2017 NFL Playoffs the road to Super Bowl LI

[station]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

It's actually perfect that in order to get to the big game to complete his insane season, Matt Ryan will first have to out-duel the walking absurdity that is Aaron Rodgers. Then, he (almost certainly) gets Brady.

He's never been considered in that top echelon of quarterbacks. Most people think of him as sort of a Ryan Tannehill level or something but the numbers say otherwise. He's currently 21st all time in passing yards (1000-ish more than Rodgers). He has less TD's than Rodgers but more completions. He has 25 4th quarter comebacks to Rodgers' 10. Another 4-5 career average seasons (totally plausible at 31 years old) and he would be top 10 in every major stat category and pushing top 5 in some. Hall of fame numbers basically. Point is, the only thing holding Matt Ryan back right now is lack of playoff success. Getting through Rodgers and either Brady or Roethlisberger would cement him in that top tier imo.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Yeah exactly, it's a great story, and the fact that the guys he has to put down are Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady - aka the guys who pretty much define "playoff performer" at his position right now - makes it even better.

[zukes]

I don't like the idea of the Patriots playing a 3 deep run blitz. Ben is a hall of fame caliber QB (we are just so spoiled with Brady, Manning, Rodgers, Brees all a cut above that nobody really notices) that would pick that apart.

I don't think it's an either/or situation for Belichek. I think there will be deception and lot's of changing from man to zone with blitzes coming out of both.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by zukes

I don't like the idea of the Patriots playing a 3 deep run blitz. Ben is a hall of fame caliber QB (we are just so spoiled with Brady, Manning, Rodgers, Brees all a cut above that nobody really notices) that would pick that apart.

I don't think it's an either/or situation for Belichek. I think there will be deception and lot's of changing from man to zone with blitzes coming out of both.

Probably, but at this point the Patriots have to shut down the run game and get their offense on the field. The Patriots offense is more then capable of grinding the clock and putting up a lot of points. But what I'm talking about is predicated on your ends being complete beasts for the whole game

Plus if you do a run blitz and can keep BR contained and on a short clock, you might be able to capitalize on mistakes.

[transplant99]

Heh.

Rodgers has completed 5 of 8 passes (63 percent) thrown 30 or more yards downfield in the last minute of the fourth quarter over the past two seasons. The rest of the NFL is 4-of-46 (9 percent) on such passes over that stretch.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Heh.

So not only is Rodgers sporting a completion percentage seven times higher but he's completed more of those money passes than ALL of the other QBs combined. Wow!

[transplant99]

Some Vegas books suffered their worst losses ever this weekend.

"It's just colossal," Jay Rood, vice president of MGM race and sports, said of his shop's loss.

"Awful," said Westgate SuperBook assistant manager Ed Salmons of the weekend's results. "Can't be worse."

http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id...worst-day-ever

[cross16]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Heh.

Quote:
Rodgers has completed 5 of 8 passes (63 percent) thrown 30 or more yards downfield in the last minute of the fourth quarter over the past two seasons. The rest of the NFL is 4-of-46 (9 percent) on such passes over that stretch.

and to think Rodgers used to get criticism from Packer fans that he couldn't make game winning drives and was only good when he had a lead...

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Some Vegas books suffered their worst losses ever this weekend.





http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id...worst-day-ever

I feel so bad for them. Maybe they can set up a GoFundMe page to help offset their losses.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Cheese

Gotta hate on winners eh EE? Did you hate on them through the 80s and 90s as well? Calling the Pats more boring than the Steelers? Not sure how you get to that decision when the Pats are one of the highest scoring teams in the NFL year after year and generally live by the pass. Gronk himself is worth the price of admission let alone watching the best QB ever. The Steelers are your average run, run, pass team with strong Def...but even at that I can still appreciate their game although I hate them.

I'm not the only person that feels this way;

http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/09/11/new...ting-tom-brady

Also I wouldn't say the Pats live by the pass when they finished 7th in rushing. It's not that they don't get yards it's just the methodical way they go about it. They are brutally efficient. They scheme to take away what the opposition does best and they dink and dunk down the field with precision. It's not pretty but extremely effective. One thing that will be nice in the coming years is when Brady and Belichick retire we can go back to pre-2002 where Patriots fans and endangered species were one and the same, and nobody cared or talked about them.

[transplant99]

LMAO!!!

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Some Vegas books suffered their worst losses ever this weekend.





http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id...worst-day-ever

I am lousy at Gambling...I really should stop doing it. But with the money I made picking Atlanta to cover, and Green Bay and Pittsburgh to win on moneyline, easily offset my losses for the rest of the year.

My inner conspiracy theorist was wondering at the end if Pittsburgh would end up getting a flag in the end zone to force a tie game than end up punting from their own 5, and having the Chiefs kick the winning field goal to erase all the people who bet on Pittsburgh. Maybe it was just me trying to concoct a scenario for the Chiefs to win...

[dino7c]

picking the Patriots on moneyline was free money....I know people who put massive amounts down

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by dino7c

picking the Patriots on moneyline was free money....I know people who put massive amounts down

Yeah well this is way more awesome...

Before Thanksgiving, Brian Yankelevitz and Russ Axelrod decided to pick an NFL team that needed to win out to make the playoffs. They placed an initial $300 bet on this team and the plan was to roll the winnings into another bet every week until it won the Super Bowl.

They chose the Green Bay Packers.

Sunday, the Packers won their eighth consecutive game, upsetting the Dallas Cowboys. Yankelevitz and Alexrod's initial $300 investment is now worth $28,213.60.

http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id...rs-worth-28000

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Just guessing here, but I'm gonna say McCarthy called a draw or a screen, and Aaron said #### this I got it.



https://twitter.com/RobertKlemko/sta...17124088279042

Uhh...no.

"It's one of the greatest plays that you'll ever see in that final two-minute [drill]; we call it the 'final-eight' [plays] situation for us," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday. "The orchestration and the protection call, the route concept, great, great job with it."

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...2-minute-drill

I simply do not understand the lack of respect McCarthy gets from so many.

11 years as a head coach.
ONE losing season.
53 games over .500 while winning 65% of his games.
Made the playoffs 9 times.
Won his division 6 of them.
He is 10-7 in the playoffs and of course has a Superbowl.

He has made a few questionable calls/choices in his time as any coach ever, in any sport, has. But seriously...what else can the guy do to be considered one of the best in the business?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Do you know why most people consider Belichick to be a greater coach than Brady a greater QB? Matt Cassel. Namely, Belichick went 11-5 in an entire season without Brady (and actually missed the playoffs). Then he went 3-1 again this year without Brady. You'll point out the year Aaron got hurt and they snuck in, but come on. That was because the NFC North was a disgrace and every team choked, not because of a genius McCarthy coaching job.

Essentially I think McCarthy can be replaced by virtually any coach for the last 10 years, and the Packers would still have at least 1 Super Bowl out of it. Aaron Rodgers is basically like Peyton Manning was, the real coach of the team. Remember when Jim Caldwell won his first 14 games as coach? Was he a great coach for doing that? Or he did have Peyton? Then of course as soon as Peyton got hurt, he went 2-14. I suspect if Rodgers suffered a season ender before the start of next year, the Packers would probably win less than 4 games. It's nothing personal against McCarthy, but he doesn't do anything to give the Packers the coaching advantage. Aaron Rodgers is the entire Green Bay Packers advantage over other teams. Certainly not their run game, or defense. Just be goddamn thankful you're going 30 years without ever having to worry that you don't have a legend at QB. Browns fans (to start) ####ing hate you lol.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Do you know why most people consider Belichick to be a greater coach than Brady a greater QB? Matt Cassel. Namely, Belichick went 11-5 in an entire season without Brady (and actually missed the playoffs). Then he went 3-1 again this year without Brady. You'll point out the year Aaron got hurt and they snuck in, but come on. That was because the NFC North was a disgrace and every team choked, not because of a genius McCarthy coaching job.

Essentially I think McCarthy can be replaced by virtually any coach for the last 10 years, and the Packers would still have at least 1 Super Bowl out of it. Aaron Rodgers is basically like Peyton Manning was, the real coach of the team. Remember when Jim Caldwell won his first 14 games as coach? Was he a great coach for doing that? Or he did have Peyton? Then of course as soon as Peyton got hurt, he went 2-14. I suspect if Rodgers suffered a season ender before the start of next year, the Packers would probably win less than 4 games. It's nothing personal against McCarthy, but he doesn't do anything to give the Packers the coaching advantage. Aaron Rodgers is the entire Green Bay Packers advatnage over other teams. Certainly not their run game, or defense. Just be goddamn thankful you're going to 30 years without ever having to worry that you don't have a legend at QB. Browns fans (to start) ####ing hate you lol.

So in conclusion, because Aaron Rodgers has never had a season ending injury before the year starts, and Tom Brady has and Belichik went 11-5 as the coach of the Patriots that very season...

Mike McCarthy is an average coach at best who "can be replaced by virtually any coach"?

That's weird.

[Senator Clay Davis]

McCarthy currently has the greatest QB of all-time, playing at the highest level of all-time (though not what it was a couple years ago), and he hasn't made a Super Bowl since the 2010 season. Mike McCarthy is a successful coach. That cannot be denied. But if he were a great coach they'd have more than one Super Bowl ring with the level of play Rodgers has given the last 5 seasons. I think you can find a lot of other coaches who could win one Super Bowl given the level of Rodgers play. And McCarthy has outright cost them a Super Bowl spot with his poor coaching in the 2014 NFC Championship. Nothing wrong with McCarthy as a coach if he has Aaron Rodgers, but there are very few coaches who wouldn't have a successful record with Rodgers. I'm guessing even Gus Bradley could have made the playoffs with Rodgers.

[cross16]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

McCarthy currently has the greatest QB of all-time, playing at the highest level of all-time (though not what it was a couple years ago), and he hasn't made a Super Bowl since the 2010 season. Mike McCarthy is a successful coach. That cannot be denied. But if he were a great coach they'd have more than one Super Bowl ring with the level of play Rodgers has given the last 5 seasons. I think you can find a lot of other coaches who could win one Super Bowl given the level of Rodgers play. And McCarthy has outright cost them a Super Bowl spot with his poor coaching in the 2014 NFC Championship. Nothing wrong with McCarthy as a coach if he has Aaron Rodgers, but there are very few coaches who wouldn't have a successful record with Rodgers. I'm guessing even Gus Bradley could have made the playoffs with Rodgers.

What has Sean Payton done with Drew Brees?
What did Tony Dungy do with Payton Manning?
What did Don Shula do with Dan Marino?

Sure, McCarthy could have been more aggressive in the 2014 NFC Championship game but did he tell Morgan Burnett to stop after an INT when he could have probably ran it back for 6 or at least a FG try. Did he tell a 3rd string TE to not do his job and let Nelson catch the ball. either of those two things happen and they are in the super bowl and neither was McCarthy's fault.

Lots more than just a coach goes into winning a Championship. Keep in mind too that the Packers continue to hand McCarthy one of the youngest teams in the league year after year and almost never support it with veteran FAs.

He is far from a perfect coach but I think you are really underrating. Especially considering you are giving him no credit for actually developing Rodgers in the first place.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Uhh...no.



http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...2-minute-drill

I simply do not understand the lack of respect McCarthy gets from so many.

11 years as a head coach.
ONE losing season.
53 games over .500 while winning 65% of his games.
Made the playoffs 9 times.
Won his division 6 of them.
He is 10-7 in the playoffs and of course has a Superbowl.

He has made a few questionable calls/choices in his time as any coach ever, in any sport, has. But seriously...what else can the guy do to be considered one of the best in the business?

You probably need to ask this to other Packers fans. I listen to Sirius NFL daily and Packers fans for years have been calling in wanting both McCarthy and Thompson to be fired. It seems they get less respect from Packers fans than fans of the rest of the league. Plenty of fans of sad sack organizations would love to be in the mix for the playoffs every year.