How Strong is the Curse of Deflategate?

[goheels22002]

Since Deflategate started the two dastardly teams that started it - the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts - have failed to reach the playoffs.

We head into week 17 with a scenario where the Ravens have to beat the Cleveland Browns in Baltimore, and the Colts have to beat the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

Both games are loaded with drama. The Colts - Titans is two rookie coaches fighting for a playoff spot (Go Titans!) The Ravens - Browns game is the old nasty Ratbirds versus the Phoenix-Rising-From-The-Ashes Browns who can finish over .500 and sweep the dreaded Ratbirds in 2018 just as they did to Cincinnati yesterday.

Belichick has his DNA all over both matchups. The Titans are the Patriots South. Jacoby Brissett and Adam Vinatieri are lurking along the sideline in Indy (not to mention Josh McDaniels leaving their drug-addled owner at the altar in the Spring).

The Browns are Belichick's legacy team where so many top NFL men cut their teeth. The Ratbirds are the Browns who fired Belichick before loading up the Mayflower moving trucks to go to Baltimore to replace the Colts which was Bill Belichick's first NFL employer when he worked for Ted Marchibroda.

The long shadow of Deflategate darkens their path. Worst of luck, ***hats.

 

[Uptown]

Baltimore should handle Cleveland.

Indy should handle a (most-likely) Mariota-less TEN squad.

However, any given Sunday...

 

[TB_Helmet]

Great post. Have the Ravens clinched or can they still be eliminated with a loss and Steelers win?

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Great post. Have the Ravens clinched or can they still be eliminated with a loss and Steelers win?

They would be eliminated, unless IND and TEN ends in a tie.

 

[archstanton543]

Pretty strong. Fans of other teams are unwilling to hear counter evidence to the League's narrative leaving us Pats fans to look like crazy conspiracy theorists when explaining the facts to them.

 

[Nikolai]

Pretty strong. Fans of other teams are unwilling to hear counter evidence to the League's narrative leaving us Pats fans to look like crazy conspiracy theorists when explaining the facts to them.

I converted a hardened hater the other day (a Lions fan of all things). The crack in the armor came because he believed the videotaping walkthrough lie. After I disproved that, and disproved Bountygate, he was willing to hear out the Defamegate counterargument.

I should be a lawyer...