NFL 2017 Season
- Thread starter the 4th hanson bro
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I was a dismal 1-3 in the divisional round. Next up, I will mangle my Conference Championship predictions.
I'll take the Jaguars partly out of wishful thinking, partly because they're so damn likeable.
And the Vikings over the Eagles - Minnesota fans have suffered more. And the Miracle was amazing.
Jaguars/Vikings Super Bowl! Check back in less than a week to call me an idiot!
I'll take the Jaguars partly out of wishful thinking, partly because they're so damn likeable.
And the Vikings over the Eagles - Minnesota fans have suffered more. And the Miracle was amazing.
Jaguars/Vikings Super Bowl! Check back in less than a week to call me an idiot!
Everyone knows what they say about karma... 
http://m.startribune.com/saints-coa...l-clap-just-before-the-vikings-won/469528203/
http://m.startribune.com/saints-coa...l-clap-just-before-the-vikings-won/469528203/
He apparently hasn't learned his lesson about acting like a shitstick after being called out a few weeks ago for his "choking gesture" during the Falcons game and, of course, being suspended back in 2012 for Bountygate. Fucking moron - he's worse than Tomlin. And at least Belichick does a fairly decent job of acting professional while he's mocking the other team - and actually wins when he does it.
Payton and Tomlin may be highly sought after coaches at the moment, but once their star quarterbacks retire, both will be exposed and we'll be seeing them as analysts.
I went 1-3 for the divisional weekend, falling to 3-5 for the playoffs so far.
Patriots over Jaguars
I really want to take the Jags, but Tom Brady and Patriots are who we think they are (channeling some inner Dennis Green). They tend to get that impossible catch, whether it is honest or with some referee assistance, which will undoubtedly lead them to victory.
Vikings over Eagles
This came down to Case Keenum over Nick Foles. Keenum has been showing all season that he is a decent quarterback and enough for the Vikings to win. Foles, in his appearances, has been last then stellar outside of last week. The Vikings seem to have shaken the curse last week (knock on wood), so here's to hoping they continue.
I went 1-3 for the divisional weekend, falling to 3-5 for the playoffs so far.
Patriots over Jaguars
I really want to take the Jags, but Tom Brady and Patriots are who we think they are (channeling some inner Dennis Green). They tend to get that impossible catch, whether it is honest or with some referee assistance, which will undoubtedly lead them to victory.
Vikings over Eagles
This came down to Case Keenum over Nick Foles. Keenum has been showing all season that he is a decent quarterback and enough for the Vikings to win. Foles, in his appearances, has been last then stellar outside of last week. The Vikings seem to have shaken the curse last week (knock on wood), so here's to hoping they continue.
SO want the Jags and Vikings to win, the former for obvious reasons (even though I know they won't make it against the Pats) and the latter because A) I like the Vikings despite their sometimes-dodgy performance this season and B) the Eagles are one of my team's (Redskins) division rivals and we need to be avenged! If those two do win, I predict a boring Superbowl.
Curious about this from an outside perspective. When/how do you see Belichick mocking the other teams? Maybe you view it facetiously, but the closest I can see is when he's asked about another team and he manages to make them all sound like HoF teams, no matter how much they suck. I don't see it as mocking, more just trying to keep his team from overlooking an opponent (hi, Tomlin), and focusing on the strengths of the opponent, even if they aren't THAT strong. Part of why the Pats usually look prepared, though, Bill dissects the opponents and usually knows their tendencies better than they do by kickoff.
I really don't see a mocking aspect to Belichick. Boringly straight-laced, actually. Not a great interview unless you want to ask about a random game from like 1932 or something (in which case, he's amazing and fun to listen to), but not mocking. Can definitely be a dick if he thinks the question is a distraction or just not what he wants to focus on, though. It's a *dry* humor
Mostly, he just hates wasting time with the media when he could be working on the next game, and is grumpy because he's contractually obligated to do it, so tries to just shut it down and get out of there by being a dick.Only other aspect I can think of is the 'running up the score' bit, but what are you supposed to do there? Take a knee and punt? I think the Superbowl last year showed you that even when you think a game is out of hand, it may not be. Going for it on 4th down when you're up big looks bad on paper, but when the alternative is kicking an easy FG, isn't that the definition of running up the score? going for it at least allows the opponent another chance to stop you.
Not viewing this as argumentative/defensive, just genuinely curious as to what you see there from an outsider perspective that I'm glossing over.
I can't argue with this. Not a ton of respect for the offense, but I'm sure they've got the ability to get some big plays in there. Seems like Fournette is a big part of that, though, so I'd be willing to bet huge that the game plan is to stuff the run and make Bortles beat them with his arm. Could be a tall order. Pretty much always the Pats' game plan, though; figure out the top 1-2 things the offense is good at, and sell out to stop those things. If they beat you 1 on 1 with their 3rd or 4th option, hats off to them. Nice part of not having a defensive scheme, but guys smart enough/trained enough to be flexible so you can give wildly different looks from week to week.
Their defense is huge, and will be the challenge. If they can get to Brady up the middle without blitzing (only sending 3 or 4), it'll be a tough game. That's the "blueprint" for beating Brady (or any QB, really), but it's really hard to do and takes super talented front 4. Once you start blitzing the corners or safeties, Brady usually picks teams apart with quick slants. if they can get good pressure up the middle while covering Cooks and Gronk, it's down to whether Amendola and Hogan can beat coverage quickly enough to move the chains and keep Brady alive.
49ers game may have shown some insight into this one, though, as JimmyG is a pretty solid clone of Brady in scheme/technique to this point, and he beat the pass rush with lots of dump routes to RBs and TEs. Brady has decent weapons there, so imagine they'll look hard at that game when deciding how to attack JAX.
Don't think it will be the blowout that people are calling for, defense is legit. Feels like the sort of game that the Pats can open up in the 2nd half once the defense wears down a little, though. We'll see.
I'm sure Jacksonville will also be looking at that game. I would be.
Superbowl question/annoyance:
So it's never come up that the home team is actually playing in their own stadium, but if the Vikings win, that'll be the case this year. I'm HOPING it matters for the Pats, but either way, the AFC is supposed to be the home team, NFC away team. This is going to be a big advantage for the Vikings this year if they make it, as I heard the NFL is making a ton of concessions to the Vikings (potentially, of course). They get to use the home locker room, home team's practice facility, will be in their own beds instead of hotels, etc.
I GET why, it's their stuff and their beds, but definitely setting them up for an advantage. Can't control the fans, but I'd imagine the home crowd will be bigger than normal, where it's usually about a neutral split. Noise and whatnot will be in play.
Opponent (Jags or Pats) won't have any of that, has to deal with travel, moving their operation, etc.
Not trying to set this up as an excuse or anything, just an interesting discussion point as this has never come up before. it would be a little different if the NFC was the home team, as at least that stuff would have been theirs anyway, but since the AFC is, definitely giving the Vikings an edge over any team that's ever played in the Superbowl.
That said, maybe the Eagles will paste them this weekend, but kinda feels like the Vikings are SB bound...
So it's never come up that the home team is actually playing in their own stadium, but if the Vikings win, that'll be the case this year. I'm HOPING it matters for the Pats, but either way, the AFC is supposed to be the home team, NFC away team. This is going to be a big advantage for the Vikings this year if they make it, as I heard the NFL is making a ton of concessions to the Vikings (potentially, of course). They get to use the home locker room, home team's practice facility, will be in their own beds instead of hotels, etc.
I GET why, it's their stuff and their beds, but definitely setting them up for an advantage. Can't control the fans, but I'd imagine the home crowd will be bigger than normal, where it's usually about a neutral split. Noise and whatnot will be in play.
Opponent (Jags or Pats) won't have any of that, has to deal with travel, moving their operation, etc.
Not trying to set this up as an excuse or anything, just an interesting discussion point as this has never come up before. it would be a little different if the NFC was the home team, as at least that stuff would have been theirs anyway, but since the AFC is, definitely giving the Vikings an edge over any team that's ever played in the Superbowl.
That said, maybe the Eagles will paste them this weekend, but kinda feels like the Vikings are SB bound...
sure, but if you adjust yourself too much to try and stop the small stuff, you're opening up the deep stuff again, so there's pros and cons there. I didn't see all of that game, so not sure how much was about tendencies they can correct, or how much was about personnel and matchups. Jimmy had his way with them, so just saying that given a similar scheme, betting Bill can figure out some things.
Jags have had some really shitty games down the stretch, as well. Dunno if it was bad timing, overlooking bad teams, injuries, or what. But I thought the Bills had a chance going into the WC game, and even then they only beat the Bills 10-3. Jags have it in them to lay an egg, will see if Belichick can coax it out of them or figure out why it kept happening against fairly poor teams. gotta be something they had in common that can be used...
Yes, it's definitely more of a facetious statement on my part than anything else. Kind of along the lines how he's cheating in ways that nobody has figured out yet. Not to say that he actually is cheating, more like wishful thinking that, if he is - like he has before - I hope he gets caught. Never mind that everyone else cheats too.
As much as you love to love the Patriots, they are a team that I love to hate. As do most non-Pats fans, apparently. In the most recent episode of the new X-Files entitled "This", one of the late "Lone Gunmen" (Ringo Langley) apparently had his consciousness uploaded into a Matrix-like simulation, which is like a false paradise - a place where you can eat hot dogs and donuts every day and you never get fat. Of the simulation he also says this: "the New England Patriots are here and they never ever win – ever!"
Lets face it, as long as the Pats stay on top, the haters are gonna hate...
If those two do win, I predict a boring Superbowl.
Only if you don't care about defensive football. The #1 and #2 ranked defenses? I'd find it fascinating.
Well, sure, but every game I've seen where both teams have tremendously good defensive personnel are always low scoring and...well...almost always pretty boring. Expect the score to be like a soccer game.
Expect the score to be like a soccer game.
Well, sure, but every game I've seen where both teams have tremendously good defensive personnel are always low scoring and...well...almost always pretty boring.
I love low scoring defensive battles.
Yeah, one of my favorite baseball memories is being at Turner Field in April 2014, when Jose Fernandez and Alex Wood went 8 innings each, giving up 7 hits between them, and the game ending in a 1-0 pitchers' duel. My co-workers thought it was boring as hell but I loved it.
A 10-3 football game, even though I don't actually watch anymore, just sounds ... boring. Three yards and a cloud of dust and a bunch of incomplete passes, yay.
depends on the game and how much is going on. Electric if it's a no-no situation or something, or crazy defensive plays to save runs. a string of popups and ground outs can suck. Really depends, but at least baseball CAN definitely be fun while low or no-scoring.
low scoring football, trading field goals and field position is just awful. A goal-line stand is pretty cool, but even that is rare in a low scoring contest, because usually both offenses suck too badly to GET to the 1-yard line.
low scoring football, trading field goals and field position is just awful. A goal-line stand is pretty cool, but even that is rare in a low scoring contest, because usually both offenses suck too badly to GET to the 1-yard line.
This must be how New Yorkers feel about the Yankees. 
Defensive games aren't necessarily a lot of three and outs, also could be exciting interceptions, sacks, great defensive stands, blocked kicks.
Hell, soccer fans don't complain.
Defensive games aren't necessarily a lot of three and outs, also could be exciting interceptions, sacks, great defensive stands, blocked kicks.
Hell, soccer fans don't complain.
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