NFL Wildcard Weekend

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Will these be actual Packers wins, or "should've" wins?

They've already should've won the Super Bowl.

[Flames24Rulz]

Will these be actual Packers wins, or "should've" wins?

They've already should've won the Super Bowl.

 

Well yeah, that goes without saying.

[Exile on Waveland]

I think I am like the only person in the world picking either the Jets or the Chiefs, but for some reason I just can't shake picking them both. Especially KC. I think they are going to surprise people. As for the Colts, I am just not sure they are all that good this year. Of course neither are the Jets, so in that case the home team would be the safe option, so I can see why they are the popular pick.

The Chiefs have not been a good team the last 10 weeks or so, and they had the benefit of the easiest schedule in the NFL. Baltimore is a terrible matchup for them, as they'd have had at least a sporting chance against the Jets.

 

The best team the Chiefs played all year was the Colts (or do the Chargers count as a better team?). Their best win was week 1 when the Chargers were awful.

 

Yes.

 

And, for this week: Jets, Ravens, Eagles, and Saints to win. We'll say Pats, Ravens, Eagles, and Falcons next week, followed by Pats and Eagles (who knows?). And then the bad guys to win the Super Bowl.

[UMFan83]

I feel like everyone most people expect either expect the Eagles to flame out in the first round or the rest expect them to make the Super Bowl.

 

I am kind of down on them. I feel like teams have figured out a way to contain Vick and have figured out if you cut out the deep ball you can slow down their offense significantly. Their defense isn't anything special (only 4 teams in the NFC gave up more points than the Eagles), and their offense can be limited. Considering if the Eagles win, they are going to Chicago, I think that's a really tough match for them considering that their entire defense is designed to shut down the big plays. Lo and behold, the 2 teams to beat the Eagles when Vick started were the Bears and Vikings, teams that still run the Tampa 2. In fact, the Bears and Vikings held the Eagles to their lowest post totals of the season in games Vick started.

[Soul]

Vick's not going to just power them to a Super Bowl on his own.

 

They're going to need to step up the defensive effort and McCoy is going to have to look like a good option to take the pressure off.

 

Plus if someone hits Vick like the Vikings did, get him limping around -- there goes the offense.

 

It's too much on one guy. I think (hope) they get it done for one week against the Packers, but I can't see them riding the Vick express all the way.

[Guest]

Vick's not going to just power them to a Super Bowl on his own.

 

They're going to need to step up the defensive effort and McCoy is going to have to look like a good option to take the pressure off.

 

Plus if someone hits Vick like the Vikings did, get him limping around -- there goes the offense.

 

It's too much on one guy. I think (hope) they get it done for one week against the Packers, but I can't see them riding the Vick express all the way.

 

Because the Eagles offense(and the team as a whole) were terrible before Vick came along?

[Soul]

Vick's not going to just power them to a Super Bowl on his own.

 

They're going to need to step up the defensive effort and McCoy is going to have to look like a good option to take the pressure off.

 

Plus if someone hits Vick like the Vikings did, get him limping around -- there goes the offense.

 

It's too much on one guy. I think (hope) they get it done for one week against the Packers, but I can't see them riding the Vick express all the way.

 

Because the Eagles offense(and the team as a whole) were terrible before Vick came along?

 

I never said that.

[Exile on Waveland]

I feel like everyone most people expect either expect the Eagles to flame out in the first round or the rest expect them to make the Super Bowl.

 

Yeah, I struggled to decide whether to pick them or the Packers. I think if the Eagles win, though, they'll beat the Bears (sorry). But, just for the record, I didn't pick the Eagles to win the Super Bowl (I'm a Colt fan, "bad guys" means someone else).

[bukie]

As a Bears' fan, nobody in the NFC really "scares" me for the Bears to face. The worst case scenario to me (a game in NO) can't come to pass. Nobody is unbeatable, and the two teams that may be the "scariest" are playing each other in the first round, and the Bears beat them both.

 

Now, as for the AFC, no thanks to the Pats, please.

[Guest]

Seeing Brady in the 3rd quarter of the blow out game against Miami in that last week with neither team having anything to play for, I was surprised no one tried to sweep Brady's leg.

[Banedon]

Pierre Thomas was just put on IR. As was Chris Ivory yesterday.

 

The NO running backs are now DeShawn Wynn and Joique Bell. So if the Pack win, the Bears either get the Seahawks or a Saints team with no RB's.

[Guest]

Reggie Bush?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

The Saints still have Reggie Bush and Julius Jones at RB....

[Banedon]

I didn't realize that Bush was healthy honestly. Thought he was still out. Jones I just plain forgot about.

 

In any case, losing those 2 is a big blow to their running game.

[rawaction]

Doesn't matter. If the NO/Bears matchup happens, the Saints don't even attempt to run anyway.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Even with Bush and Jones, the Saints lack a power running game. Teams can pretty much gear up for the pass. Bush can't run between the tackles. Jones isn't that good at it either.

[Banedon]

The commish on reseeding the playoffs...

 

“This is something that we’ll look at again,” Goodell said. “We looked at it a few years ago. The strong view of the clubs was that you should win your division and if you win your division, you should be rewarded with a home game. There is another view that winning your division should automatically get you into the playoffs and into the postseason but that it should not automatically reward you with a home game. That is something that will continue to be debated. We will look at that this offseason. Let’s let the playoffs play out here a little bit and try to understand what the ramifications are rather than reacting to a specific circumstance.”

[Soul]

The commish on reseeding the playoffs...

 

“This is something that we’ll look at again,” Goodell said. “We looked at it a few years ago. The strong view of the clubs was that you should win your division and if you win your division, you should be rewarded with a home game. There is another view that winning your division should automatically get you into the playoffs and into the postseason but that it should not automatically reward you with a home game. That is something that will continue to be debated. We will look at that this offseason. Let’s let the playoffs play out here a little bit and try to understand what the ramifications are rather than reacting to a specific circumstance.”

 

 

Haha.

 

In other words, please for the love of God Seattle -- LOSE.

[Old Style]

Have the new playoff OT rules been discussed already? I think they are going to cause some mass confusion at least once before the Super Bowl is done.

[chuckywang]

Have the new playoff OT rules been discussed already? I think they are going to cause some mass confusion at least once before the Super Bowl is done.

 

I think the rules are pretty clear cut. There is one scenario I thought about where it can cause confusion though:

 

Say Aaron Rodgers throws an INT to Brian Dawkins in the first possession of OT. Dawkins tries to return it but then fumbles and the Packers recover. The Packers eventually kick a FG. Is the game over?

[SouthSideRyan]

It should be. That counts as a new possession.

[dew1679666265]

Have the new playoff OT rules been discussed already? I think they are going to cause some mass confusion at least once before the Super Bowl is done.

 

I think the rules are pretty clear cut. There is one scenario I thought about where it can cause confusion though:

 

Say Aaron Rodgers throws an INT to Brian Dawkins in the first possession of OT. Dawkins tries to return it but then fumbles and the Packers recover. The Packers eventually kick a FG. Is the game over?

 

I'm pretty sure, yes.

 

It may not happen at all, but an onside kick to begin OT may cause confusion as well. I heard if a team opens OT by recovering its own onside kick, a FG can win the game because the other team had an opportunity to take possession.

[bukie]

This is probably the weirdest potential scenario:

 

Let's say the Ravens and Steelers play in the AFC championship, and the game goes to OT. The Ravens orchestrate a 10 minute drive that stalls at the 5, and kick the FG to go up 3. Then, the Steelers respond with a drive that gets into the red zone, but the Ravens sack Big Ben with Pitt out of timeouts, and time runs out. According to the rules, another 15 minutes is put back onto the clock so the Steelers can potentially finish their drive, and in the case of a FG, return the ball to the Ravens, at which point sudden death applies.

[bukie]

Have the new playoff OT rules been discussed already? I think they are going to cause some mass confusion at least once before the Super Bowl is done.

 

I think the rules are pretty clear cut. There is one scenario I thought about where it can cause confusion though:

 

Say Aaron Rodgers throws an INT to Brian Dawkins in the first possession of OT. Dawkins tries to return it but then fumbles and the Packers recover. The Packers eventually kick a FG. Is the game over?

 

I'm pretty sure, yes.

 

It may not happen at all, but an onside kick to begin OT may cause confusion as well. I heard if a team opens OT by recovering its own onside kick, a FG can win the game because the other team had an opportunity to take possession.

This is true, yes.

[Banedon]

This is probably the weirdest potential scenario:

 

Let's say the Ravens and Steelers play in the AFC championship, and the game goes to OT. The Ravens orchestrate a 10 minute drive that stalls at the 5, and kick the FG to go up 3. Then, the Steelers respond with a drive that gets into the red zone, but the Ravens sack Big Ben with Pitt out of timeouts, and time runs out. According to the rules, another 15 minutes is put back onto the clock so the Steelers can potentially finish their drive, and in the case of a FG, return the ball to the Ravens, at which point sudden death applies.

 

What's the point of a clock then? Why have it timed at all?