Patriots Pregame Thread Week 18: Dolphins at Patriots, 4:25 on Fox

[jmt57]

Problem with attempting to be the #3 seed rather than the #2 seed is that the team would then play on the road in the divisional round, rather than playing at home.

 

[denverpatsfan]

I am not saying it would be the only reason that he will come to this decision. Just stating he won't bench starters who have realistic shots at incentives. Belichick did bench players with realistic shots at incentives at times. Other coaches would bench them too.

Bill was an ahole...

 

[Stu Pidassle]

I agree but give him a pass because of the years of inescapable misery that he went through with the brain trauma. It really can't be overstated how horrific that is. If he's still mad, I get it. If he still has impulse control issues with that anger, I get it.

I know first hand how impactful head injuries can be, so I am sympathetic that he has gone through a lot. My real frustration is with WEEI for profiting off his suffering and hyping up every off the rails comment, even when his co-hosts think his points are over the line.

 

[mgteich]

WTF? Why do we want a worse seeding? Give up home field advantage?

In the playoffs you need to be able to beat any opponent. Trying to pick your opponent is a waste of time, especially if you give up HFA to do it.

I have agreed with folks. The patriots will go all out to win against MIA, whatever it takes and celebrate the victory no matter how many are injured, calling it bad luck.

 

[mgteich]

Problem with attempting to be the #3 seed rather than the #2 seed is that the team would then play on the road in the divisional round, rather than playing at home.

agreed

My concern is winning the first playoff game.

I think that a healthy patriots team will have a very good chance to go far, and even on the road where we are undefeated.

So many folks think that there will be no trouble beating the chargers and JAX, giving us an easy road.

They also see us doing to MIA what we did to the jets: a huge stomping without even a scratch.
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For me, I do think that we will easily beat MIA, after a fight for a couple of quarters and perhaps halfway into the 3rd. But, we won't start taking starters out until we are relatively sure of the victory. I see playing starters as an enormous injury risk for a team with exactly nothing to prove before each game of the playoffs.

What I want going into our playoff game is a completely clean injury report. But sure, I'd like to see our backups beat MIA. I think that they have a good chance of doing just that.

 

[Zuma]

 

[Wax Frog]

Always hated it, the playoff system was perfect with 6 teams and 2 byes. Hate it even more now that we are getting screwed… imagine a 14 win division champ playing on wild card weekend.

 

[Uptown]

Miami will be playing in 20 degree weather. 14-3

 

[Uptown]

 

[Uptown]

Top 5 in total points; Only team in the AFC.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

****SPOILER ALERT**** ****SPOILER ALERT****


****SPOILER ALERT**** ****SPOILER ALERT****



DO NOT READ THIS If You Want To Be Surprised On Sunday:




As the Patriots are busy finishing off blowing out the Dolphins, the Chargers will mount a late comeback and score at the last minute to beat the Broncos by one point in Denver, making the Pats the top seed in the AFC.

After the game, Jim Harbaugh will be blubbering, "I'm so proud of these guys, bleh bleh bleh..."

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Problem with attempting to be the #3 seed rather than the #2 seed is that the team would then play on the road in the divisional round, rather than playing at home.

Yeah and we know how hard it is for this team to play on the road...

But seriously, folks... football teams looking to be the big bad don't try to finesse the choice of opponent, they make themselves inevitable. That's us again. I believe that this team's as good as any in the league, and that certainly includes Buffalo. I personally don't look at any team as "the team it would be terrible/easy to play." You know how stoked I was in 2007 that the Giants were facing us in the Super Bowl?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

506 Sports - NFL Maps: Week 18, 2025

We get to listen to Greg Olsen; Brady is doing the Chicago game.

 

[TommyD4207]

506 Sports - NFL Maps: Week 18, 2025

We get to listen to Greg Olsen; Brady is doing the Chicago game.

I wonder if Brady asked out of the game. Weird he's assigned to a game with virtually nothing to play for.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I wonder if Brady asked out of the game. Weird he's assigned to a game with virtually nothing to play for.

The FOX schedule is a dog. The only game that might mean anything is NO/ATL, and that only if TB wins.

 

[TommyD4207]

The FOX schedule is a dog. The only game that might mean anything is NO/ATL, and that only if TB wins.

Patriots still have a chance at the 1 seed, and Maye is playing for an MVP - it's just kind of weird he's not assigned to the game. And there's a possibility he asked out - which is kinda interesting anyway.

 

[patchick]

I wonder if Brady asked out of the game. Weird he's assigned to a game with virtually nothing to play for.

Probably the network is more interested in eyeballs than playoff implications (witness the Cowboys' perennial domination of national game slots). The broadcast map shows that the Chicago game will reach 6 of the top 10 media markets, and the Patriots game just 2.

 

[TheRainMaker]

WTF? Why do we want a worse seeding? Give up home field advantage?

In the playoffs you need to be able to beat any opponent. Trying to pick your opponent is a waste of time, especially if you give up HFA to do it.

While I agree with you, the Pats did this in 2005 (which I didn't agree with). They would've been the #3 seed had they just taken care of Miami, but Brady was pulled early and lost to the Dolphins sliding down to the #4 seed. My guess is that Bill didn't want to face Denver again in the divisional round and go to the familiar Indy instead. In the end, it didn't matter because Palmer got injured and Pittsburgh beat Cincy which sent them to Indy in round 2 and the Pats going back to Denver.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

While I agree with you, the Pats did this in 2005 (which I didn't agree with). They would've been the #3 seed had they just taken care of Miami, but Brady was pulled early and lost to the Dolphins sliding down to the #4 seed. My guess is that Bill didn't want to face Denver again in the divisional round and go to the familiar Indy instead. In the end, it didn't matter because Palmer got injured and Pittsburgh beat Cincy which sent them to Indy in round 2 and the Pats going back to Denver

They had the 4 seed entering the game. Cincinnati, the 3 seed, rolled over in that Week 17 game, because PIT was locked in as the 6 seed. CIN offered up the 3 seed on a silver platter; without that NE would've been 4. As I recall, no one wanted to face PIT that year.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Ted is such a ****, he's fkn pathetic. Bah

He's had signs of dementia:

Johnson says Pats coach ignored LB's concussion

Former linebacker Ted Johnson says concussions, in part caused by the Patriots, has caused him to have many problems.

www.espn.com