NFL 2011 Wild Card Playoff Round

still sticking with the Texans at home against a relatively young team with a rookie QB...granted Texans have huge issues at QB..

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

All I can say is St. Louis, Minnesota, or Cleveland are going to draft Justin Blackmon before Tampa does at #5 and I swear I will stab every single resident in those cities.

For those concerned for my own personal safety, I live just outside of Minneapolis, so I don't actually need to stab myself.

Don't worry. One of those teams will happily trade down to #7 so Jacksonville can jump up and take him.

No team has more of a woe-is-our-receivers moral right to Blackmon than the Jaguars.

Bengals vs. Texans: I found out that Jeff Garcia is the 3rd string QB for the Texans, how could they lose!?!
Lions vs. Saints: Breesus.
Falcons vs. Giants: Do you think Matt Ryan will ever get a full 2 seconds to throw deep?
Steelers vs. Broncos: This will be my first time ever rooting for the Steelers, I feel dirty.

Edit: Changed my pick from the Bengals to the Texans due to this ranking.

Houston is starting its 3rd string QB vs the Bengals, not 4th, and has Andre back in a game that will be played at home rather than away. Arian Foster didn't produce in the former meeting. It's still anyone's game, but I have a hard time seeing where the Texans are worse off than before. Better, in my estimation.

TempestBlayze wrote:
Phishposer wrote:

Sleeping on the Giants is a mistake. They are healthy, they have a strong running game, a good QB, and a defense that puts a ton of pressure on the QB rushing only four guys. They are built for the playoffs.
As a Packer fan, they are the team I fear the most in the NFC.

Funny, as a Giants fan I fear GB the most. I hope they stay healthy enough for that game assuming they get there. It may just be 07 with Farve all over again :)

Neither of you is worried about the Saints? As far as I'm concerned they are the team to beat in the NFC atm.

Bengals vs. Texans: Texans. The Bengals D isn't as good as it was due to injury.

Lions vs. Saints: Ugh. I'll be rooting for the Lions, but you have to take the Saints at home.

Falcons vs. Giants: I am not a fan of the Falcons. Giants.

Steelers vs. Broncos: If I win the drawing at work I'll be at this game. Only cost me $120 for two tickets. That'll be sweet ... IF I win. Steelers.

Bengals
Saints
Giants
Steelers

karmajay wrote:

Neither of you is worried about the Saints? As far as I'm concerned they are the team to beat in the NFC atm.

There's a certain team in Wisconsin that would beg to differ ...

karmajay wrote:
TempestBlayze wrote:
Phishposer wrote:

Sleeping on the Giants is a mistake. They are healthy, they have a strong running game, a good QB, and a defense that puts a ton of pressure on the QB rushing only four guys. They are built for the playoffs.
As a Packer fan, they are the team I fear the most in the NFC.

Funny, as a Giants fan I fear GB the most. I hope they stay healthy enough for that game assuming they get there. It may just be 07 with Farve all over again :)

Neither of you is worried about the Saints? As far as I'm concerned they are the team to beat in the NFC atm.

As a Giants fan, I am worried about the Saints. The Giants were tied with Green Bay after 59 minutes earlier this season before their defense let the Packers march down the field in 4 plays to set up FG range, so I know the Giants can hold their own against the Packers. The Saints offense is just unstoppable this year, and although the Giants were able to put points on the board vs the Saints, they could not keep up with Brees and his offense. I think the NFC Championship game will be the Saints vs the Packers, and we may see close to 100 total points.

Enix wrote:
karmajay wrote:

Neither of you is worried about the Saints? As far as I'm concerned they are the team to beat in the NFC atm.

There's a certain team in Wisconsin that would beg to differ ...

GB is right behind them BUT rodgers IS GB. Saints have a running game, etc, etc.

karmajay wrote:
Enix wrote:
karmajay wrote:

Neither of you is worried about the Saints? As far as I'm concerned they are the team to beat in the NFC atm.

There's a certain team in Wisconsin that would beg to differ ...

GB is right behind them BUT rodgers IS GB. Saints have a running game, etc, etc.

Matt Flynn says different.

karmajay wrote:

Neither of you is worried about the Saints?

I was responding to some folks upthread dismissing the Giants as a bad team, which I thought was a serious mistake. I don't think anyone here is underestimating the Saints.

karmajay wrote:

As far as I'm concerned [the Saints] are the team to beat in the NFC atm.

A Saints v Packers matchup in the postseason would be very interesting. Their first meeting was a close game. The Saints will have to win a home game and then an outdoor road game before that could happen however. My money would be on the Packers in that matchup given current weather conditions in GB, especially with the improvement in the Packers' running game recently. I'd love to hear why you think the Saints would be favored.

Phishposer wrote:
karmajay wrote:

Neither of you is worried about the Saints?

I was responding to some folks upthread dismissing the Giants as a bad team, which I thought was a serious mistake. I don't think anyone here is underestimating the Saints.

karmajay wrote:

As far as I'm concerned [the Saints] are the team to beat in the NFC atm.

A Saints v Packers matchup in the postseason would be very interesting. Their first meeting was a close game. The Saints will have to win a home game and then an outdoor road game before that could happen however. My money would be on the Packers in that matchup given current weather conditions in GB, especially with the improvement in the Packers' running game recently. I'd love to hear why you think the Saints would be favored.

Yeah, if that game was in the Superdome, I'd go for the Saints, but outside, in Green Bay, in January?

Domes should be outlawed.

garion333 wrote:

Domes should be outlawed.

This is on my "if I were Commissioner" list.

The only thing I'll allow are retractable domes, for closing not on cold or wet days, but on scorching hot days in places like Texas, so you can run the AC.

Dome teams tend to fare poorly when having to go outside in cold weather (i.e., in the playoffs). Domes are kind of a self-correcting problem in many ways.

Except when a dome team gets homefield advantage and plays their way at home to the Super Bowl, which is either in a dome or warm-weather climate, because oh gods no we couldn't have the Super Bowl be played in weather!

Football is meant to be played in cold weather. I only support dome usage in blocking out the heat and creating colder indoor field conditions.

I would do things tax-incentive style. Teams who go open-air and natural grass get salary cap rebates.

I will tell y'all what I tell everyone, which is kind of the philosophy of the indoorsman: The outdoors are bad, and trying to kill you in many ways. In fact, the outdoors are so bad that man invented the indoors to get away from them.

This concludes today's Moment from the Great Indoors.

*Legion* wrote:

Except when a dome team gets homefield advantage and plays their way at home to the Super Bowl, which is either in a dome or warm-weather climate, because oh gods no we couldn't have the Super Bowl be played in weather!

Super Bowl XLVIII is in Metlife Stadium in the Meadowlands. No dome

I hope it snows.

garion333 wrote:

Bengals vs. Texans: Texans. The Bengals D isn't as good as it was due to injury.

Lions vs. Saints: Ugh. I'll be rooting for the Lions, but you have to take the Saints at home.

Falcons vs. Giants: I am not a fan of the Falcons. Giants.

Steelers vs. Broncos: If I win the drawing at work I'll be at this game. Only cost me $120 for two tickets. That'll be sweet ... IF I win. Steelers Broncos.

Screw it. I'm want to beat boogle. Changing my pick to the Broncos.

Phishposer wrote:
karmajay wrote:

Neither of you is worried about the Saints?

I was responding to some folks upthread dismissing the Giants as a bad team, which I thought was a serious mistake. I don't think anyone here is underestimating the Saints.

karmajay wrote:

As far as I'm concerned [the Saints] are the team to beat in the NFC atm.

A Saints v Packers matchup in the postseason would be very interesting. Their first meeting was a close game. The Saints will have to win a home game and then an outdoor road game before that could happen however. My money would be on the Packers in that matchup given current weather conditions in GB, especially with the improvement in the Packers' running game recently. I'd love to hear why you think the Saints would be favored.

Cold weather would favor the Saints since they had the 6th rated Rushing attack while GB had the 27th. GB does give up 50 yards/gm but the Saints still give up 330+. I don't think GB will be able to cover all the offensive weapons Saints have. GB can score a bunch though.

I think GB is a great team but I just think the Saints have some incredible momentum going on and I think momentum can carry a team, especially a team with all the weapons the Saints have, to the SB.

So glad scores are starting over, gives me a chance to get in on the fun.

Bengals vs. Texans

Lions vs. Saints I don't really believe this, but I just want it to happen.

Falcons vs. Giants Hey SAM, remember when you had Victor Cruz on your FF team? Then you dropped him allowing me to pick him up? That was great.

Steelers vs. Broncos Tebow. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Bengals vs. Texans

Lions vs. Saints Lot's of momentum for the Saints

Falcons vs. Giants I think the Giants could be spoilers in the playoffs.

Steelers vs. Broncos One of these teams don't belong the playoffs

Hey Psych remember when you won our league? I don't.
Remember when I won? (I'll let you pick which year)

Bengals vs. Texans - Homefield proves the difference - Texicans by 3.
Lions vs. Saints - I like the Lions but this is the blowout of the week. Saints by 11.
Falcons vs. Giants - Homefield proves the difference - G-Men by 3
Steelers vs. Broncos - Closer than it should be but Steelers by 7

I'm okay with domes, but I think any team whose home stadium doesn't have natural grass must spot the visitor 14 points before the coin toss.

Bengals
Saints
Giants
Steelers

Switched my pick to the G-men. Can't beat that front 4 after rewatching a couple of games.

Paleocon wrote:

I'm okay with domes, but I think any team whose home stadium doesn't have natural grass must spot the visitor 14 points before the coin toss.

I'd be happy with spotting 3 points.

karmajay wrote:
Phishposer wrote:
karmajay wrote:

Neither of you is worried about the Saints?

I was responding to some folks upthread dismissing the Giants as a bad team, which I thought was a serious mistake. I don't think anyone here is underestimating the Saints.

karmajay wrote:

As far as I'm concerned [the Saints] are the team to beat in the NFC atm.

A Saints v Packers matchup in the postseason would be very interesting. Their first meeting was a close game. The Saints will have to win a home game and then an outdoor road game before that could happen however. My money would be on the Packers in that matchup given current weather conditions in GB, especially with the improvement in the Packers' running game recently. I'd love to hear why you think the Saints would be favored.

Cold weather would favor the Saints since they had the 6th rated Rushing attack while GB had the 27th. GB does give up 50 yards/gm but the Saints still give up 330+. I don't think GB will be able to cover all the offensive weapons Saints have. GB can score a bunch though.

I think GB is a great team but I just think the Saints have some incredible momentum going on and I think momentum can carry a team, especially a team with all the weapons the Saints have, to the SB.

I think people are reading way to much into the regular season stats of the GB defense while ignoring the most important ones they do make.

31 INT... 8 more then the next team. Its a high risk defense with an efficient offense. Hard to beat a team that you cant stop from scoring and gets the ball more then you.

Not saying they are not vulnerable though as I think the Saints are being overblown as a dome team and the 49ers also matchup well.

Brees is too accurate for the weather to really hurt him unless hes some pansy and they have plenty of ground game weapons.

49ers might have the defense to slow the Packers down enough and also dont give the ball away much.

That said I think the best 3 teams going into the playoffs are on the NFC side.

jowner wrote:

That said I think the best 3 teams going into the playoffs are on the NFC side.

The Thanksgiving Harbaugh Bowl proves that otherwise. I would wedge Baltimore inbetween New Orleans and San Fran.