Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

[letekro]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

First of all, I think the Pats are 50/50 to beat either team on a neutral field (So 55/45 given the HFA), so I don't really care which team it is, but I would slightly prefer Indy for this reason: even if Luck has a great game, Brady should too because they should be able to game plan Mathis and annihilate that secondary; never mind what our running game would do to their undersized front. If Dalton, by chance, has a great game, the Pats may not be able to match them. I know they don't have Atkins, but Michael Johnson didn't play in that first game, so the pass rush should be comparable to the one that gave the Pats so much trouble in the regular season. I also don't think Andrew Hawkins played in that first game, and Gio Bernard wasn't yet the staple of that offense that he is now. Marvin Jones hadn't been fully incorporated either.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

Perhaps because of that late ravens game where he threw multiple picks....at home and somehow won the game. If he does that here, he's toast. Dalton can be really good, but he can also be really bad.

 

[Rob0729]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

I'll take either - Cincy seems scarier b/c they already beat us, but let's see them in Foxboro. Indy scares me less. I attribute that loss to KC more than I give the win to Indy. That was a TOTAL KC collapse - one that most teams will avoid. Whether it was injuries, Reid's wonderful clock management, or a combo of the two - Indy loses that game 9/10 times - especially in the playoffs. We may dominate noone in the post-season, but bring in an OL like Indy's into Foxboro and I love our chances. Mathis is another beast, but i have to believe we can stop one guy even with our OL situation. I do not understand all the fear of Indy and 'give me Cincy" attitude - at least based on some of the reasons given. Yes, I like the revenge factor, but I think the easier path is through Indy. If we can beat Cincy, it will be the bigger confidence boost. Cannot wait to see it play out.

I agree that too much is being made of Luck's comeback rather than how the Chiefs let the colts back in the game. As they pointed out on NBC's halftime show, the Chiefs played the game with a 28 point lead as if it was a tied game. They also left TY Hilton in single coverage too much.

I think it has to do with all the injuries especially to Jamaal Charles and Flowers, but the Chiefs could have won by a TD or two if they played smarter.

I think the Pats match up well against the Colts. The Colts have no defense as evidence how they gave up 44 points to a Charles-less Chiefs. TY Hilton replaced Reggie Wayne as Luck's go to WR. The Pats usually take away teams' best weapons.

I predicted a Pats/Colts AFCCG, but I would think the Pats have a favorable match up if Indy came here next Sunday.

 

[RobertWeathers]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

In playoff football, you want to take the least diverse, more injured, weaker team defensively.

QB: Edge- Indy

Running: Edge- Slight edge to Indy. Indy's RBs are serviceable and seem to be running better lately than Cinci's

WR: Cinci. More weapons, but clearly Indy can make plays with Luck's ability to make things happen.

Defense: Cinci. Run D, Pass D although you could make a case that with Mathis and the year he has had, he gives Indy the slight advantage in the pass rush.

So I guess I'm picking Indy because their defense isn't as good as Cinci's, their offense is not as diverse and they seem to be not as banged up as Cinci.

 

[letekro]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

Congratulations to Indianapolis for winning a game I believe they would of lost w/ Peyton Manning. Down 28, the Colts of old would of wilted beneath the pressure and spent the game sulking on the sidelines.

Luck played Championship football. Indy fans, having never actually seen that before, are still in a state of complete bewilderment.

After that comeback, send Indy to go give Denver their one-and-done. They can do it. All the experts will be wrong.

That's a narrative I want to see, especially coming on the year of Indy's owner's twitter account.

Let the media feast on that. My money is on Luck.
Championship football > October stat-compiling.

Will be hilarious irony. Hilarious, glorious, legacy-killing irony.

I'm officially all in on Cinci. Bring Cinci here and we'll watch the most glorious one-and-done in the history of the AFC at Mile High Stadium.

opcorn:

You really have a Peyton Manning complex. First of all, he has a ring, so how is it that he has never played "Championship Football"? Second, as any Pats fan knows, the guy was freaking terrifying in that dome, bringing them back from 18 down in the AFCCG, from 21 down in 2003 (before ultimately falling a yard short thanks to Ted Washington and Willie McGinest), and from 13 down with 4 minutes left in 2009 (the Kevin Faulk game). BB was so scared of PM that he took chances against the Colts that he NEVER would have against any other team (including the 4th and 2). Manning has certainly played some bad football in the playoffs, but let's not pretend he didn't lead some large comebacks in that dome or that the Colts "wilted" whenever they got behind.

 

[letekro]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

So you want the pats to face statistically the best passing defense, best rushing defense , and best runningback left in the playoffs?

by "best running back", I assume (hope) you are referring to Gio Bernard and not BJGE?

 

[SHOWTIME15]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

brady has had problems against teams with strong d-lines - of all the remaining AFC teams, Cincy's front 7 is the best. Indy can't stop anyone.

 

[shmessy]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

Andrew Luck giving Peyton another one-and-done is just too glorious not to root for, especially since it would be the same year Indy's owner was tweeting about the Colts new direction to win when it matters.

The Colts owner is a drunken ass and his twittering is juvenile idiocy. Why would anyone revel in that? He's like a louder Dan Snyder.

 

[goheels22002]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

In playoff football, you want to take the least diverse, more injured, weaker team defensively.

QB: Edge- Indy

Running: Edge- Slight edge to Indy. Indy's RBs are serviceable and seem to be running better lately than Cinci's

WR: Cinci. More weapons, but clearly Indy can make plays with Luck's ability to make things happen.

Defense: Cinci. Run D, Pass D although you could make a case that with Mathis and the year he has had, he gives Indy the slight advantage in the pass rush.

So I guess I'm picking Indy because their defense isn't as good as Cinci's, their offense is not as diverse and they seem to be not as banged up as Cinci.

Colts running game sucks:

Indianapolis Colts Stats at NFL.com

Gio and Law Firm are much tougher in the cold of Gillette to handle.

Clearly the Colts are the better match-up in Foxborough in January.

 

[Dagg]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

Indi is who we want for a few reasons.

1 all you have to do is take away TY Hilton as Rodney Harrison said. Thats really it he is all they have, the RBs are pedestrian and make the other guys beat you. Cin has better Wr depth and TE.

2 the secondary is a hot mess and really banged up. I also think they can be run on pretty easily, really a shame Charles got hurt I had him pegged for a huge day and a KC win.

3 I hate their owner so I want us to take a dump on him and send him packing:bricks:

 

[Bhelmet]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

The Bengals will give the Pats all they can handle physically. I cannot say the same about the Colts. One fewer of those more physical games in the playoffs I see as a good thing - there are few other match-ups that offer that possibility. If it weren't for all the injuries this season, I may feel otherwise, but I would rather save the PHYSICAL play for the last 2 games.

 

[RobertWeathers]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

Colts running game sucks:

Indianapolis Colts Stats at NFL.com

Gio and Law Firm are much tougher in the cold of Gillette to handle.

Clearly the Colts are the better match-up in Foxborough in January.

Statistically, Cinci is not much better. Out of the all the RBs Brown is the biggest threat to bust one. BJGE does not scare me.

 

[MassPats38]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

The Colts owner is a drunken ass and his twittering is juvenile idiocy. Why would anyone revel in that? He's like a louder Dan Snyder.

Not a fan of the Colts organization at all. I once believed it was just Polian, but that nitwit's teen-like tweets proved otherwise.

It's great Luck came from behind and righted his ship so to speak (he showed composure and made plays after a bad start), but he did so after the Chiefs lost their primary offensive weapon in Charles and important pieces on the defense in pass coverage. Sorry, but 3 picks is not championship football, especially against a defense that cannot pressure (the hype came against the bad teams when it accrued seemingly legendary sack stats and completely shut down against good teams) and that was shredded by Manning twice this season. Nice heads up play when a fumble bounced off an offensive lineman instead of flying into the defensive hands, but that was in many ways luck, not Luck. Not a game I would credit as a coming of age and proof Luck bests Manning, as KC is not the Pats Super Bowl era defense. Not even close.

The Chiefs are the 2-5 team they were down the stretch, and I suspect few saw them putting 44 points on the Colts and making this a game. This looked more like the the beatdown the Colts received in Indy from the Rams earlier in the season, until fortune in the form of multiple KC injuries gifted a comeback. There is no way I see the Colts doing anything in Denver. They are not the same team that beat the Donkeys earlier this year after some key injuries (nor are the Pats, but I believe the Pats team is better, not worse as with the Colts, than it was in the previous meeting), and I see them getting beaten like a rented mule next week in a rematch if traveling to Denver.

I would prefer the Chargers win because the Bolts beat the Donkeys in Denver when the game mattered to the Donkeys. Rivers has been good in the post-season, and has played well this year. I don't see him folding in the playoff pressure on the road. If the Bolts play like they did previously this year against the Donkeys, then they could win. Play like they did against KC in the last game, then probably not.

As for who plays the Pats, it doesn't really matter. I don't fear the Donkeys, Chargers, or Bengals, so I don't think it's necessary to avoid any of them. If the Pats plan well and execute, then they can beat any of those teams. I would prefer two home games, but I won't be saying "nice season" anticipating a loss if a trip to Denver is necessary. The Broncos difficulties (ie. "they have our number") from the Shanahan and Elway era are no more, and ended when he left. Next team up, whichever it is.

 

[Patsrock]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

I look at it more as this team had already played Cinci. They lost. But they at least have experience this season with the Bengals. Rarely will a Brady/Belichick team falter twice in a season to the same team. It happened in 2006 and 2010 but still I'd rather Cinci roll through than Indy.

And 2011 and 2012.

 

[letekro]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

The Bengals will give the Pats all they can handle physically. I cannot say the same about the Colts. One fewer of those more physical games in the playoffs I see as a good thing - there are few other match-ups that offer that possibility. If it weren't for all the injuries this season, I may feel otherwise, but I would rather save the PHYSICAL play for the last 2 games.

The colts may not be physical but they were taking a Chief out on every other play.

 

[patsinthesnow]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

My case for rooting for the Chargers:

Why we want the Chargers to play the Broncos:

-The Chargers held the Broncos to 28 and 20 points in the regular season.
-The Chargers narrowly lost the first game, and that was before Allen and Mathews emerged.
-Division games are always weird. The Dolphins got smashed by the Jets/Bills yet beat us, while the Jets even edged out a win vs. us this year. Anything can happen.
-Philip Rivers has ended Manning's season 2x already, in 2007 and 2009.

Why we want to face the Colts:

-The Colts offense plays right into our defenses strengths. They have no running game and just one legit passing option. Talib/McCourty will make sure no bombs to Hilton happen.
-The Colts offense/defense are just less talented than the Bengals. The Colts pass defense is average at best (opposing qbr, yards per pass, comp pct.), while their rushing defense leaves alot to be desired. Why rather face a top 5 defense in the Bengals?
-AJ Green, Giovani Bernard, Tyler Eifert, Marvin Jones, or Ty Hilton, Donald Brown, Coby Fleener, and Griff Whalen. I'll take the latter.

 

[RobertWeathers]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

I would prefer the Chargers win because the Bolts beat the Donkeys in Denver when the game mattered to the Donkeys. Rivers has been good in the post-season, and has played well this year. I don't see him folding in the playoff pressure on the road. If the Bolts play like they did previously this year against the Donkeys, then they could win. Play like they did against KC in the last game, then probably not.

I agree. I think today's SD @ CIN game will be a very good game. Rivers has had an outstanding year and while I don't think is as good of a postseason QB as you say, he has performed well on the road ( @ Indy in 2007 and @ Pitt in the cold in 2008). I still remember, while he wasn't at this best really toughed it out @ Foxboro in 07 on a torn ACL. Pretty admirable. SD has an excellent short passing game with Woody, Royal and Gates and can stretch it with Allen. If Matthews can keep his focus, they can run the ball effectively as well. I wonder about the SD defense but there is something about Andy Dalton that I just don't like. His team wins and can play very well but hes too erratic for my liking.

SD 31 CIN 28

 

[Bhelmet]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

The colts may not be physical but they were taking a Chief out on every other play.

Can't speak to all of them - I only saw Charles and Flowers get hurt. That guy tried to get Charles with the forearm shiver, but I am not sure he connected. Flowers had nothing to do with any play by the Colts outside of perhaps someone landing on him. I was on the computer listening more than watching for most of the game.

 

[CelticPatriot]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

I'd rather face Cincy for a couple of reasons.... 1) Luck > Dalton, Dalton is good, Luck is special. 2) Indy have a good chance of winning in Denver (so do SD to be fair).

Ideal scenario would be for Indy to beat Denver, Pats to beat Cincy, Indy @ Pats in the AFCCG

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

re: Why I'm rooting for Cincinnati

I am rooting for SD today. Cinci has never won a playoff game under Lewis, and getting their first win today might take the monkey off their back.