12-30-2019, 03:09 PM
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#1
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Appealing my suspension
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Just outside Enemy Lines
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2020 NFL Playoff Thread
So it went down to nearly the last play of the season to set the playoff seeding. But the matchups are now set.
The AFC features 4 repeat Division winners and the same two Wild Card teams from 2017 who played in the 2018 playoffs. The NFC only has 1 repeat Division champ but 3 teams in for consecutive seasons with the Saints and Eagles both on their third consecutive appearance.
Saturday January 4th at 2:35
#5 Buffalo Bills +3 at #4 Houston Texans
Its becoming an annual tradition for the NFL pkayoffs to open up in Houston as I think this is 4 times in 5 years now that this has happened. Both teams knew where they were prior to their week 17 games and both rested their starters.
The upstart Bills feature a stingy defence as their primary strength. Second year QB Josh Allen was effective running the ball and made enough plays in the passing game to lead the Bills to 10 wins. The Bills love to run with Devin Singletary and the ageless Frank Gore. John Brown is the deep play threat and Cole Beasley is a key possesion receiver. Defensively the Bills are lead by Tremaine Edwards and Tre'Davious White. A balanced front of Jordan Phillips, Shaq Lawson, Trent Murphy, and Ed Oliver combined for 26 sacks this year.
The Texans are lead by DeShaun Watson and Nuke Hopkins on offence. Carlos Hyde was effective running the ball and Kenny Stills and Will Fuller are other weapons in the pass game. Defensively the return of JJ Watt will be a huge boost for the Texans. Whitney Mercilis had a strong year stepping in as the leader in the second half of the season.
Injuries are key to watch for, Fuller was not healthy enough to play this past week snd Watson had been hobbled by a heel injury. Texans also had some secondary injuries against Tennessee.
I like the Texans to win a close one because of how dynamic Watson is, and its an indoor game.
I will give more info on other matchups later when I have more time.
Saturday January 4th at 6:15
#6 Tennessee Titans +4.5 at #3 New England Patriots
Sunday January 5th at 11:05
#6 Minnesota Vikings +8 at #3 New Orleans Saints
Sunday January 5th at 2:40
#5 Seattle Seahawks -1.5 at #4 Philidelphia Eagle's
__________________
"Some guys like old balls"
Patriots QB Tom Brady
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12-30-2019, 03:50 PM
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#2
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Calgary
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Texans. Buffalo beat one team this season that has a winning record. Texans got up for, and won, games vs NE and KC. Texans cover.
Pats. Good chance their season ends the week after in KC, but Pats are a complete enough team to beat the Titans at home. Pats cover.
Saints. By the third snap we will see the Diggs catch from 2 years ago from 6 angles and in 4 languages. Likely only highlight for the Vikings on the day. Minnesota has weapons, but Cousins is far too inconsistent in using them. Saints seem to make adjustments where Minnesota, once behind, can’t seem to figure things out. Saints cover.
Eagles. Hate to say it but this will be the upset of the weekend. Seahawks have stumbled losing three of their last 4. 2 games prior to that, played well but kept the Panthers, and Eagles, within reach and ended up winning by one score. No running game really with the top 3 backs out. Wilson has been relying on a third string TE in Hollister for a number of weeks now, and third string RB to keep the ball moving. Lynch gives a boost to the swagger and confidence and can still play, but a lot to ask to be a difference maker after 2 weeks after 14 months away. Loss of the three rb’s and Gordon as a receiving threat. Defense has looked average, though if they have Diggs back that will help to catch some of Wentz’s nervous throws.
Philly is no prize team either, and Wentz isn’t the answer, but, to their credit they have had to win the last 2 to get in. Seattle had December losses vs the Rams and Cardinals and of course last night, which, if even one went the other way, would’ve had a home game or two, and had a bye, which is what they need to feed off the crowd. Wilson can pull the team out of the fire as he did second half last night, but I just don’t think Seattle will put it together enough and have enough playmakers against a team that has nothing to lose. Eagles win by 1 or 2.
Last edited by browna; 12-30-2019 at 03:52 PM.
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12-30-2019, 04:18 PM
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#3
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Maryland State House, Annapolis
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The fact Tannehill can end the Pats dynasty while not being on the Dolphins is kinda funny. At the same time the Dolphins put one nail in the coffin yesterday so they at least set it up for Tannehill.
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"Think I'm gonna be the scapegoat for the whole damn machine? Sheeee......."
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12-30-2019, 04:34 PM
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#4
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Franchise Player
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Bills.
Titans.
Saints.
Seahawks.
That’s what I hope for. May or may not be my wagers.
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12-30-2019, 05:37 PM
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#5
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Pitt Meadows
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I’m more worried about what game plan Bellichick will have then I am worried about the Pats game play. Nothing I want more then to beat those Pats. Maybe we catch them at the right time, but they are still the Pats. Tannehill also 0-6 in foxboro.
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01-01-2020, 10:37 AM
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#6
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Appealing my suspension
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Just outside Enemy Lines
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For the other games this week.
I like the Titans to pull the upset 24-20.
Over the last 7 weeks the Titan offence has averaged over 33 points a game and run for at least 149 yards in each of them. I expect Gilmour to be on Brown and 8 guys in the box from New England, but Tannehill will run himself and use still take some shots. The Patriots offence has been stagnant for much of the second half, and it finally costs them as they can't put up the points they need.
I like the Saints to win big over the Vikings 38-17. The Saints have had two heart breaking playoff losses the last two years to avenge. The Superbowl is in Miami where they won it 10 years ago and I think they get back. Saints have a lot of weapons on offence and playmakers on defence. Kirk Cousins struggles continue in big games and the Vikings defence can't hold back the flood gates.
I will take the Eagles to win 30-26 over the Seahawks. Going accross the Country twice to beat the same team is difficult. Seattle falls behind early miss a PAT go for a 2 point convert that they miss and bugger up a goal line situation to end the game.
__________________
"Some guys like old balls"
Patriots QB Tom Brady
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01-01-2020, 11:06 AM
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#7
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Victoria
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Reports are that if the Eagles win this week, they should have Desean Jackson back the following week. I think that's a pretty tall task with the right side of the offensive line being out, as well as Ertz and Sanders being questionable, but that would be such a huge boost if they can pull it off.
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01-02-2020, 10:39 AM
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#8
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: back in the 403
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Texans
Patriots
Saints
Seahawks
Bills-Texans is my hardest call, both teams have the potential to lay an egg in the first round. I may flip this to Texans before kickoff, I keep going back and forth with it.
Last edited by Sainters7; 01-04-2020 at 12:05 PM.
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01-02-2020, 01:38 PM
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#9
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Victoria
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Texans
Pats
Saints
Eagles
Really hard to see any upsets this round unless you consider Eagles over Seahawks an upset (I see it as a 50/50 game).
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01-02-2020, 02:36 PM
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#10
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Waterloo, Ontario
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Texans
Pats
Saints
Seahawks
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01-02-2020, 02:53 PM
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#11
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Franchise Player
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First parlay for the weekend:
Bills +2.5
Titans ML
Saints -8
Seahawks -2
Will probably put in a few others. Thats my hope and dreams for the weekend, not necessarily what I think may happen.
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01-02-2020, 03:00 PM
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#12
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Victoria
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nm
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01-02-2020, 03:36 PM
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#13
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Maryland State House, Annapolis
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Texans 23 Bills 17
Titans 38 Patriots 23
Saints 40 Vikings 28
Seahawks 16 Eagles 13
My Titans pick is more about my belief that New England won't lose a close game, and that their home playoff loses in the Belichick era have been to Mark Sanchez and Joe Flacco and that Tannehill slides into that group pretty well.
__________________
"Think I'm gonna be the scapegoat for the whole damn machine? Sheeee......."
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01-03-2020, 12:15 PM
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#14
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Franchise Player
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Quote:
Originally Posted by browna
Wilson has been relying on a third string TE in Hollister for a number of weeks now, and third string RB to keep the ball moving.
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I believe you mean 4th string running back. That said he's surprisingly not altogether terrible as long as they don't try to call plays for him as if he were Chris Carson, and at least the Eagles don't have much film to go on?
Anyway,
Pats
Bills (I just have this gut feeling)
Hawks Eagles
Saints
EDIT: Actually, on second thought, I'll take the Eagles. I think Wilson will actually do quite a bit with the meagre tools he has, but it's the defensive side of the ball that will fail Seattle. They're just too permissive as far as the passing game goes, and the Eagles at this stage of the season seem like a team that really needs to be bottled up from the get go. They'll get rolling, get a bit of momentum and confidence, and that'll be the difference, barring a significant turnover differential, and Wentz isn't exactly an INT machine. Not sure how Boston Scott is at protecting the ball, but I'm not sure how Travis Homer is at it either.
__________________
"The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
Last edited by CorsiHockeyLeague; 01-03-2020 at 12:34 PM.
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01-03-2020, 04:16 PM
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#15
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: back in the 403
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Saints announce they'll be wearing all white for the Wild Card game at home. Just their regular away uniform, as the NFL denied their request today to wear their slick Color Rush uniforms.
Weird how they denied it, when they accepted both the Rams' special request to wear theirs for last year's Super Bowl, and the Browns to wear their Color Rush unis more than the allotted 3 games as well. The Saints and the NFL have the most tumultuous relationship, it's so bizarre.
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01-03-2020, 04:57 PM
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#16
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Appealing my suspension
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Just outside Enemy Lines
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^^^
That's odd, I really don't see why they would care that much. I do like the white jersey with the Gold Numbers better than the white with Black myself.
I don't think it matters what color jersey they wear...Cousins will still throw a couple balls to the guys in the Saints secondary.
__________________
"Some guys like old balls"
Patriots QB Tom Brady
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01-03-2020, 05:12 PM
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#17
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Victoria
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague
They'll get rolling, get a bit of momentum and confidence, and that'll be the difference, barring a significant turnover differential, and Wentz isn't exactly an INT machine. Not sure how Boston Scott is at protecting the ball, but I'm not sure how Travis Homer is at it either.
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Both Wentz and Scott have issues hanging onto the ball. That said, it sounds like Sanders is a go for Sunday.
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01-03-2020, 05:29 PM
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#18
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: back in the 403
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sylvanfan
^^^
That's odd, I really don't see why they would care that much. I do like the white jersey with the Gold Numbers better than the white with Black myself.
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Me too, they need to make that their primary away uniform, I love it. I'm actually there next week, hoping to pick up a Lattimore Colour Rush jersey, which for some reason is impossible to find in stock on the internets.
The Saints and NFL have a petty relationship.
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01-03-2020, 07:06 PM
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#19
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Franchise Player
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rubecube
Both Wentz and Scott have issues hanging onto the ball. That said, it sounds like Sanders is a go for Sunday.
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It's funny because the regular season game between these two was the big exception to the rule for all the stuff I said... Seattle's defense was really solid throughout, Wentz gave up a bunch of turnovers, and Wilson wasn't terribly effective other than a big flea flicker to Malik Turner, who won't be playing on Sunday. So I guess what I'm betting on is that it'll be a totally different game than last time with a different result.
Sanders makes a big difference, if he's close to 100%. Seattle has no word yet on Clowney but he's not on the injury list, Willson is a go, and Jaron Brown looks fine so Russ will have at least a little bit of depth to work with even if it's pretty mediocre depth. But 3 of the starting O-line are out (and the O-line isn't any good even when healthy) so he won't have much time to throw it to them.
__________________
"The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
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01-04-2020, 12:06 PM
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#20
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: back in the 403
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Yeah I'm switching my Bills pick to Texans..tough call either way.
Crazy that JJ Watt is back! Been out since October, interesting to see what kind of impact he's going to have
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