2012 NFL playoff thread

[troutman]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Jim Harbaugh has got one hell of a competitive side but how long can that last and still work with his team? Doesn't speak to the media after the game, barely a handshake, and then there was the Sean Payton incident in the pre-season and the Jim Schwartz thing. If I'm a 49ers fan I love how much this guy wants to win but that act can go south really fast

He's too hot-blooded. I can't see that act lasting very long.

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

The Chargers did fine and if Eli had stayed there, nothing would have changed, the Chargers with their soft defense and finding ways to lose, they would still have 0 super bowls... early in Elways career, i think he would have been labled a jerk but as time goes by, most people forget he was drafted by the Colts

Even though Elway was much more arrogant and brash then Eli Manning has ever been. Eli may not have won with SanDiego but he won with the Giants and he's turned into an elite NFL QB. Should be a great superbowl.

[flames_1987]

http://deadspin.com/5878329/

Great article about the end of that Ravens game

[troutman]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Go Giants, to hell with NE and their largely bandwagon fanbase.

Scary thing for Pats haters - they just went 14-2 and 13-3 while totally re-building the defence. They are back to the Superbowl ahead of schedule.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Even though Elway was much more arrogant and brash then Eli Manning has ever been. Eli may not have won with SanDiego but he won with the Giants and he's turned into an elite NFL QB. Should be a great superbowl.

QB's that have started for 4 or 5 years dont often improve much, usually after 4 years of starting, you know what you have. but in this case, Eli has really improved, he is much better than he was in 2007. he was lucky then, now he is elite. pains me to say it

[moon]

Originally Posted by troutman

Scary thing for Pats haters - they just went 14-2 and 13-3 while totally re-building the defence. They are back to the Superbowl ahead of schedule.

Scary thing for Pats fans is that the best players on the Pats defense are old and the new guys brought in have been crap for the most part.

Throw in some other odd decisions by Belicheat in the draft the past few years and the rebuild of the defense might not be such a great thing and this crap defense might not be just a fluke rebuild and the norm.

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

QB's that have started for 4 or 5 years dont often improve much, usually after 4 years of starting, you know what you have. but in this case, Eli has really improved, he is much better than he was in 2007. he was lucky then, now he is elite. pains me to say it

Very true, and also in this day and age it seems the QB position is under a larger microscope then it's ever been before so the window is even smaller in terms of how much time these players get to prove "themselves" to the coach. GM and the fans. He was certainly a time management don't make a mistake QB in 07 and now is the leader of that team. Two Great QB's, big cities and a rivalry with a backstory, pretty easy for the NFL to sell compared to Flacco Vs Smith

[browna]

A bit late to all this, but watching live, I thought that Evans had that catch. The same "Calvin Johnson" rules don't apply, and he had both feet down it looked like with the ball in his hands. He should've held on longer, but that play should've been reviewed in the booth at very least.

Any why BAL didn't call a timeout...Cundiff was rushing into position for some reason, didn't really set and was in the wrong position. The kicking form, although a bit of a hook, looked worse because he was aimed to that side in the first place, but it wasn't a mi#### or anything. That one is going to hurt Baltimore for a long time.

As for the Giants, credit to them for outlasting. They don't look that much different than the team the Seahawks beat, but full marks for them for sticking around in games. Two big flubs on the kicking game, huge mistakes and turnovers SF didn't make all season, which is why they were where they were, were of course the difference.

As for Harbaugh, yeah, he'll have to tone down some of the antics and emotion, as well as some of the constant complaining to the refs.
This isn't college anymore...refs can't be pushed around, but yeah, the fiery attitude in the locker room has a shelf life in the NFL that isn't there in college.

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by troutman

Scary thing for Pats haters - they just went 14-2 and 13-3 while totally re-building the defence. They are back to the Superbowl ahead of schedule.

Lots of things also went the Pats way this season in terms of schedule, no Schuab or Manning, Steelers limping into the playoffs and the Jets regressing a lot but the Patriots with Brady the Pats are simply never out of the game and a ton of credit has to go to the hoodie for having a vision for this offense in the offseason with two TE's in Hernandez and Gronk and what the Pats could do.

Not convinced they are above schedule in terms of rebuilding this team, the Pats are still going to have a ton of turnover on defense and a lot of their draft picks have not turned out well, and the running game is still a mess. That being said, none of that matters because the Pats again find a way and remain the most consistent team of the last decade.

[flames_1987]

49ers going into next season could not be more of an interesting story. So much went right for them this season. Alex Smith is a Free Agent and they play a 1st place schedule. Harbaugh did a great job this year but long term there has to be more substance to a coach or else he looses his team.

[Sylvanfan]

Should be. Good game. Another rematch, and it's tough to win twice against an opponent in the same season.

Have to credit the Giants for being a pretty well run and consistent organization over the past 30 years. Unlike the Jets...they're more about actions than words.

[browna]

Furthermore...Julian Edleman on Anquion Bolden the last two (at least) series?

The will need some more DB help against the Giants receivers if that's who NE plans to put on Cruz or Nicks.

[Sainters7]

I reserve the right to change my pick sometime over the next 2 weeks, but my initial thought is a close Giants win. Just the more evenly built team. That Pats passing game is ridiculous, but the Giants O is nothing to sneeze at either, love that WR core. Defensive front four is awesome too, man is JPP a beast! I would kill to get a pass rusher like that on the Saints.

[flames_1987]

At least we can all take pleasure in knowing this must be the worst case scenario for Rex Ryan and Jets fans. Two weeks of nothing but the Patriots and Giants

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Lots of things also went the Pats way this season in terms of schedule, no Schuab or Manning, Steelers limping into the playoffs and the Jets regressing a lot but the Patriots with Brady the Pats are simply never out of the game and a ton of credit has to go to the hoodie for having a vision for this offense in the offseason with two TE's in Hernandez and Gronk and what the Pats could do.

Not convinced they are above schedule in terms of rebuilding this team, the Pats are still going to have a ton of turnover on defense and a lot of their draft picks have not turned out well, and the running game is still a mess. That being said, none of that matters because the Pats again find a way and remain the most consistent team of the last decade.

i dont know why a team like the Pats who have a hall of fame QB and offense dont get into free agency and try to plug holes. i understand them not going for the Haynesworth type signings, leave that to idiots like Snyder in Wash. but some second tier free agent defensive players might get them to the point where their defense isnt looked at as a complete liability

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

At least we can all take pleasure in knowing this must be the worst case scenario for Rex Ryan and Jets fans. Two weeks of nothing but the Patriots and Giants

Rex will come out after the game and say the winner is lucky they didnt play the Jets. he said that last year about the Packers.. what a baffoon

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by flames_1987

Lots of things also went the Pats way this season in terms of schedule, no Schuab or Manning, Steelers limping into the playoffs and the Jets regressing a lot

Ya I couldn't believe the stat I heard during the Ravens/Pats game, that NE hadn't beaten a single above .500 team all year. Seriously how does that even happen when you go 13-3??? Also helped that the AFC this year was the weakest its been in probably 15 years.

Nonetheless, 5 Super Bowl appearances in just over a decade is insane, and speaks to what a model of consistancy that team is year in and year out. Brady doing what he did with that receiving core just shows how ridiculously good he is. Can't wait for this SB, I can't even believe its Pats/Giants again. Should be a great one.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

Ya I couldn't believe the stat I heard during the Ravens/Pats game, that NE hadn't beaten a single above .500 team all year. Seriously how does that even happen when you go 13-3??? Also helped that the AFC this year was the weakest its been in probably 15 years.

Well, the Giants beat the Pats as their only +.500 team that they beat all season. Losses to Seattle, Washington twice and the Eagles among the lowerlights.

Look forward to NE taking this one...although Gronkowski's injury will be a big x factor. I also have a funny feeling Ochocinco is going to play a big game out of the blue. Will be interesting to see how he handles the media day and the two weeks of hype. The old Chad Johnson would be a circus act, but we'll see how he'll be muted by having a useless (to this point) season, the Pats controls over him, and his father passing away (the reason he was inactive today).

[flames_1987]

Originally Posted by browna

Well, the Giants beat the Pats as their only +.500 team that they beat all season. Losses to Seattle, Washington twice and the Eagles among the lowerlights.

Look forward to NE taking this one...although Gronkowski's injury will be a big x factor. I also have a funny feeling Ochocinco is going to play a big game out of the blue. Will be interesting to see how he handles the media day and the two weeks of hype. The old Chad Johnson would be a circus act, but we'll see how he'll be muted by having a useless (to this point) season, the Pats controls over him, and his father passing away (the reason he was inactive today).

Something tells me you could make a ton of money if you put down some cash on just about any stat related prop bet about Chad Johnson in the Superbowl, if what your saying was to come true.

[flames_1987]

Some of the stuff being said to Kyle Williams on Twitter is just despicable, few outlets running stories about the people actually dumb enough to utter death threats.

Blows my mind that people and fans need to scapegoat someone and still will never learn their lesson even after seeing what happened to guys like Steve Bartman or Bill Buckner. If they want to get mad at someone, how about the entire 49ers offense for not converting one 3rd down, Alex Smith, or Vernon Davis for taking those two dumb penalties. Feel awful for the kid, especially with how great his other returns this game were.