Incredibly important week for the Patriots

[TommyD4207]

They're still a much tougher team at home than they are on the road, as Arrowhead provides a challenge.

The Patriots were a botched Billy Cundiff chip shot FG away from losing 4 in a row at home in the playoffs themselves, obviously before winning 2 more SBs.

Chiefs last 5 years at home:

6-2, 6-2, 5-3, 5-3. 1-7

They're no different than any other good team. 75% at home, 50% on the road. There's no mystique of home field advantage there. It's a myth. And their home playoff record is an actual thing.

 

[supafly]

Chiefs last 5 years at home:

6-2, 6-2, 5-3, 5-3. 1-7

They're no different than any other good team. 75% at home, 50% on the road. There's no mystique of home field advantage there. It's a myth. And their home playoff record is an actual thing.

Not sure what you're even debating, man. I made a simple statement that playing at Arrowhead would definitely be tougher and there's truth to that comment. It's loud there and they can probably take what actually looks like a real team (as opposed to most of the yrs that you used as examples) and possibly use that noise to their advantage.

As far as the "real thing" comment, whether you want to admit it or not, the Pats lost at home during the postseason in '09, '10, and '12, and were a missed chip shot away from including '11 as well. It happened. It was a real thing, and it was close to being 4 yrs in a row. And it had absolutely no bearing on their ability to bounce back and win SBs in 2014 and 2016.

I'm not saying that we should be afraid of going there, just that it has the capacity to be difficult.

 

[Ring 6]

They're still a much tougher team at home than they are on the road, as Arrowhead provides a challenge.

The Patriots were a botched Billy Cundiff chip shot FG away from losing 4 in a row at home in the playoffs themselves, obviously before winning 2 more SBs.

Huh?
Patriots didn't lose more than 2 in a row at home on the playoffs and they won by 35 the week before.

 

[supafly]

Huh?
Patriots didn't lose more than 2 in a row at home on the playoffs and they won by 35 the week before.

They lost in the '09 postseason at home. They lost in the '10 postseason at home. They lost in the '12 postseason at home. That's 3/4 years. Had it not been for the missed chip shot FG by Cundiff in '11, it would have been 4 years in a row at home in the playoffs.

 

[Oswlek]

Before the season the combination of Bledsoe, Woody, Glenn, Brown, McGinest, Law, Milloy, Smith, Vrabel, Bruschi, Phifer, Seymour and Light coming in as high picks... that was generally considered not enough to make them a talented team, the consensus had them below average, but still way ahead of the 2017 Jets at least.

A poll done of league personnel prior to the 2001 season graded NE as the least likely team to win the SB in the next 5 years. They were not viewed as a run-of-the-mill below average team in 2001, they were considered arguably the worst in the NFL. And that was before losing Bledsoe.

The Patriots were a botched Billy Cundiff chip shot FG away from losing 4 in a row at home in the playoffs themselves,

How could this be so when they beat Denver at home to get into the AFCCG? And wouldn't Cundiff have just tied it?

 

[supafly]

How could this be so when they beat Denver at home to get into the AFCCG? And wouldn't Cundiff have just tied it?

I meant four years in a row, bud. Not four games in a row. Point being, it had nothing to do with the fact that they went on to win the SB again in '14 and '16.

KC may have had some teams that struggled once the postseason hit and that may/may not continue, but they're obviously still a much tougher out when a big game is at Arrowhead. The fact that they've lost 5 in a row there doesn't mean **** to me, but some will feel differently. I wouldn't be afraid of them, but would much prefer to avoid going there, if possible. It seems as though some disagree with that thinking.

 

[Ring 6]

They lost in the '09 postseason at home. They lost in the '10 postseason at home. They lost in the '12 postseason at home. That's 3/4 years. Had it not been for the missed chip shot FG by Cundiff in '11, it would have been 4 years in a row at home in the playoffs.

But they won at home the week before so it would not have been 4 in a row.

 

[Ring 6]

I meant four years in a row, bud. Not four games in a row. Point being, it had nothing to do with the fact that they went on to win the SB again in '14 and '16.

KC may have had some teams that struggled once the postseason hit and that may/may not continue, but they're obviously still a much tougher out when a big game is at Arrowhead. The fact that they've lost 5 in a row there doesn't mean **** to me, but some will feel differently. I wouldn't be afraid of them, but would much prefer to avoid going there, if possible. It seems as though some disagree with that thinking.

While it is obviously correct that what previous versions of a team did is not relevant to this version I think the point here is that KC does not appear to have a stronger HFA than anyone else, contrary to the myth that is often floated.

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

I meant four years in a row, bud. Not four games in a row. Point being, it had nothing to do with the fact that they went on to win the SB again in '14 and '16.

KC may have had some teams that struggled once the postseason hit and that may/may not continue, but they're obviously still a much tougher out when a big game is at Arrowhead. The fact that they've lost 5 in a row there doesn't mean **** to me, but some will feel differently. I wouldn't be afraid of them, but would much prefer to avoid going there, if possible. It seems as though some disagree with that thinking.

They're beatable but it would take a huge effort to win in Kansas City. They're a good team. Interesting to see how they do against pittsburgh this weekend.

 

[supafly]

They lost in the '09 postseason at home. They lost in the '10 postseason at home. They lost in the '12 postseason at home. That's 3/4 years. Had it not been for the missed chip shot FG by Cundiff in '11, it would have been 4 years in a row at home in the playoffs.

But they won at home the week before so it would not have been 4 in a row.

 

[supafly]

While it is obviously correct that what previous versions of a team did is not relevant to this version I think the point here is that KC does not appear to have a stronger HFA than anyone else, contrary to the myth that is often floated.

If that's the point, then I agree, but I think when you combine that type of crowd noise/environment with a good on the field product like we're seeing in 2017, it may pose quite a threat.

Outside of going to Mile High in the postseason, Arrowhead would be my next choice for venues that I'd like to avoid.

 

[supafly]

They're beatable but it would take a huge effort to win in Kansas City. They're a good team. Interesting to see how they do against pittsburgh this weekend.

Yes, through 5 weeks they seem to be the real deal.

The game vs PIT should be good, although I also think that people tend to overreact to teams based on one game performances. It's one of the first rules of betting. In other words, if PIT ends up winning with their backs to the wall this weekend, people may play the "KC was overrated" card, but both teams get paid and I highly doubt that anyone expects KC to go undefeated, media members be damned.

If KC starts off 6-0 by beating the Steelers, we may see them go 13-3 or something. I think that's reasonable. 12-4 would mean that they'd need to go 6-4 down the stretch.

 

[Pats1989]

For those saying Pats were a Cundiff FG away from losing in 2011, you do realize that would've tied the game right? A better statement would be to say they were a Lee Evans catch away from losing.

I'd rather play in KC in January than Denver. Why? Well because the Chiefs have yet to prove it in the playoffs. Denver has the altitude & psychological advantage over BB and TB.

 

[Uptown]

Chris Hogan is the first Patriots WR with a receiving TD in four straight games since Randy Moss in Weeks 6-11, 2007 (five straight games).

 

[mgteich]

Agreed

It's not clear how one loses two playoff games in a row. No one can accomplish that in any season.

I meant four years in a row, bud. Not four games in a row. Point being, it had nothing to do with the fact that they went on to win the SB again in '14 and '16.

KC may have had some teams that struggled once the postseason hit and that may/may not continue, but they're obviously still a much tougher out when a big game is at Arrowhead. The fact that they've lost 5 in a row there doesn't mean **** to me, but some will feel differently. I wouldn't be afraid of them, but would much prefer to avoid going there, if possible. It seems as though some disagree with that thinking.

 

[Uptown]

1. The Jets have turned the ball over in all five games this season and in 12 out of their last 13 dating back to last season. When forcing at least one turnover, the Patriots have won 15 out of their last 17 games, including the postseason.

2. The Patriots are on pace for 74 passing plays of 20 yards or more this season. Last year they had 53.

3. With one catch, Gronkowski will pass Julian Edelman for sole possession of sixth-place all-time on the Patriots’ career catch list. Both currently have 425. (Kevin Faulk is fifth with 431).

4. New England is averaging 19.4 points per game in the first half this year, the best in the NFL, but only averaging 10.2 points in the second half, which is 16th.

 

[supafly]

Agreed

It's not clear how one loses two playoff games in a row. No one can accomplish that in any season.

I think the difference is that KC's 5 games in a row goes back to 1993, meaning that they really haven't even hosted postseason games that often. I just threw out the '09, '10, '12, and close '11 games at home to point out that it was actually almost four years in a row for us, which I considered to be much worse.

The point was obviously that you don't know when these things turn around, but I'd consider the strength of the on field football team to carry a big portion of the weight when attempting to predict, and thus far, KC seems to be a more formidable foe than in years past.

 

[supafly]

I'd rather play in KC in January than Denver. Why? Well because the Chiefs have yet to prove it in the playoffs. Denver has the altitude & psychological advantage over BB and TB.

Well of course, Denver is always #1 on the house of horrors tour. I think going to KC would be #2, particularly this year. Others disagree.