NFL Thread - Conference Championship Round

[Arakasi]

I agree with you for sure in the eye test Jaime. Every part of me screams that the Jets are going to be blown out. Because I don't think Sanchez can do what he did last week again. But the stats and such of the two teams match up in a way that does make it a good matchup for the Jets. Funny enough I think the Colts and Chargers wish their opponents were reversed. SD would drool over burning the Ravens deep, and the Colts opportunistic D would love to get Sanchez.

[Maithanet]

I agree with you for sure in the eye test Jaime. Every part of me screams that the Jets are going to be blown out. Because I don't think Sanchez can do what he did last week again. But the stats and such of the two teams match up in a way that does make it a good matchup for the Jets. Funny enough I think the Colts and Chargers wish their opponents were reversed. SD would drool over burning the Ravens deep, and the Colts opportunistic D would love to get Sanchez.

Of course, the Ravens already beat SD this year, so while the revenge factor might be high, I'm not sure its smart money to try and confront your demons in the playoffs, if it can be avoided.

I don't see how the Jets can hang with the Chargers. The Jets pass D is solid, but the Chargers downfield attack is so diverse I don't really see how they can keep up. Of the four matchups this week, I think this is the easiest to pick.

[Rockroi]

1) None of those guys was ever a stud receiver. Branch was the closest after that huge superbowl he had, but was still no-one's definition of stud (except the Seahawks). Brady made them all serviceable.

A more accurate description would be that that none of these guys ever performed anywhere close to the level they attained with the Patriots. And I think that may have had something to do with the guy throwing them the football.

[Jaime L]

Anyone see Pete Carroll's press conference? It's like he's on uppers or something.

A more accurate description would be that that none of these guys ever performed anywhere close to the level they attained with the Patriots. And I think that may have had something to do with the guy throwing them the football.

I'll agree with that. Patriots were one clear case of the QB making the WRs, rather than vice-versa.

[Mack Kilimaro]

I don't see how the Ravens secondary is going to stop Peyton Manning from throwing at will. If there's a gunfight with trading touchdowns I don't see how there's any way that Flacco can keep up. The big question is whether he's been hurt in the second half of the season and if so, how much. Supposedly, for the Patriots game he was battling a quad injury and it looked like that was definitely hurting his ability to plant and really get into a throw with confidence. But then, I didn't expect that we would be able to smother Tom Brady's receivers as well as we did either.

History is certainly against the Ravens, though. Has Manning ever lost a Saturday night game? I'm pretty sure that playoff game several years ago in Baltimore where the Colts knocked the Ravens out was the Saturday night game. I'm still kind of stunned by the loss in that game. The storyline was all ready to be written about the collective angst of the city of Baltimore from 1984 coming back to power the Ravens to a victory and that was ruined. The same kind of stuff is in play this year, I suppose, although with the game in Indianapolis it's not quite the same. It'd be nice to think about that, but honestly, I don't see how we keep this one in the ballpark.

Who knows, though. Get the opening kickoff, get a crazy run early on...

[Arakasi]

They lost last year to the Chargers on Saturday night I think. I think the Ravens will be able to run on the Colts. It is just a question of turnovers I think. If the Ravens want to win they need to win the turnover battle by 2 or more. That or special teams.

Edit: If Turnover Differential + Big Special Teams Play = 2 or more for Baltimore I think they can take it. If both teams make no mistakes or equal amounts of mistakes I think it favors the Colts.

[Dinsdale!]

Rex Ryan to AP ballot casters: Go fuck yourselves

"You know what I would like? I would like to congratulate the people who voted for Darrelle Revis," Ryan said. "These guys obviously really know the game."

That man was born to coach in NYC

[Jaime L]

Rex Ryan to AP ballot casters: Go fuck yourselves

That man was born to coach in NYC

For once, he's right.

They chose the glitzy guy over the guy who actually dominates the game. Has there ever been a worse performance by a defense with the defensive player of the year on it, than the Packers had on Sunday. Some difference-maker Woodson was, huh?

[Mexal]

For once, he's right.

They chose the glitzy guy over the guy who actually dominates the game. Has there ever been a worse performance by a defense with the defensive player of the year on it, than the Packers had on Sunday. Some difference-maker Woodson was, huh?

But Woodson has been great all year and he has the numbers. It's no surprise he was chosen.

[Rockroi]

I don't really think I would disqualify Woodson merely on what happened Sunday night, JUST as I would not say Revis deserves DPOY based on what he did Saturday.

The reason Revis is the smarter choice, IMMHO, is that he is a true "shutdown" corner who, in effect, makes QBs completely disregard the receiver he is covering, and in one-on-one coverage. Further, Revis has covered and effectively dominated some pretty impressive WRs, many who play in his division like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens; I was highly impressed with how he shut down Chad O two weeks in a row (though, I will state again I cannot remember the last time Chad O rose up and had a great game when it really mattered). Further, understand that in a PASSING LEAGUE the ability to use one DB to shut down the passing game's most devastating weapon AND DO IT ALONE is a huge premium for a D.

Woodson has "sexier" numbers- 9 INTs (to Revis' 6), 4 FF (0), 3TDs (1), 2 sacks (0). But this HAS TO BE one of those times where stats CANNOT tell the whole story; if as a QB, I do not throw to a whole side of the field, how can that DB gain INT stats? Heck, the DB is doing such a great job (by shutting down a whole zone of the field) that he is penalized by not being able to compile stats.

I mean, Woodson is not a BAD pick, and maybe I am biased towards Revis because I watched him play more, but I think this was an area where they just picked the wrong guy because too many people looked at the stats INSTEAD of the story the stats were telling.

[Space Bandito]

Sort of like Merriweather being voted to the Pro Bowl after taking a bad angle on Ray Rice and generally having a mediocre season.

As for Revis/Woodson it is hard to judge competition and who had safety help. Many simply went with their good ole guts. I don't think there was a wrong choice. Both came from dominant defenses.

[Mexal]

As for Revis/Woodson it is hard to judge competition and who had safety help. Many simply went with their good ole guts. I don't think there was a wrong choice. Both came from dominant defenses.

I agree with you that there was no wrong choice.

Revis is a true shutdown corner as Rockoi said and he's probably the best corner in the league with Aso, however, you can't discount what Woodson did for the GB defense. He changed games. Revis did it by shutting down the number one option and Woodson did it by forcing turnovers and scoring points. While stats don't tell the whole story, you can't ignore the stats and Woodson's are impressive.

[Jaime L]

I think Rock said it pretty well. Woodson's the easier choice. He's got all those standout sportscenter moments, but part of the reason he has all that is because teams are far less afraid to throw on Woodson's side of the field than Revis'. Excellent cornerback play is often invisible, like Asamougha. And watching Fitzgerald just destroy Woodson this past week, I mean, let me just say I can't imagine that happening to Revis. I'm not even a Revis fan. And I've liked Woodson back since his Michigan days and I think he has a flair for the dramatic. I don't think he's an awful choice, as Mexal says the turnovers he generated and TDs he scored were enormous, he's just not the correct one. Seeing him win the award, reminds me of Cy Young voters who pick the pitcher with the most wins rather than the one who if you watch him play, was actually the more dominant pitcher.

As for Chris Johnson winning the OPOY, I'm fine with that. That guy is ridiculous. Let the QBs battle for MVP, but OPOY was made for the kind of season Johnson had.

[Jaime L]

BTW, I think it deserves mentioning the extent in which the Chiefs have created Patriots West. After recent moves, you got Pioli as the GM, Charlie Weis as the OC, Romeo Crennel as the DC, and Matt Cassel at QB. Getting the whole band back together! I hope Troy Brown gets a chance to play some DB.

It'll be a fun experiment because like it or not, every one of them is trying to come out of Belichick's shadow. If they fail, it makes Belichick look like the single greatest coach ever. It's like they're all teaming up and banding together to prove it wasn't all Belichick. That they have value, goddamnit!

[Rockroi]

It'll be a fun experiment because like it or not, every one of them is trying to come out of Belichick's shadow. If they fail, it makes Belichick look like the single greatest coach ever. It's like they're all teaming up and banding together to prove it wasn't all Belichick. That they have value, goddamnit!

This has to be the scariest convergence of former talent coming back to haunt their old boss since Abe Lincoln let Robert E. Lee walk out of the White House without the job. Suddenly, former friends turned into a pack of arch-enemies (I could not agree on the plural for "nemesis"), Crennel, Weis and Pioli all want to rise up and show that they have ALWAYS been the true power behind the throne. Meanwhile, in Mordor, Belichick continues to insist that he's "Bill Belichick, Bitch!" And nobody comes back to haunt him! Not that Weasle Mangini! NOBODY! Except McDaniel.

So Pioli, Weis, and Romeo join forces, again, to battle their evil boss... and several other teams...

Then again, if I was fired by ND and/or the Browns, maybe I would just want a paycheck too...

[Space Bandito]

I was gonna mention that. Patriot West is looking formidable from a coaching/front office stand point. I am slightly jealous. The Patriot front office is largely young or anonymous at this point. Not to say McDaniels or even Mangini were household names before breaking out, but it just seems like we are lacking talent.

Rockroi, Bellichick has a few friends in the college coaching ranks that he consults with. One of them being Nick Saben. Hopefully he can successfully evaluate his staff and himself. We won the division, but we were stale (see shotgun, team lost without Welker, No passrush) and predictable. Simply too many losses and not enough gains. From McDaniels to Seymour.

[BLU-RAY]

When do the Pats and Chefs play next? Could be amusing.

[Space Bandito]

When do the Pats and Chefs play next? Could be amusing.

Not next season (at least regular season)

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[Centrist Simon Steele]

Maybe the Patriots West can add McDaniels as like a coffee bitch or something.

[Jaime L]

Maybe the Patriots West can add McDaniels as like a coffee bitch or something.

Maybe in a year or two if this lingering venom among Broncos fans doesn't dissipate. Listening to people talk about McDaniels here, I mean, the guy is really hated right now.

I was kinda hoping Mangini would get fired and end up there. But apparently Parcells put in a good word for his coaching "grandson" and Holmgrem decided to keep him. Speaking of which, this picture cracked me up: check out the "frankly, I'm shocked to still be here" expression on Mangini's face.