2007 NFL Playoffs

[KingPK 0]

Couple of very interesting articles I'd like to point out for the group.

 

First, this one from Football Outsiders (written before the playoffs began) that uses Sabermetrical analysis to find out what in particular makes a team successful in the playoffs (it ain't kickers). It's kinda long, but a good read. Red zone defense being high on the list was no surprise to me, but first down defense being even higher? That was.

 

Second, this (much shorter) piece from FOXSports.com (posted today and written by one of the FO guys) that looks at the Colts sudden defensive resurgence and why it has happened.

 

EDIT: I suppose I should have posted this in the NFL Forumtable thread. Oh well.

 

EDIT 2: Here's one from Cold Hard Football Facts that puts more statistical analysis on the whole "Is Manning a playoff choker?" debate.

Edited January 18, 2007 by KingPK

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

They couldn't just donate a portion of tickets or concessions revenue?

Well, not every team can be as brimming with class as the New England Patriots, you know.

 

Besides, it was 1985. Everyone was coked to the gills. Awkwardly gyrating football players rapping "now I'm as smooth as a chocolate swirl" along to a demo beat on a Casio probably seemed awesome at the time. And furthermore, the Super Bowl Shuffle represented a breakthrough in race relations and perception, in that it eliminated the idea that all black people naturally excel at music and dance.

[bob_barron 0]

[Vern Gagne 0]

I wonder if ESPN would bring a crew to Miami if Chicago made the Super Bowl?

[Art Sandusky 0]

The "Chicago's not getting any press instead of THE BAH GAWD CHOSEN TEAM FROM N'AWLINS" angle's getting extremely old, midwesterners.

[Cartman 0]

Especially after they barely beat a team that didn't belong in the playoffs in the first place. The NFC is garbage as a whole and the stupid Katrina sentiment is the only thing to talk about with that game.

[snuffbox 0]

Where's the respect for the NFC? The A has a long way to go to be as dominant as the NFC was for a couple decades. RESPECT.

 

"The AFC - We dominate cuz 8 point wins are blowouts."

[bob_barron 0]

I think a team that went 3-13, completely blew up the team and are now one game away from the Super Bowl is a good enough story if you want to ignore Katrina.

 

Yea, the NFC won like 15 Super Bowls in a row! Respect.

[snuffbox 0]

No. The only story here is the New England Patriots.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

Where's the respect for the NFC? The A has a long way to go to be as dominant as the NFC was for a couple decades. RESPECT.

 

"The AFC - We dominate cuz 8 point wins are blowouts."

The NFC;s respect disappeared when Young, Aikman and Sanders retired and the NFC started to generally suck year in and year out.

[Guest Smues]

The Superbowl Shuffle was good only because without it the Wrestlerock Rumble probably never would have been recorded.

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

If 8 points are a blowout, what the fuck was Super Bowl XX?

 

The Superbowl Shuffle was good only because without it the Wrestlerock Rumble probably never would have been recorded.

I'm Greg Gagne and I'm in a RAGE!!!! I want Brody an I wannaminna CAGE!

[Cartman 0]

No. The only story here is the New England Patriots.

 

Everyone hates teams that consistently win unless it's their favorite/home team.

[snuffbox 0]

SuperBowl XX was not a blowout. It was a closer game than the score would indicate...and it was a very important game historically. At that point the young Patriots allowed themselves to be sacrificed so they could rise again about 15 years later as the Jesus Christ of Professional Sport.

[Guest Smues]

If 8 points are a blowout, what the fuck was Super Bowl XX?

 

The Superbowl Shuffle was good only because without it the Wrestlerock Rumble probably never would have been recorded.

I'm Greg Gagne and I'm in a RAGE!!!! I want Brody an I wannaminna CAGE!

 

I'm Curt Hennig, and Big Scott Hall

Tag team champs, we'll take on 'em all

So bring on the Longriders, those dirtball gumbos

We'll smear those boys and do the Wrestlerock Rumble

UHHHHHHHHHHHH

[bob_barron 0]

No. The only story here is the New England Patriots.

 

Everyone hates teams that consistently win unless it's their favorite/home team.

 

The Patriots hate here is almost as bad as the....

 

Wait a minute

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

If 8 points are a blowout, what the fuck was Super Bowl XX?

 

Murder/Death/Kill.

[Cartman 0]

SuperBowl XX was not a blowout. It was a closer game than the score would indicate...and it was a very important game historically. At that point the young Patriots allowed themselves to be sacrificed so they could rise again about 15 years later as the Jesus Christ of Professional Sport.

Case and point.

 

BTW I dunno who originally posted the 8 points = blowout thing but it's really stupid.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Okay, I admit the 'blowout' comment was f'n dumb. Here, I'll amend it for everyone's sake... jeez. A blowout = a win by 30 or more points.

[A Happy Medium 0]

I've watched Super Bowl XX about fifteen times in my life. The final score of 46-10 was not misleading of how the game was played. If your post was nothing but sarcasm, I apologize...but still...

 

The Bears destroyed the Patriots. Look up the stats and tell me otherwise.

[snuffbox 0]

There might have been a touch of sarcasm there...

 

The Patriots did come back to earth a bit early in Jan 1997, but a few years later they were truly able to become Football Saviors.

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

I hear 3-6 inches of snow on Sunday afternoon!

 

BEAR WEATHER

[snuffbox 0]

That's nothin'. The Saints survived a hurricane!

[Guest "Go, Mordecai!"]

Yes, and Drew Brees can repair the ravaged infrastructure of the gulf coast by throwing a ball!

[Special K 0]

The NFC is garbage as a whole

 

Yeah. 50% of all the professional football players in the world just flat-out suck. Why do they even play?

[KingPK 0]

The AFC was pretty bad as a whole in 2002. The Jets won the divison with a 9-7 record that year and we all saw how the Super Bowl representative did.

[Boon 0]

The NFC is garbage as a whole

 

Yeah. 50% of all the professional football players in the world just flat-out suck. Why do they even play?

I didn't realize the NFL was globally inclusive.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Of course, the fact that the head coach of the 2002 NFC Champions had intimate knowledge of the Raiders' playbook (which they inexplicably left virtually unchanged) has nothing to do with that.

[snuffbox 0]

And the Raiders were the only team allowed to represent the AFC.

[KingPK 0]

Don't tell me you guys are trying to turn THAT into yet another knock on the Patriots fans here. This is really starting to get damned old and childish.

 

The Raiders got badly outplayed along with not trying to disguise anything when they knew they were facing the coach that was on their side just a year previous.