2016 NFL Playoffs

[TheGrimReaper]

On 1/10/2017 at 5:47 AM, BringBackTheVet said:

 

What's weird is that Houston is a major market, but the Texans just feel like a small-market team.  Maybe it's because of their age, or their lack of "flash" (plain uniforms, no real star players ever).  But yeah - you'd think that they'd love a Houston team to make it, but nobody would care.

 

What do you call JJ Watt? And hell, even Andre Johnson was one of the best receivers of the 00s

[BBTV]

Ok JJ Watt, but was Andre Johnson really a "star"? I remember when I used to do fantasy football that he was really really good, but if the average fan saw him walking down the street would they know who he was? "Great player" doesn't necessarily mean "star". 

[Cosmic]

2 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

if the average fan saw him walking down the street would they know who he was?

How many players are there really like that in the league at a time?  Maybe ten?  And they probably have one of them in Watt.

[HedleyLamarr]

Saw something very interesting this morning.  Here's a list of QB's Tom Brady has faced this season:

Cody Kessler (CLE)

Andy Dalton (CIN)

Landry Jones (PIT)

Tyrod Taylor (BUF)

Russell Wilson (SEA)

Colin Kaepernick (SF)

Ryan Pitzpatrick (NYJ)

Jared Goff (LA)

Joe Flacco (BAL)

Trevor Siemian (DEN)

Bryce Petty (NYJ)

Matt Moore (MIA)

 

Two playoff teams (PIT, SEA), two games against QB's that have won a Super Bowl (Wilson, Flacco), and a third that's played in one (Kaepernick).  And the one game where the Patriots played an eventual playoff team with a Super Bowl QB, they lost.  Now the Patriots are a good team, but maybe they aren't as insurmountable as many think.  (And also another reason why Brady shouldn't win MVP...that's a lot of stiffs on there.)

[Cosmic]

4 minutes ago, HedleyLamarr said:

Saw something very interesting this morning.  Here's a list of QB's Tom Brady has faced this season:

Cody Kessler (CLE)

Andy Dalton (CIN)

Landry Jones (PIT)

Tyrod Taylor (BUF)

Russell Wilson (SEA)

Colin Kaepernick (SF)

Ryan Pitzpatrick (NYJ)

Jared Goff (LA)

Joe Flacco (BAL)

Trevor Siemian (DEN)

Bryce Petty (NYJ)

Matt Moore (MIA)

 

Two playoff teams (PIT, SEA), two games against QB's that have won a Super Bowl (Wilson, Flacco), and a third that's played in one (Kaepernick).  And the one game where the Patriots played an eventual playoff team with a Super Bowl QB, they lost.  Now the Patriots are a good team, but maybe they aren't as insurmountable as many think.  (And also another reason why Brady shouldn't win MVP...that's a lot of stiffs on there.)

That would mean more if QBs actually played against other QBs.  I don't know if there's one good stat that can encapsulate this problem, but this is something to chew on at least: every team on that list except the Browns (21) and the Jets (17) were in the top half of the league in passing yards allowed.  

[HedleyLamarr]

29 minutes ago, Cosmic said:

That would mean more if QBs actually played against other QBs.  I don't know if there's one good stat that can encapsulate this problem, but this is something to chew on at least: every team on that list except the Browns (21) and the Jets (17) were in the top half of the league in passing yards allowed.  

QB's don't play QB's, but the other QB does have to keep up.  There's less pressure on Brady and the Patriots offense to score on every drive when they know that the other team is fielding a lousy-to-average at best QB and likely won't put up more than 20 points.

[JayMac]

The Patriots have won just as much with defense, if not more, than they have with the offense. If Brady wins the MVP, the award is a joke.

[PrimalCookie]

Honestly, I'm fine with the result. I came into the game knowing we'd lose, but that game was much closer than the score entailed. Looking forward to next year, and the Chiefs/Steelers hopefully beating the  out of the Pats next week. As of now, my Super Bowl is Falcons vs winner of tonight's game.

[oldschoolvikings]

Like a lot of you, for me these playoffs are filled with teams I hate.  Packers, Cowboys, Seahawks, and Steelers are all teams I want to see lose, as quickly as possible. For me, anyway, the Patriots are not on that list, maybe because I dont know many Patriot fans... the one I do is one of the nicest guys and best all around human beings I know. I usually find myself hating on a team after a run in with an obnoxious blowhard in a slightly too small jersey.

 

Anyway, one down (Seahawks), regardless of who wins between the Packers and Cowboys i plan to concentrate my happiness on the fact that another is gone.  Next week, if it's Pats vs Steelers, I plan to be cheering on NE.

[ninersdd]

The Boys have to play from behind, something that hasn't happened that much this year. WAY too easy for Rodgers this game.

[BBTV]

5 hours ago, Cosmic said:

How many players are there really like that in the league at a time?  Maybe ten?  And they probably have one of them in Watt.

 

I'll give you Watt, but for a relatively obscure team, you need a transcendent star to get attention.  Being good isn't enough - you need a player (or players) that people go out of their way to see.  Guys that in some ways are bigger than the team.  Guys that when someone in the middle of Idaho is flipping through channels and sees the team, they instantly recognize it and stop to watch so and so.  Like I said, Watt counts.  I see him in commercials all the time.  But offense sells more tickets and gets more viewers.  It's easy to tune in and watch a QB work since he has the ball all the time, or a WR since he's targeted every few plays, but a defender is a little more difficult.  L.T. and Reggie White come to mind as two that qualify.  I'm sure there have been a few others.  Watt isn't that level yet, but yeah he's def a star.

 

The Lakers aren't the internationally recognized team that they are just because they were good.  It's because they were good with Wilt, then more so Magic, then Kobe, etc.

 

Sixers are another example.  In the post Dr. J and post Barkley era they were totally dead, until AI came around.  People went to see him, not the team.  You saw Sixers jerseys in obscure places because of him.  Had timing worked out differently and they went right from Wilt to Dr. J to Barkley to AI with little-or-no gap, the Sixers could be one of those teams.  Instead, if not for being infamous for tanking (AKA "the process"), they'd be the Texans - a big market team that seems like a small market team.

[Dynasty]

3 hours ago, jmac11281 said:

The Patriots have won just as much with defense, if not more, than they have with the offense. If Brady wins the MVP, the award is a joke.

 

Yeah, I believe their defense leads the league in takeaways or something. Their bearded baby-faced DC has done a tremendous job.

[Crabcake]

Aaron Rodgers is looking absolutely unstoppable today. Cowboys defense has not had an answer. 

[See Red]

I don't have a great deal of faith in Green Bay's defense here.  They haven't been able to cover anybody.

[Crabcake]

Amazing! We actually a got a competitive, exciting, suspenseful game in the playoffs!

[IceCap]

G-d does not want the Dallas Cowboys to beat the Green Bay Packers.

[TheRicSlick]

Icing the kicker never works.

[goalieboy82]

two more wins until:

 

[Crabcake]

My goodness what a game. Congrats to GB and Rodgers, who looked otherworldly today. 

 

To Dallas fans though, don't get too down. With that O-Line, Dak, Zeke, and Dez, you'll be competitive for a long time. 

[See Red]

1 minute ago, rickyISking said:

Icing the kicker never works.

 

The first time I saw a coach do that last second timeout (or the first time I remember it anyways) -- I think it was Mike Shanahan against the Raiders -- it worked and I'm not sure I've seen it work since.  The best, though, is when the kicker misses the first one and nails the second.