Playoff chat: Divisional Round Edition!!!

[lil5up3rman]

Ok guys/gals let's have some discussions about the upcoming games. Predictions, thoughts and so forth.

I will start

I am taking the Falcons over the Eagles, yes Foles does not make many mistakes but the Falcons are hot again and I just don't see the Eagles scoring enough to keep up with them. Falcons 27-17

I am taking my Titans in an upset, yes I know it's unlikely but It's my team and I can't go against them. My hope is that we establish the run early and that Mariota and the offense can finally find a rhythm in the first half and that our Defense plays their best game this year. If we come out like we did against the Chiefs I think we are done. Titans 27-24

I am taking the Steelers over the Jags. Bortles was terrible this past week and other than the few plays he made with his feet he did nearly nothing. The Jags do have a great D but not enough to keep the Steelers from putting up enough points to end the Jags season. Steelers 33-16


I am taking the Saints over the Vikings. The Vikings have a great Defense but I don't believe Keenum can put enough points up on the board to finish this game and Bree's and the Saints are good at putting up points and feature a good back in Kamara. Saints 30-21

[ottoman55]

Have to beat Brady sorry to say they will win it all even though Steelers have good chance

[lil5up3rman]

I heard that, I know by no means is this a walk in the park and the odds are against but as a fan I can't go against my team on this one, I am just hoping we surprise them.

[Jameis1of1]

I was only 2-2 on my 1st round picks after picking at around 70% during the regular season ... I love playoff time as either team can win "on any given Sunday"!

But, since we're throwing out predictions, below are mine:

Patriots 34 - Titans 20

Steelers 26 - Jags 13

Falcons 27 - Eagles 16

Saints 24 - Vikings 23

I'm most excited to watch the Titans/Pats and the Saints/Vikings ... the other two games don't interest me as much as I just don't think they'll be that close, and while I don't think the Pats game will be close either, I like Marcus and want to see how he plays ... and Derrick Henry is a blast to watch too, what a monster! But, that Saints/Vikings game should be awesome ... great offense vs. great defense, two good-to-great QBs, and whoever wins will win the NFC and maybe even the SuperBowl as both teams are more "balanced" than either the Pats or Steelers are in my mind.

I'm also really hoping to see Brees v Brady in the SuperBowl as if Brees can win THAT matchup he will go from being the most under-rated QB of all-time to being looked at as maybe the GOAT ... he'll be 2-0 in SBs while beating Manning and Brady as the underdog both times ... that would be crazy! He would also drop Brady to 5-3 and give Brady 3 losses when Brady was on the favored team ... I seriously think quite a few people will start looking at Brees as having a claim to GOAT status, and at the very least, he'll shoot past Marino, Elway and many others and probably ONLY be behind the three-headed monster of Brady/Montana/Manning in many people's minds ... even if Otto Graham is "greater" than all of them by far, hahahahaha.

For me, below are the REALISTIC SB matchups I'd personally like to see, IN ORDER:

1. Saints v Pats ... I'd root for the Saints
2. Saints v Steelers ... I'd just watch and enjoy and not care who won
3. Falcons v Steelers ... I'd root for the Steelers
4. Vikings v Steelers ... I'd root for the Steelers
5. Vikings v Pats ... I'd root for the Vikings
6. Falcons v Pats ... I'd just watch and enjoy and not care who won

* Also, it'd be cool to see a Vikings v Jaguars game that ended with a baseball score of 2-0 on a Calais Campbell safety sack, hahahahahaha

[pwaldo]

I have to wonder if there is *any* chance if Brees retires if he wins the Super Bowl with the Saints this season

[Jameis1of1]

I have to wonder if there is *any* chance if Brees retires if he wins the Super Bowl with the Saints this season

I would say there is a ZERO % chance Brees retires ... even if he beats Brady 49-48 and throws for 600 yards, 7 TDs and a perfect passer rating.

Why do I say this? Because I honestly think Brees will play long enough to retire as #1 all-time in both passing yards and TDs and I doubt he can pass Manning without playing at least two, and possibly three, more years.

[Devlin]

NE sports talk is that this week is another "bye" for the Pats.

Pretty sure that is not the Patriots attitude, Bill will not let that happen.

[Devlin]

Personal stats overrated, especially of qb's that play half their games in a dome.

Just win baby.

[Jameis1of1]

NE sports talk is that this week is another "bye" for the Pats.

Pretty sure that is not the Patriots attitude, Bill will not let that happen.

I heard it called a "bye week" for the Pats as well on some ESPN or NFL Network show or something ... people are not giving the Titans any respect at all, and while I expect the Pats to win big, if the Titans knocked Brady out, I actually think they would probably win ... there team is as good as the Pats team outside of the QB position ... they have a strong line, dominant running game, a better defense than New England, great special teams, etc ... they just don't have the GOAT QB and GOAT COACH like the Patriots have.

Personal stats overrated, especially of qb's that play half their games in a dome.

Just win baby.

Come on now ... you can't possibly think Brees is "over-rated". I agree that domes give an inherent statistical advantage, but Brees is a bad man regardless and his CAREER PLAYOFF stats are BETTER than his career regular season stats, which is very rare.

For example, Tom Brady's career playoff passer rating is just an 89.0 which is far lower than his regular season rating of 97.7, but Brees' career playoff rating is an ASTOUNDING 101.6 which is far better than his already awesome career regular season rating of 96.7

For their respective playoff careers, this is how Brady and Brees compare:

TOM BRADY
Yards Per Game: 267.5
TD Passes Per Game: 1.86 TDs
INTs Per Game: .91 INTs
TD-to-INT ratio: 2.03-to-1
Passer Rating of 89.0

DREW BREES

Yards Per Game: 326.3
TD Passes Per Game: 2.17 TDs
INTs Per Game: .58 INTs
TD-to-INT ratio: 3.71-to-1
Passer Rating of 101.6

Brees destroys Brady in ever single career playoff passing category above ... and it's not even close! I really do think he's one of the most under-rated QBs in NFL history ... and I'm not a Saints fan and never even started paying much attention to Brees until he won a Super Bowl about 9 years ago ...

As for the "just win baby" statement ... of course "team fans" value wins above all else and rightfully so, but we all know that "wins" are a TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENT and not a "QB stat" ... if they were, Blake Bortles, Marcus Mariota and Tyrod Taylor wouldn't be in the playoffs this year while Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson and Matt Stafford sit at home.

[lil5up3rman]

I agree with most of what you said except I would never in my life root for the Jags, sorry not happening. The only other statement I won't agree with is Bree's will never be known as the goat, ultimately that is going to be the man with the most rings imo and that is not going to be Bree's. I do think he is a great QB but Goat naw never.