Thoughts heading into week 17

[1960Pats]

Feel free to discuss mine or add your own.

It's enjoyable to see the Pats running the ball with the lead. Those games where they had a 10 point lead with 5 minutes left and passed on every down are OVAH BABY!

I told you so on Miami, tho I didn't think they would have clinched it before the last week. They knocked the Ratbirds, Donkeys and Indiots out of the playoffs. Nuff said.

This is the time of year when the Pats of old would need to win and get help to make the playoffs. Either they would lose or win but not get the help they needed. Not this team. They make their own destiny and if anything the breaks have gone their way this year.

I have to add extra recording time to games that are officiated by Ed Hochuli. Nothing new there.

This version of the Pats is back to being a double balanced team. Not only are they more balanced between the pass and the run but between the offense and the defense also.

Every day we should wake up and thank our lucky stars that Mike 'Two Point' Triplin's team isn't being coached by someone else. They would be far more dangerous than they are now.

Andrew Luck is one of the more over rated QBs. Nobody comes up smaller in big games.

Bill Belichick is Chuck Noll in many ways. A couple of differences are that BB has had to deal with free agency and a salary cap.

Everyone is overlooking the Dallas Cowboys and I don't know why.

My daughter in law is just learning the game and at the end of the 1st half last week I was explaining to her how Belichick would let the clock run out if the Jets didn't call time out, but that he wouldn't if the timeout was called. It was a perfect teaching moment.

The jets are worse than their 4-11 record.

It isn't just Goodell in the NYFL who sucks.

 

[patchick]

Everyone is overlooking the Dallas Cowboys and I don't know why.

Huh, I don't see this at all. Across the country, the Cowboys are THE story of this NFL season. Oddsmakers have them second to the Patriots to win it all, with all other teams trailing pretty distantly.

 

[The Gr8est]

Anyone think Oakland or Houston would be thrilled to have Jimmy G available to QB their playoff chances?

If the worst thing imaginable happened, and Brady was injured, the Pats SB chances would be damaged, but not ended, with Jimmy available.

 

[BobDigital]

I am not over looking the Cowboys though i think we match up pretty well with them.

Like us they have had a pretty easy schedule but unlike us they are young and so completely untested.

The best Ds they have faced in order.

Giants #3 19, 7 PPG
Baltimore #7 27PPG
Vikings #8 17PPG
Steelers #9 35PPG
Eagles #12 29PPG (23 in regulation... 3 of which was a gimme FG after a fumble)

So their O can be held down pretty well from Good Ds depending... Giants did it 2 times. Vikings did it and Eagles did it. Baltimore/Steelers could not. I will be looking more into why that happened exactly but I have no clear answer yet and I don't wanna to look too far ahead and do work that may not be needed. I will say though I do think our D could hold them to under 23. Just a guess.

What else needs to be said is though Dallas is good at stopping the run they are not good at stopping the pass. They are 24th in defensive passer rating and 27th in defensive passing yards.

I think that spells a lot of trouble for them facing us. This is a game you can say to Brady go out there and throw 40+ times and he will drop 30+

Though I have a lot of respect for Dallas we match up well vs them particularly our O vs their D and I would be surprised if our D can't hold fairly well if we can force them into a shoot out which i think we could.

 

[aluminum seats]

Huh, I don't see this at all. Across the country, the Cowboys are THE story of this NFL season. Oddsmakers have them second to the Patriots to win it all, with all other teams trailing pretty distantly.

Agreed. Thing is, it's pretty rare for the Super Bowl to be the two #1 seeds, so odds are either Dallas or the Pats stumble.

 

[drewskie]

Agreed. Thing is, it's pretty rare for the Super Bowl to be the two #1 seeds, so odds are either Dallas or the Pats stumble.

In the last 2 SBs, the #1 seed in each conference made it.

NE vs SEA
DEN vs CAR

Not that rare.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

This team reminds me of the 2003-04 teams. They can beat their opponent a different way every week.

 

[PatriotsPimp136]

A pats vs cowboys superbowl would be great for the nfl. That's what i would like.

Pats vs seahawks would be my second matchup.

 

[Brandon_Cox]

Pats vs Falcons would be wildly entertaining

 

[Mogamedogz]

Everyone is overlooking the Dallas Cowboys and I don't know why.

I don't know about anyone else, but personally, I don't see them as a real contender simply because of their inexperience.

Come playoff time I can't see them getting past a team like Seattle or Green Bay.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Anyone think Oakland or Houston would be thrilled to have Jimmy G available to QB their playoff chances?

If the worst thing imaginable happened, and Brady was injured, the Pats SB chances would be damaged, but not ended, with Jimmy available.

I think they'd strongly consider Brissett and I'm dead serious.

If he can go 12-25 170yds 1td, run a little, take care of the football and make good decisions...who wouldn't want that in a playoff game?

 

[aluminum seats]

In the last 2 SBs, the #1 seed in each conference made it.

NE vs SEA
DEN vs CAR

Not that rare.

Sure, it happens, might happen again this year. I just remember some graphic before the 2014 playoffs about it being very rare prior to that....and let's see...yes, I'm too lazy to look it up.

 

[RIpats88]

the pats running game IMO is what makes this team different than the other teams without gronkowski in recent years.

we have seen this year the patriots run all over and control the line of scrimmage against GOOD run defenses like the Ravens and Broncos. that paired with a defense that is starting to come in its own is a good recipe for winning championships.

 

[1960Pats]

Huh, I don't see this at all. Across the country, the Cowboys are THE story of this NFL season. Oddsmakers have them second to the Patriots to win it all, with all other teams trailing pretty distantly.

I've been skipping NYFL news so I don't really know what's out there. I was talking about here. Most of the posts I've read about them here were critical of Prescott, or expecting Elliot to hit the rookie wall.

Here's something I noticed about them on those rare occasions that I saw their games. I saw Dez Bryant getting away with a lot of stiff arms to get separation on passes. If that continues to be allowed in the playoffs the Cowboys will be very tough to beat.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Great post, amazingly i agree with each one.

I dont read alot of nationwide opinions but i know a few steeler fans who are tomlin defenders, and i just dont understand it. Cant help but agree with you how much he is holding them back. With the trio they have at qb-wr-rb and playing in a garbage division, no reason for that team to be fighting for their playoff lives in week 16. Crazy to think, if brown didnt stretch that extra inch, they probably miss the playoffs with the best wr in the game, best rb in the game, and the 3rd or 4th best qb.

This is seemingly the most balanced pats team since 2004. Of course they still have to prove it when it matters, but they are are still clear favorites going in and this is without gronk. With him in there it really shouldnt be a contest.

 

[Froob]

Sure, it happens, might happen again this year. I just remember some graphic before the 2014 playoffs about it being very rare prior to that....and let's see...yes, I'm too lazy to look it up.

Was pretty rare before 3 straight of DEN-SEA, NE-SEA, DEN-CAR. I think only NOLA-IND was the only one for like 10-15 years.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

Pats vs Falcons would be wildly entertaining

my top matchups would be either pats/dallas or packrs, or giants just to shut their ass up.

 

[jah]

Sure, it happens, might happen again this year. I just remember some graphic before the 2014 playoffs about it being very rare prior to that....and let's see...yes, I'm too lazy to look it up.

It was rare prior to 2013, then it happened 3 years in a row (and counting).

 

[1960Pats]

Great post, amazingly i agree with each one.

I dont read alot of nationwide opinions but i know a few steeler fans who are tomlin defenders, and i just dont understand it. Cant help but agree with you how much he is holding them back. With the trio they have at qb-wr-rb and playing in a garbage division, no reason for that team to be fighting for their playoff lives in week 16. Crazy to think, if brown didnt stretch that extra inch, they probably miss the playoffs with the best wr in the game, best rb in the game, and the 3rd or 4th best qb.

This is seemingly the most balanced pats team since 2004. Of course they still have to prove it when it matters, but they are are still clear favorites going in and this is without gronk. With him in there it really shouldnt be a contest.

The game winning TD by Brown is a great example of Pitt's coaching. There's no way Brown gets up and Pitt gets off a tying FG if his arm was pinned by his side. The Ratbirds would have never let him up in time.

 

[Wheelman]

I'm disappointed Gronk won't be on the field to win the Superbowl I fully expect us to win. I was disappointed Mayo wasn't on the field when we won XLIX.

I hope Brady throws for 3 TD's against the fishies. Ideally he throws 5 TD's.

I'm a little worried about some of the injuries we've had of late. I hope we don't get any injuries or aggravate any injuries. I hope the bye will allow everyone to heal. And for godsakes please hold back Bennett from practicing in the bye week.

Speaking of injuries, I'm very happy to see a healthy o-line. I'm hoping nobody gets injured. We have 2 backup tackles, but only 1 back up for center and guard on the 53 man roster. We do have 3 guards on the practice squad. But if one of our Guards/centre goes down for just a game but could be back for the Superbowl, which player do we cut to promote that player from the PS for the one game. Foster? Grissom? Probably Grissom? I just hope the o-line stays completely healthy all the way thru to the Superbowl.

I hope whatever is up with Hightower's knee is put behind us going into the playoffs. I'm still skeptical about Mcclellin and Van Noy. But it's all we got, so we'll just have to roll with it. I like the rotation we have with our edge guys. Very decent crop! The depth at DT is a little concerning but they've been rotating the three of them pretty evenly and we do have President Woodrow on the PS.

I really hope Matt Lengel can emerge as a serviceable TE in the passing game in the playoffs. That would be amazing!

I love our RB corps. We have the power back, change of pace back, 3rd down pass catching back and of course, fan and team favourite, James Develin! Plus we have Foster who is a bit of an unknown in what he can do but at least we have depth.

As for the field, I'm not sure what to expect against the Chiefs if we play them now that they have the pregnant woman strangler making dynamic plays. As always Alex Smith short passing game is a pain in the ass.
Steelers will have Rapistberger this time around. No Gronk for us. We had big plays via Gronk. I'm guessing Dion and White will be huge for us if we play them.
I'm still on the fence about the cowgirls. We really need to see more of them. Even if they make it to the Superbowl I'll still be on the fence about them. Where as in the AFC, the Pats are the favourites, in the NFC you just don't know. Any one of those teams could make it to the Superbowl in the NFC.