, excluding the Pats hail mary attempts).

The offense put us in a position to win with 2 minutes left. The defense, combined with poor officiating, terrible luck, and one insane play, led to probably the most outrageous, most unfortunately clutch, and most unlikely final drive in the history of the NFL (Byrnes has documented that one, and he's right on that account).

I can't read much more at one time about The Game That Shall Not Be Mentioned... without a glass of scotch. :enranged:

 

[Bonzo]

Barring major injuries, I for one think this is going to shape up into a darn good defense come December/January. As "atrocious" as the D has been so far, it still ranks in the top half of the league in scoring, and it is clearly trending upward at the moment.

If we get homefield advantage for the playoffs, look out!

 

[hyperpat]

And Pierre Woods falling on a fumble in Giants territory, but then rolling over and letting them take the ball right back.

Honestly, it was like the Patriots were on the receiving end of every break and hustles play that went their way in the SB years, except it all happened in one game. </salt_in_the_wound>

Still don't get this play. Woods falls on the fumble with his knees touching the field. The Giants grab him and take the ball away. Giants ball. Refs completely blew this. With his knees down, as soon as a Giant player touches him, play is over. Pats ball deep in Giant territory.

 

[Zeus]

Mr. Byrne apparently has no earthly idea what the term "statistically impossible" means.

 

[RayClay]

Well, if Kelvin Bryne says it, it must be true!!

 

[TBradyOwnsYou]

After the bye we have Rapist away, Eli home, Sanchez away, Cassel home, Vick away, Painter home, Beck away, Tebow away, Moore home, Fitzpatrick home.

I see a large opportunity for our defense to do enough stat padding to satisfy the statistic gods. Sure, we're going to still give up yards, but I see some SERIOUS interception potential coming up and other than the Eagles and Jets, I don't see a real threat to our offense, especially with our new found ability to run the ball like we mean it.

I think we lose between zero and two games in the remaining 10 games. Even if we lost three games, I think we still get a first round bye. If we go 6-4 we might be fighting for our division and could potentially be leaving it up to tie breakers to be a wild card.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

CHFF does some very interesting statistical analysis and are very inovative. However, the fact remains that if you let the Raiders throw for 99 yards with one minute left up three scores, you get two outcomes:

"Historically" bad pass defense.
A multi score win.

They had an article this week, saying the Packers and Pats need to get pass defense help because they are in trouble. Two paragraphs later they talk about how meaningless pass yardage is.

 

[LetsGoPats36]

If Byrne were relevant, I'd be amped for BB to spit the famous Tom Jackson lines at him when the season is over.

 

[Triumph]

and yet the Green Bay packers with the 2nd worst passing yards allowed can be superbowl champions??? I dnot get why this fact is constantly overlooked on the packers.

they are a mirror image of the patriots essentially.

anyways, anyone who has watched the last 2 pats games can see that the defense is improving. a better pass rush, and they seem to be playing less man to man and more zone which is taking away the big throw

Yards dont mean a thing, but Green Bay had the 1st ranked pass defense in 2010 and NE 15th. GB had a good defense.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | 2010 DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY RATINGS

 

[RIpats88]

Yards dont mean a thing, but Green Bay had the 1st ranked pass defense in 2010 and NE 15th. GB had a good defense.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | 2010 DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY RATINGS

last year, Yes...this year, No..

This year, the Packers are essentially a mirror image of the Patriots...only difference is that they are 6-0. which is why most analysts are overlooking the elephant in the room....while chastizing the pats defense

 

[juny]

There aren't many teams in the AFC with a strong defensive line -- which is a common strength that teams have that have beaten the Pats. Pitts defense has regressed a little this year and the game 1 1/2 weeks away will tell a lot. Baltimore is the only team with a crazy pass rush that will give this offense trouble. Other than that, I don't see many other teams challenging the Pats to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

 

[PatsBoy12]

They also couldn't win the SB in 2001. I believe the same was being said in 2004 as well. Go figure.

 

[Huckleberry1]

It sucks that they moved the Super Bowl to the 1st Sunday in November.

 

[goheels22002]

After the bye we have Rapist away, Eli home, Sanchez away, Cassel home, Vick away, Painter home, Beck away, Tebow away, Moore home, Fitzpatrick home.

I see a large opportunity for our defense to do enough stat padding to satisfy the statistic gods. Sure, we're going to still give up yards, but I see some SERIOUS interception potential coming up and other than the Eagles and Jets, I don't see a real threat to our offense, especially with our new found ability to run the ball like we mean it.

I think we lose between zero and two games in the remaining 10 games. Even if we lost three games, I think we still get a first round bye. If we go 6-4 we might be fighting for our division and could potentially be leaving it up to tie breakers to be a wild card.

I imagine Vick will be on the IR by the time the Patriots travel to Philadelphia; he just keeps taking a beating every week.

That stretch facing Painter, Beck, Tebow and Moore is sad. Four very proud franchises with Super Bowls in their history being led by journeymen.

The guy at the end is very good and torched the Patriots in Buffalo. If the Bills are playing for a wild card, look out. Buffalo has a good team that leads the NFL in takeaways with a smart QB and a fine coaching staff that knows the Patriots.

 

[reflexblue]

If Byrne had said that the Defense was good enough to win a SB the majority here would say he was one of the few knowlageble sports writers out there......Just Sayin.
I've seen it happen to many times here over the years, thats the way this place rolls. I can remember three or four years ago Byrne and Cold hard facts was the greatest thing since sliced bread....Just Sayin

 

[jmt57]

My observation (sorry, no "cold hard football facts" backed by a bunch of percentages and rankings) is that Byrne was at one time a huge Pats homer, primarily using stats to 'prove' Brady was better than Manning, but also to prop up the Pats in general back in the early part of last decade.

CHFF gained popularity, but there was still this sense that he was a Pats homer. It seems to me that he made a definitive business decision to write more articles that were anti-Pats in order to gain credibility on a national basis. Of course with the Pats being the team so many loved to hate, that brought in a lot more clicks ... and Byrne hasn't swayed from that formula since.