Division Round Playoffs: Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos

[JoeSixPat]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

Actually I had no reservation for the pats to play against Denver, if they were to beat Houston, I would have preferred to avoid Baltimore.

There is no way a likely shoot out, against Manning, in Denver, is a more favorable matchup than a potential Ravens/patriots matchup at Gillette

 

[The_Riddler]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

Either game would have been tough. A home game is always the preference regardless. We just have to worry about tomorrow right now.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

I wouldn't underestimate this Raven team. They showed my alot today. If we get by tommorrow, I expect a dog fight. Just like last year

No offense but obvious and irrelevant. The Patriots do not have to go to the thin air and get to play at home. THAT my friend is a HUGE plus for the Patriots and unworthy of noting the Ravens are a tough team (again, no offense intended)

 

[Foxypats]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

The Ravens just pulled out a huge upset. They are a very confident bunch right now. That could be their strength or their weakness. I am hoping it is the latter ofcourse. Maybe this game was their SB and next week they lay an egg. One can only hope....

Meanwhile we have a game tomorrow that requires all our positive energy and concentration.

I am sure there are coaches and scouts in the organization already studying the Ravens game tapes etc. and devising a game plan as we already know that with a win we are definately playing the Ravens. On the other hand the Ravens have no idea whom they will be playing till tomorrow night. That has to be a slight advantage!

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

People who wanted to go to Denver are insane, the pats have historically played bad in Denver and you have to like the patriots at home against anyone.

If the Patriots win against Houston, the Ravens will come in here having just played an exhausting 5 quarter football game, if you think that Belichick will use the loss to the Ravens earlier this year as motivation you are insane, you rarely get the opportunity to get revenge on a team who is outside of your division and being able to have tape on the team when you played them earlier is invaluable.

Say what you want about Denver, The combination of Manning and Mile high scared the crap out of me.

The Patriots offense is almost unstoppable at home, so i'm not worried about Baltimore defense or their simplistic offense.

I would have rathered play Denver, but not in Denver let alone on a short week. I need a Lysol shower after what I went through rooting for Flacco and Co. today...not to mention rooting for double OT...

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

I'm much happier facing the Raven at home, providing the Pats win tomorrow. My biggest concern is facing these awesome NFC teams, should the Pats make it to the bowl. These NFC teams look incredible. The Pats are incredible too, but it will be be a much harder win compared to the AFC, IMHO

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

I would have rathered play Denver, but not in Denver let alone on a short week. I need a Lysol shower after what I went through rooting for Flacco and Co. today...not to mention rooting for double OT...

If you are talking an abstract comparison without factoring any of the current conditions? There is a discussion to be had. But with Baltimore at nearly 2.5 grueling games worth of playing in 6 days then coming to Foxboro? Not even sure why there is a discussion that includes the words Denver or Manning at this point....

 

[Rob0729]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

This win by the Ravens could be huge for the Pats tomorrow. The last two times the Texans just had to win to get a home playoff game, they choked. If the Texans win tomorrow, they get a home playoff game.

 

[Dr Pain]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

This was one of the best NFL games I have seen. The teams were not crisp but it was quite a fight.

 

[Fencer]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

This year, the Ravens have a kicker.

 

[Fencer]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

I never thought I'd say this.....but Peyton sounds like a class act in the post game presser.

Sounds like he realizes his team had a Cush schedule and were more pretenders than contenders

Peyton IS a class act. Don't mix him up with his blowhard father, or blame him too hard for the couple of fairly minor times he's thrown his teammates under the bus.

 

[mayoclinic]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

Peyton IS a class act. Don't mix him up with his blowhard father, or blame him too hard for the couple of fairly minor times he's thrown his teammates under the bus.

I actually don't have much of a problem with Manning, just with the media adulation and overhype of him. He's a legitimate top 5 all time QB, and it's not his fault that Denver played a cream puff schedule this year. But they were never an "elite" team, IMHO, and that would have been true whether they won this game or not.

 

[Fencer]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

Good news: We have home field advantage throughout the AFC.

Bad news: We do have to actually WIN those home games.

 

[Deus Irae]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

Peyton IS a class act. Don't mix him up with his blowhard father, or blame him too hard for the couple of fairly minor times he's thrown his teammates under the bus.

I'm sure the woman who had that lovely locker room experience with him looks at it just the same way.

 

[Wheelman]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

What a great game that was! Right up there with last seasons' 49ers-saints division game. Way better than those wild card games(And goodell wants to expand the playoff to 14 teams....what a joke! It'll water down the playoffs)

Fox definitely should have tried to win with 30 seconds left. You could make the argument that if Manning was with a coach like BB with the killer instinct they could have won but what you can't argue is how Manning threw that interception. Brady would have never done that. Brady takes care of the ball.

I was cheering for the ravens because I wanted home field advantage even though the Ravens will be very tough to beat. I was also hoping tucker would have missed that field goal and hope they went into triple OT so they could be really fatigued for the AFCCG.

All who is glad the manning media love is over better be prepared for the Ray Lewis team of destiny love lol.:biggrin2:

Excited to see how this playoff run goes. Can't wait!

 

[Uncle Rico]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

A lot of us were pulling for a Denver loss. But did anyone have 38-35? Beuller? Anyone? Me neither.

 

[The Gr8est]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

This year, the Ravens have a kicker.

You mean the same guy who missed a chip shot FG to lose against the Pats?

With competent refs.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

I admit I haven't read all 156 pages of this thread, so, three thoughts at the risk of repeating what others have said.

1) denver's been unusually warm so far this december/january, so this was the first game that Peyton had to play in the "real" cold. except for a couple of series where he got into a rhythm, i didn't think he was ever comfortable. he had his hands jammed in that pouch around his waist and was shaking his right hand a lot as though he was trying to get feeling into it. once a Domer, always a Domer.

2) i posted in a couple of other threads earlier this month that i thought the 11 game streak was as much a burden as a benefit. i just never thought this team was going to win the 14 in a row it would have needed to win the SB.

3) there have been several threads this week about Peyton's inability to win in the postseason. i reject the view that that is because he's had an easy road to get there, because I don't think the facts bear it out.

but, the more i observe of peyton manning, the more i get a sense of "entitlement" when he gets to the playoffs...almost like he's so sure of his superiority that he feels he "should" win and so he just doesn't deal well with the adversity that you have to overcome in the postseason. i thought that was clear after a couple of series today and certainly at the end when Baltimore tied the game on that absurd play with 31 seconds left; his face suggested disbelief. the pick he threw at the end was mind boggling for someone of his talent...it felt like he was saying "here, somebody catch this. i'm peyton manning goddamit."

but, to me the most telling stat about Peyton in the Playoffs is that he has only brought his team back from behind to win in one of his nine W's.

 

[Bhelmet]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

but, the more i observe of peyton manning, the more i get a sense of "entitlement" when he gets to the playoffs...almost like he's so sure of his superiority that he feels he "should" win and so he just doesn't deal well with the adversity that you have to overcome in the postseason.

It makes me wonder if this also explains Eli. Eli is scrappy and far harder to rattle than Peyton. Perhaps this stems from that same "entitlement" and Eli had to live in his shadow and work harder to be recognized. Just a thought.

 

[Kontradiction]

Re: Divisonal round breakdown: Ravens at Broncos

Manning threw for a season low in passing yards the last game. The Ravens didn't have Pollard, Lewis, or Ellerbe in that one either. I wouldn't be so quick to write Baltimore off in this one.

I hope this is the most physical game of the year.

The more I talk about this game, the more I like Baltimore's chances going in there.

Who are they going to keep running? Moreno will get swallowed by Ngata. I'd like their chances in the running game a lot more if McGahee was healthy. This game is going to come down to Manning and his ability to throw the ball in that weather. With Pollard, Ellerbe, and Lewis all being back, I like the Ravens chances in this one. They have a very good opportunity to pull of the upset unless Flacco chokes (which is a very real possibility).

As far as I know, there was only a few of us that called this. I would hope that everyone feels as good about the Pats as I do.