Mythbusting: Patriots benefit from a weak division?

[JetFan79]

He thought we wouldn’t notice. Blockhead was a shell-shocked interception machine once the games counted. That photo you saw right there will literally be the pinnacle of his career.

The Awesome Stat That Shows Just How Great Sam Darnold Has Been Playing Since His Return

New York Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold has played extremely well over the past three weeks. In fact, he’s arguably been the best under center in the entire NFL during that span, according to Pro Football Focus.

 

[Joker]

I was AT this game numbnutz...the LAST game of the season? Ring a bell you ding dong daddy? THIS was the culmination of precious Damn Darnit's pathetic, lackluster season...so no, we didn't miss a thing. B-U-S-T to go along with J-E-T-E.

Jets vs. Patriots - Box Score - December 30, 2018 - ESPN

 

[venecol]

And we care about this, why?

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I was AT this game numbnutz...the LAST game of the season? Ring a bell you ding dong daddy? THIS was the culmination of precious Damn Darnit's pathetic, lackluster season...so no, we didn't miss a thing. B-U-S-T to go along with J-E-T-E.

Jets vs. Patriots - Box Score - December 30, 2018 - ESPN

Trying to get one by us again. Those were the the last three weeks BEFORE THE LAST WEEK of the season, when Blockhead reverted back to his normal form as the worst QB in the NFL. So much for that step forward. JeteFan almost fooled me again, just like the preseason picture.

 

[Joker]

And we care about this, why?

Why??????? The Jete fan is in and of itself a DISEASE! We MUST remain vigilant as this persistent infestation knows no limits.

 

[venecol]

Why??????? The Jete fan is in and of itself a DISEASE! We MUST remain vigilant as this persistent infestation knows no limits.

Lmao yes of course, but I was talking about the mythbusting thread topic. It's just nonsense.

 

[Joker]

oh..that? yeah..it should have been titled "Shannon Sharpe Is Still An Indecipherable Idiot"

 

[mgteich]

To be clear, we really believe that we face stronger opps in our division that do PITT or DEN or even INDY?

Power rankings aren't everything. However, I believe that all the teams we face in our division are in the bottom 10. I just checked the espn rankings. MIA is at 22 (a bit higher than I thought, perhaps because of the new set of coaches). BUFF and NYJ are at 29 and 30, two of the four of the very worst.

 

[wolverinejoe80]

maybe they suck because of us?

let's look at the bills for example. they really weren't that bad with tyrod taylor. but of course they have to do it all over again because they know they arent going to win the SB with tyrod taylor.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

The Awesome Stat That Shows Just How Great Sam Darnold Has Been Playing Since His Return

New York Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold has played extremely well over the past three weeks. In fact, he’s arguably been the best under center in the entire NFL during that span, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Pats' past 3 weeks were against the Rams, the Chiefs, and the Chargers.

What were Sam Ladyhands' stats those 3 weeks?

Oh that's right. Not only did you conveniently knock out the game that didn't fit, you lied up-front talking about the "past 3 weeks."

Jetefan, you don't even get to the part of the season we judge by.

Elsewhere on these pages, I've just noted that ONCE since the turn of the century, Patriots fans have had to wait for three years between Super Bowls. We've been to 4 of the last 5, and we've won 3 of the last 5. Not to mention 3 out of 4 at the beginning of the dynasty.

How many have the JETE gone to?

I've watched sad, delusional JETE fans spin weird yarns about how Brady was lucky, just cheated, only reflected Belichick's coaching, etc. Meanwhile I've watched the JETE fan commissioner confiscate draft picks by the handful in a vain attempt to stop the Patriots off the field.

But most of all these past 2 decades, I've watched JETE fans produce delusions of adequacy by indulging in delusions of grandeur about their new toys procured in high pick after high pick in the NFL* draft.

Chad Pennington was "Better than Brady." 18th pick overall in the draft. 0 rings. That one was especially funny to watch, JETE fans babbling about how much better Chad "really" was, despite his lack of results. Emblematic about what "real" means to JETE fans.

In 2008, Brett Favre was going to slide sideways out of retirement and get the JETE a super bowl ring in the process, to listen to JETE fans at the time (and then end his career in Jersey.)

Brett Favre: o rings (with the JETE )

Mark Sanchez, QB, USC: Fifth overall pick in the NFL* draft. 0 overall rings.

Next messiah up: Geno Smith. 39th overall pick. 0 overall rings.

While the JETE were experimenting with the walking dead corpse of Ryan Fitzpatrick, I kept seeing delusional JETE fans sing the praises of the last draft acquisition Bryce Petty. Seriously, what the hell is a Bryce Petty? 0 rings all the way around.

Now color me shocked;

Sam Darnold, QB, USC: Third overall pick in the NFL* draft. 0 overall rings.

And you and I both know that's how it'll stay. That's why you're making **** up about how he's had the best last 3 games in the league, despite us destroying him in the season finale.

Looking around for some cherry-picked stat to provide you false hope about your latest savior, who couldn't even stay on the field with the JETE.

Are you joking?

This team, the Patriots, is a championship factory. We're still enjoying this year's ring, and looking forward to next year's.

Try to contain your fantasizing to the JETE suck thread. We've just been to 4 out of 5 SBs and won 3 out of 5 while you've been spewing out your pablum and excuses. Your team is not relevant except as a running joke. So we made you a whole thread commensurate to the JETE place in the cosmos, right next to that Washington Generals team that the Harlem Globetrotters always play. The difference is, the JETE were supposed to be a serious team.

Hasn't mattered for 50 years.

Loved seeing Namath at the trophy presentation though. That guy had 1 really good year there. Good to see him on the field at a SB again, sober enough not to try to slobber on any woman journalists for the camera. (A real student of the game, that Joe Willy)

 

[maust]

To be clear, we really believe that we face stronger opps in our division that do PITT or DEN or even INDY?

Power rankings aren't everything. However...

I know not all of who comprises this 'we' you speak of but the me part of 'we' believes that some years 'we' face stronger opponents in division than some other teams do and some years weaker. What 'we' do know for a certainty is the Pats win at a comparable rate in and out of the division. When you consider that the AFC numbers are in spite of the fact that in any given year the Pats are only playing the top team in two of the other divisions that consistency is even more impressive.

Power rankings are sh!t and power rankings of next year's teams right now are flat out ridiculous. Lending them any credence is a fool's errand

 

[Tb12goesinya]

This might be the wrong thread for this but how about all the Brady haters who say Pats won 11 games without him... Yeah we also finished 5 games worse and finished 3rd place... No disrespect to the job BB did that year. The divisions assigned to AFC east that year must have been poor.

 

[Doctor DDS]

Hard to compare divisions without the top team included. The Pats are the only team that has been at the top of their division for virtually their entire run (2 ties) while most divisions flip teams at the top regularly. Miami, NY and Buffalo also happen to be at a lower point than normal at the moment so the argument may feel more credible than if they examined the entire 18 year time period.

 

[mgteich]

Agreed.

But the argument is that the patriots benefit from a relatively weak division. My position is straightforward. We've won the division for a decade against BUF, NYJ, and MIA. Perhaps, it would be the same against BALT, CIN and CLE. Perhaps; it would be the same against the chargers, the raiders and the chiefs. Perhaps, it would be the same against the titans, the jags and the texans. Personally, I would much rather play in our division that facing the first two sets of teams. I think more even against the AFC South.

I suppose we can go back 18 years, if that is what we must. Personally, I think going back a decade is sufficient.
=======
I'll make the argument clearer. I suspect PITT would give up its first round draft choice every year to be able to play BUFF, NYJ and MIA instead of BALT, CIN and CLE.

[QUOTE="Doctor DDS, post: 5531125, member: 12561".Miami, NY and Buffalo also happen to be at a lower point than normal at the moment so the argument may feel more credible than if they examined the entire 18 year time period.[/QUOTE]

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

This might be the wrong thread for this but how about all the Brady haters who say Pats won 11 games without him... Yeah we also finished 5 games worse and finished 3rd place... No disrespect to the job BB did that year. The divisions assigned to AFC east that year must have been poor.

That Matt Cassell point seems to get weaker every year. The Patriots have now won the division for 15 of the past 16 years. Anyone want to guess which year they didn’t?

 

[tasmlab]

Is Chad Pennington the closest thing another AFCE team has had the resembles consistency at the QB position since Brady took over?

 

[sb1]

The division outside of the Patriots does suck.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Is Chad Pennington the closest thing another AFCE team has had the resembles consistency at the QB position since Brady took over?

Yes. This is why even with the winning percentage, you need to acknowledge the historic shortcomings of the division. It doesn’t really take anything away from the Patriots, since they win at a higher rate outside the division and are winning .750 in the postseason (!).

But are the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets a huge outlier in terms of all three being horrendous in developing real contenders? Absolutely. They may be the absolute bottom three teams in the NFL since 2001 in the QB department, which is the most important position in football.

 

[sb1]

Yes. This is why even with the winning percentage, you need to acknowledge the historic shortcomings of the division. It doesn’t really take anything away from the Patriots, since they win at a higher rate outside the division and are winning .750 in the postseason (!).

But are the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets a huge outlier in terms of all three being horrendous in developing real contenders? Absolutely. They may be the absolute bottom three teams in the NFL since 2001 in the QB department, which is the most important position in football.

And coach.

 

[Doctor DDS]

Hard to say how the Pats would have fared in a different division as you'd need to know who they replaced. Replacing the Steelers vs the Browns would be a huge difference. I do think the AFCE has helped but do not think its been significant.