NFL 2017

[tetelestai]

A forty burger...they keep doing this and I may have to rethink my AFC darkhorse.

As long as #12 is under center for the Patriots, there is no hope for the Steelers, unless some other team beats the Patriots in the divisional round, or Brady suffers a season ending injury.

The Steelers could win the rest of their games, be the #1 seed in the AFC, but still would not come close to beating the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, even at home.

The Steelers just don't have the defense to beat Brady. They can't put pressure on him, and when they drop back (which gives Brady time), he picks them apart.

 

[Town Heretic]

As long as #12 is under center for the Patriots, there is no hope for the Steelers, unless some other team beats the Patriots in the divisional round, or Brady suffers a season ending injury.

The Steelers could win the rest of their games, be the #1 seed in the AFC, but still would not come close to beating the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, even at home.

The Steelers just don't have the defense to beat Brady. They can't put pressure on him, and when they drop back (which gives Brady time), he picks them apart.

So you have to be hoping that you get the number one and KC gets to Brady before coming to your house.

 

[Nihilo]

As long as #12 is under center for the Patriots, there is no hope for the Steelers, unless some other team beats the Patriots in the divisional round, or Brady suffers a season ending injury.

The Steelers could win the rest of their games, be the #1 seed in the AFC, but still would not come close to beating the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, even at home.

The Steelers just don't have the defense to beat Brady. They can't put pressure on him, and when they drop back (which gives Brady time), he picks them apart.

With the Pats' 7 remaining games, I can't see them going worse than 5-2. They've got two each against Buffalo and Miami, one more with the Jets, the Raiders this weekend, and Pittsburgh. I can see them losing one of the division games tops, I can't see them losing to Oakland, and Pittsburgh---even though I'm sure the Pats'd be favored, it'd be only a slight edge. Pretty close to a coinflip, IOW.

All of this assumes Brady remains healthy of course, as you've said. NE's defense seems to have fixed themselves, so that side of [the] ball looks OK to me, but they've got nothing to back up Brady.

Big Ben was throwing completions last night, but I saw a lot of passes that rendered the receivers wide open to big hits once they caught the ball, and I'm sure none of them appreciated that.

 

[tetelestai]

So you have to be hoping that you get the number one and KC gets to Brady before coming to your house.

Other than Brady getting injured, that's about the only hope the Steelers have.

In 2005, Denver beat the Patriots in the divisional round, and the Steelers beat Denver, and went to the Super Bowl. In 2008, Brady suffered a season ending injury, and the Steelers went to the Super Bowl. In 2010, the Jets beat the Patriots in the divisional round, and then the Steelers beat the Jets, and went to the Super Bowl.

It's really that simple.

If the Steelers make it to the AFC Championship Game, and Brady isn't taking snaps for the other team, the Steelers will go to the Super Bowl this year, just
like 2005, 2008, and 2010.

In 2001, 2004, and 2016 the Patriots beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

 

[tetelestai]

Also:

Of the eight times the Steelers made it to the Super Bowl, their defense was ranked #1 every one of those years except 1978, when the defense was ranked #2 (the offense was ranked #1 that year).

This years Steeler's defense is currently #2.

Putting Brady and the Patriots aside, if the defense can become #1, then history tells us the Steelers have a good chance of making the Super Bowl.

 

[Town Heretic]

Good points, guys.

I just did a quick sweep of both teams remaining.

New England

@ Oak: not a gimme. They've been erratic this year but an on game could be trouble for the Pats as the one quality win on the Raiders' schedule was a 30-31 shootout with KC at home. A chance for an upset here. I don't see it happening, but it's possible.

After that it gets easier.

vs Mia: shouldn't be a problem.

@ Buf: should be a given, but at home that Bills team does play better. Not good enough to scare New England though.

@ Mia: second verse same as the first.

@ Pit: I have the Pats a 2 pt favorite as it stands right now. That's anyone's game.

vs Buf: at home? Done without a flicker of hesitation.

Probably 1 to 2 losses in there, but there's a chance for a sweep.

Pittsburgh

vs GB: before, interesting. Now? Not so much.

@ Cin: this is their dangerous game. If they're going to drop one outside of the NE game this would be the most likely spot to do it.

vs Bal: pounded this team at home, so having them visit shouldn't post a problem.

vs NE: depends on how both teams are at the time, what they mature into. There's time to hone a difference. I have NE the fav as it sits.

@ Hou: would have been interesting with Watson and J.J. Next year then.

vs Cle: :chuckle:

So the head to head looms large.


Meanwhile, KC is also in a position to run the table and sits one game back at 6-3. For Chiefs fans the ideal scenario is that the NE beats the Steelers and NE stumbles against Buf, I suppose, setting up a potential Pats/Steelers rematch to play KC at home. Because no one cares about the South division this year.

 

[tetelestai]

@ Oak: not a gimme.

The game is in Mexico City.

If it was in Oakland, I would agree "not a gimme", but at a neutral site, the Patriots have a big advantage.

 

[Jerry Shugart]

Since the Steelers barely escaped a loss to Indy it is extremely unlikely that they will make it to the AFC championship game. They can be really good but too often they are really bad! How many interceptions did Big Ben have just a few games ago?

 

[Nihilo]

Big game for Dallas this weekend. I'm rooting against Philly, Jerry.

 

[tetelestai]

Because no one cares about the South division this year.

Beware of Jacksonville.

They have the #1 defense in the NFL.

They destroyed the Steelers at Pittsburgh earlier this year. Big Ben threw FIVE interceptions.

 

[tetelestai]

Since the Steelers barely escaped a loss to Indy it is extremely unlikely that they will make it to the AFC championship game. They can be really good but too often they are really bad! How many interceptions did Big Ben have just a few games ago?

Since 2009 the Steelers have a losing record against sub .500 teams on the road. Yet a winning record against everyone else.

Come playoffs, they won't have to play a sub .500 team on the road.

They beat a really good Kansas City team last year on the road.

Except for the Patriots, the Steelers can beat any team in the AFC, home or away.

 

[tetelestai]

Big game for Dallas this weekend. I'm rooting against Philly, Jerry.

Go Eagles !!!!!

The next best thing to a Steeler's win, is a Cowboy's loss.

Although, with how terrible the Cowboys have been the last 20 years, it's not as fun as it used to be seeing them lose.

 

[tetelestai]

Since the Steelers barely escaped a loss to Indy it is extremely unlikely that they will make it to the AFC championship game.

You do know your Cowboys got crushed 42-17 by the pitiful 3-6 Broncos?

That crushing was with Dak, Elliot, Dez, Witten, Lee, and Tyron Smith all playing.

 

[Town Heretic]

The game is in Mexico City. If it were at Oakland, I would agree "not a gimme", but at a neutral site, the Patriots have a big advantage.

Didn't have that on my notes. Thanks. I agree that makes the upset less likely, but it's still one to watch.

Beware of Jacksonville.They have the #1 defense in the NFL.They destroyed the Steelers at Pittsburgh earlier this year. Big Ben threw FIVE interceptions.

But that's really their only quality win. And they were pounded at home by the Titans and won a squeaker on the road against the lowly Jets. They have some talent, but it's hard to worry about them. I think your qb had a bad game against a good defense. That just happens sometimes.

Go Eagles !!!!!.

I really like them this year and have from the start. I also like the way the Saints turned things around. Dallas has too many issues off the field that are impacting play on it and they need a couple of pieces on that defense. Maybe next year. The Rams? They're my NFC darkhorse.

 

[Nihilo]

You do know your Cowboys got crushed 42-17 by the pitiful 3-6 Broncos?

That crushing was with Dak, Elliot, Dez, Witten, Lee, and Tyron Smith all playing.

Wow. Lately it's been taking Denver 3 games to score that many points.

 

[Nihilo]

The game is in Mexico City.

If it was in Oakland, I would agree "not a gimme", but at a neutral site, the Patriots have a big advantage.

Not only that, but NE's been practicing and living at about 6000' elevation (they stayed in Colorado Springs, CO after the game at Denver) all week, so they are all going to be way more used to Mexico City's 7000'+ elevation air than Oakland, so all things considered, unless Brady goes down, this looks like a gimme to me. 'Still anxious to watch the game though....

 

[Jerry Shugart]

Big game for Dallas this weekend. I'm rooting against Philly, Jerry.

It's going to be hard to beat the Eagles without Zeke and Sean Lee and if Tyron Smith cannot play at left tackle it will be extremely difficult because the strength of the Eagle's defense is their defensive line.

 

[tetelestai]

Not only that, but NE's been practicing and living at about 6000' elevation (they stayed in Colorado Springs, CO after the game at Denver) all week, so they are all going to be way more used to Mexico City's 7000'+ elevation air than Oakland, so all things considered, unless Brady goes down, this looks like a gimme to me. 'Still anxious to watch the game though....

That's very interesting.

Of course, when people find out about it, they will claim the NFL purposely scheduled the Patriots at Denver the week before Mexico City so the Patriots could stay in Colorado. :chuckle:

 

[Nihilo]

That's very interesting.

Of course, when people find out about it, they will claim the NFL purposely scheduled the Patriots at Denver the week before Mexico City so the Patriots could stay in Colorado. :chuckle:

They'll undoubtedly charge Belichick with cheating of one sort or other. Altitude-gate!

 

[Bright Raven]

Were you ever interested? Did you have a team? Niners? Raiders? Bolts? Rams? :idunno:

Yeah, I'm a fan. Denver Broncos for 37 years but I will not put up with unpatriotic behavior.