Who do we want to face in 2 weeks?

[stelfans]

I would love, love to face the ravens. Anyway, who cares? just pound on whoever comes our way.

 

[Fencer]

The least physical team, so that we're healthiest for the subsequent week.

I think that would be Indy.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

I go with " Be Careful Who You Wish For " premise.
Just play whose next be as healthy as pososible, rested & come out firing on all cylinders is a great recipe for success. A couple of weeks ago when it looked like Texans had it locked up for #1 seed throughout I had posted that yesterdays game vs colts wasn't a sure win they could lose both games and we can still be #1 or 2 seed so ya never know.

 

[DarrylS]

Gotta wonder how a "dome" team like Indy will do in a hostile weather setting..

 

[lurker1965]

Not Indy. Fear not Luck, fear luck.

The Colts WILL face Manning in Denver. Weird breaks will help them.

After Denver, the magic is gone.

Pray for Houston, so Indy goes to Denver without having to upset the Patriots.

Oh, without the Ju-Ju, the Colts are the best match up. But they have Ju-Ju.

 

[the Patriot]

I would love, love to face the ravens. Anyway, who cares? just pound on whoever comes our way.

Really? I'm not as confident about facing them.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

In New England?

Indy first (dome team), for sure.... Then the Texans..... they Suck. Hell, even the Ravens don't really scare me. They are a shadow of their former selves.

To hell with it......... I SAY WE TAKE ALL COMERS. Bring it on. :yeeha:

 

[Kid~Brady]

Really? I'm not as confident about facing them.

I would, they aren't that good. I honestly think the Bengals are a tougher out than the Ravens currently.

 

[lamafist]

Anybody but the Ravens. I do not want Bernard Pollard within three states of any of our guys' lower extremities.

I say Indi. Not only are the Colts are probably the worst 11-5 team in recent memory, they seem happy enough just to have made the post-season, and probably wouldn't get bitter and start taking cheap shots at us if the game gets out of hand.

 

[Wax Frog]

Out of those 4 easy, the Colts. Rookie QB on the road. That's a no brainer.

Not to mention dome team in NE weather

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Colts. An 11-5 team that has a -30pt differential on the year.

For comparison's sake:

7-9 Miami was outscored by 29.
8-8 Pittsburgh is +22.
7-9 San Diego is even.
8-8 Dallas is -24.
7-9 Carolina is -6.
7-9 New Orleans is +7.
7-9 Tampa Bay is -5.

Luck is a pick machine on the road.

Regards,
Chris

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I would love, love to face the ravens. Anyway, who cares? just pound on whoever comes our way.

Well said. I'd only add "execute" while pounding on whoever comes our way.

this is not the 2011 Patriots. In 2011 who we played was big! The team was flawed and needed every advantage possible to get to the big show. The 2012 Patriots have a secondary that is the best is has been in several years (assuming health), a front 7 that can play physical and stops the run well. The running game/this group of running backs is as good as it has been in years. BL has provided a severe upgrade over the group of receivers from last year.

People, the Patriots don't need to be afraid of anyone. The OL just needs to do its job and overall just need to execute. The Patriots do that then the team that beats us just played the best game of their season!

 

[dannydyn]

I'm starting from the end game (AFCCG) and trace backwards from the Pats' best interest standpoint. Since naturally I would like nothing more than seeing the Pats hosting the AFFCG game, the only way this happens is if Denver loses.

Right now, coming out of the wild card round, the only team that has the potential of stopping Manning are the Ravens. That means that the Ravens will need to defeat Luck & co. Ravens will be playing a very physical game at home in front of their home crowd and make sure Luck pays for their own embarrassments they suffered in recent weeks.

Cincinnati at Houston... This one is a tough one to pick. If the game was at Cinci, I'd take Cinci without even thinking twice. But on the road, the Texans at home, are bound to make a comeback from their recent sloppy playing.

This scenario plays in our favor. We handle the Texans in the divisional round, and hopefully the Raven can avenge their embarrassing loss to the Broncos from a couple of weeks ago.

From there two things can happen:

1. Ravens upset the Broncos, Manning chokes one more time in his career, the Manning MVP story is shut out, and most importantly: we end up hosting the Ravens again. This time it won't be this close, and we blow them out.

2. Ravens lose to the Broncos, but not before Ed Reed, Brenard Polard, Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, t-shizzle, and the rest of their dirty-playing lineup bangs up the Broncos real good. I'm not wishing harm on any player, but merely speaking based on past events. The Ravens play dirty football, and someone on the Broncos side is bound to get hurt.

My .02

 

[Betterthanmost]

I want the most tired team

 

[jsull87]

I personally want the Ravens to face the Broncos because i don't want to face the broncos.

Texans haven't been playing that well.

But honestly i would say we have the best chance of beating Indy just because of their lack of playoff experience and our O matches up pretty well against their D.

 

[bostonia3333]

The key in all of this is having the toughest team available to play Denver. That would be Baltimore. So I would love it if we got Houston

Foster is not the same player he was the first half of the season and Schaub is just a mental mess at this point. Tough task, but neutralize JJ Waat and we should win by 14 again.

 

[NewFeep]

I really don't care who we face. The bottom line is you is you are gonna have to beat 2 really good football teams if you want to get to the SuperBowl.

What could be sweeter than dispatching someone at home and then dashing the Doncos hopes at the Big dance in their place? I would enjoy that more than the past Steelers beat downs in Pitts!

Why are people always looking for the easiest opponents? I've never understood that mindset........

You wanna be the best? Beat the best!!

 

[dannydyn]

I really don't care who we face. The bottom line is you is you are gonna have to beat 2 really good football teams if you want to get to the SuperBowl.

What could be sweeter than dispatching someone at hope and then dashing the Doncos hopes at the Big dance in their place? I would enjoy that more than the Steelers beat downs in Pitts!

Why are people always looking for the easiest opponents? I've never understood that mindset........

You wanna be the best? Beat the best!!

Couldn't agree more

This Pats team is capable of beating any of the AFC playoffs teams. If we lose a match, we have no one to blame for but ourselves.

 

[supafly]

The key in all of this is having the toughest team available to play Denver. That would be Baltimore. So I would love it if we got Houston

I personally want the Ravens to face the Broncos because i don't want to face the broncos.

Texans haven't been playing that well.

But honestly i would say we have the best chance of beating Indy just because of their lack of playoff experience and our O matches up pretty well against their D.

This pretty much sums the whole thread up, as these are the 2 issues that must be weighed:

1.Indy would provide the easiest matchup for us in 2 weeks, but would pretty much guarantee us of having to go to DEN for the AFCCG.

2.Rooting for HOU and BAL to win would give us a tougher matchup in game one vs the Texans, but would give us a better hope of having someone knocking off the Broncos (pinning our hopes on Baltimore)...

However....that could also potentially force us to play both HOU and DEN, should Baltimore falter, which is pretty much expected.

Either way, we have 2 different ways to look at it, but I think that I'll be rooting for INDY myself, just due to the fact that I don't really think Baltimore can defeat Denver in Mile High. That would at least allow us one "easier" game against Indy, and a difficult game at Denver. That may be the way to go, or else we could get stuck playing 2 difficult games vs HOU then at DEN.

 

[RIPATS]

I want Houston. Does anyone think they would come here with any confidence at all? We exposed them and they have been reeling ever since. I agree that it would be nice if Baltimore went to Mile High and beat them up and softened them up for us.

Prediction: if the Bengals beat Houston, we will face them in the AFC championship. Just have a feeling that the Broncos are due for a fall sooner than later.