That's a division rivalry for you. I always have trouble picking those matches for a reason.
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The Everything NFL Punter Thread - 2014/2015 Season
- Thread starter Stallion
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Some rivalries are closer than others though. Washington vs Dallas is one, Pittsburgh vs Baltimore (when it was Cleveland too) is another, and the only other one I can think of that is as known and almost as consistently close as the first two is Packers vs Bears (except very recently). Seahawks vs 49ers has the potential to turn into one, but it only got close within the last couple years. Almost all the other rivalries are not anywhere near as intense or well known.
how could you possibly not even mention the badass brawl that is the jags v. titans we are treated to twice every year
honestly those games get me more pumped than any brady and manning sideshow could
I didn't mention them because I've never seen one. They are always blacked out :D
Call me crazy, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a Raiders upset this week, or at least a close game. The Seahawks are still struggling, to a certain extent. Seems like it could go similarly to the Raiders game in Foxborough earlier in the year.
The Raiders have been in a whole lot of close games this year. They're just on the crappy end of "good teams find ways to win close games and bad teams find ways to lose them."
Probability says 0-16 isn't likely to happen but the chances are getting worse every week...
I'd love a win against the 49ers though; it would probably ruin their playoff chances and give me something to crow about to my entire 9ers-loving family!
Probability says 0-16 isn't likely to happen but the chances are getting worse every week...
I'd love a win against the 49ers though; it would probably ruin their playoff chances and give me something to crow about to my entire 9ers-loving family!
TheValkyries
proudly reppin' 2 superbowl wins since DEFLATEGATE
Fuck what probability says, I say the Raiders are gonna go the distance. Last calls for the 0-16 hype train, all aboard whose coming aboard!
What's sad is that as bad as the Raiders are, they don't deserve to go 0-16. Their schedule is ridiculous. They play the AFC West which has two great teams and one good one twice plus the NFC West. They blew one great chance to get a win by losing to a mediocre Cardinals team at home, and drew their two easiest opponents (Jets, Rams) on the road. Their best two chances to get a win are probably at home against SF and BUF (neither of those teams are bad, but home field advantage is important in a league with so much parity), especially since BUF will have to travel across the country. The Raiders are really bad, but they're not 0-16 bad. They're probably better than the Buccaneers are right now and they're nowhere as terrible as the Lions Season That Never Happened.
Also, does anyone not see Denver just trucking through the rest of their games right now? The Broncos are playing the best offense and defense out of any team in the NFL through 8 weeks, have the best QB in the league, are stacked at WR, etc. With the best AFC teams being so much stronger than the best NFC teams right now, it's hard to see Denver losing in the Super Bowl (warm weather SB just seems set up for Peyton, too!) again and I don't see an AFC team that matches up especially well against them.
Also, does anyone not see Denver just trucking through the rest of their games right now? The Broncos are playing the best offense and defense out of any team in the NFL through 8 weeks, have the best QB in the league, are stacked at WR, etc. With the best AFC teams being so much stronger than the best NFC teams right now, it's hard to see Denver losing in the Super Bowl (warm weather SB just seems set up for Peyton, too!) again and I don't see an AFC team that matches up especially well against them.
The Raiders could definitely beat a few teams out there. I think we could handle at least a couple out of the Jags, Bucs, Vikings, Panthers, Jets, Browns, Bills, Dolphins, Redskins, Titans, Giants, Falcons, Chiefs. The problem is all the blown chances.
Dropping a home game off the schedule by having it in London also sucks balls.
Let's hope the Broncos do win the Super Bowl this year so Peyton will be happy and comfortable with the idea of retiring and getting out of the AFC West!
Dropping a home game off the schedule by having it in London also sucks balls.
Let's hope the Broncos do win the Super Bowl this year so Peyton will be happy and comfortable with the idea of retiring and getting out of the AFC West!
TheValkyries
proudly reppin' 2 superbowl wins since DEFLATEGATE
As a Patriots fan, I'm biased, but I think that this week's upcoming game will provide a realistic threat to the Broncos dominance. The Patriots have consistently shown to be one of the better secondaries if not the best secondary in the league right now, which will force Denver's typical game-plan into being a run based play-action pass strategy which they haven't been running. It will still be effective because the Patriots run defense SUCKS BALLS, but if the Broncos don't utilize this defensive weakness they will have difficulty putting up points. Meanwhile the Patriots have been putting together some Offensive stride and the strength of the Denver Defense comes from its front 7 rather than it's secondary. Not to say the Denver Secondary is bad, but more pointing out that this game has some intriguing matchups in which the better team has to play out of character to win, whereas the underdog can keep doing what it do.
That and the underdog is at home in one of the most anticipated games of every year. Hype crowd is hype.
That and the underdog is at home in one of the most anticipated games of every year. Hype crowd is hype.
Denver is somehow inexplicably an even bigger favorite this year @NE (3 points) than they were last year (2.5 points) ??? admittedly the only Broncos games I've seen this year have been the Seahawks game and the Chargers game, but they don't seem much better than last year and the Patriots have been awesome lately.
and for some reason people forget that Brady wins like 90% of his home games
This year they are actually playing defense. In 2013 they had one of the crappiest defenses in the league so as long as it wasn't all time bad it would've been an improvement. This year they are also legitimately stopping the run. I know statistically they were good against the run in 2013 but they struggled to do so last year if teams kept trying. Teams had to stop thanks to Peytons 4 TDs per game average. This year they've been in closer games and have shut down the run game easily. Having the best defensive player in the league helps. I told you guys Von Miller would have changed that SB to probably a win. The guy is arguably the best player on his side of the ball. And he's been getting better each game. Their OL has also improved from eh in 2013 to really good this year. Again, in 2013 they had nice stats but it was all Peyton having the greatest season ever. This year they're actually manhandling teams. Let's not forget that the Broncos have had the most brutal schedule in the league so far, and yet they managed to win most of those games with blowouts. The Broncos are putting on a clinic. Their only loss was in overtime on the road and you can thank the coaches stupid game plan for that who decided they could win without Peyton.
As far as the Pats-Broncos, all this analysis is pointless. The Pats are just another mediocre team and the only way the Broncos lose is with a crapload of random fumbles.. just like last year. I expect a blowout or an embarrassing, mistake filled performance by the Broncos. Which is what they have done every year against inferior Patriot teams.
JJ Watt would like to have a word with you.
Yes, and he could probably be the best on the other side of the ball too.
And now after that failed attempt at situational humor, my picks for this weekend.
I ended up with an unspectacular 6-6 for my first week of predictions. My greatest pick was the calling the game of the birds with a correct Arizona win. My hopes in the Packers and the Colts were utterly demolished, making me look severely foolish. What could I improve on this week? Without further ado...
Cincinnati is at home and rejuvenated after the Ravens game, but even that wouldn't matter when up against the Jags. Had you told me that the Browns would be the heavy favorite in the Week 9 game against the Bucs, I would have you arrested for heavy intoxication. If Romo is healthy, Dallas could sneak out a win, but I'm leaning towards Arizona. I'm not too favorable toward either team, but Philly is a safer pick for me against Houston. Why would the Jets win against the Chiefs? Actually, they wouldn't. There is no plausible reason to suspect they would. Chiefs it is.
Bears have a bye week, but will find a way to lose somehow. Maybe Marshall will break his foot. Forte will be traded to the Packers. Cutler will get an extension. Pick your poison.
Dolphins and Chargers came down to this:
Water vs. Electric - Electric wins. Chargers take home the W.
When you beat the Cowboys, expect some confidence to boost your game, so Washington wins this over Vikings. 49ers best St. Louis. Denver wins, but Brady disconnects before Manning can say "gg". Seahawks will win, but if the Raiders somehow take them down expect everyone to be fired.
Perhaps the biggest game of the day will be at night. High-energy passing vs. brick wall defense? Sounds like the Super Bowl. Baltimore shall win, Pittsburgh shall fall.
I realized I completely skipped over the Monday Night game a few hours after typing out the original post. Nothing too bold or crazy, the Colts will make up from last week's embarrassment and take out the Giants of New York.
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You forgot the most important factor: Pittsburgh and Baltimore always split, so Pittsburgh wins simply based on the fact that Baltimore won their first matchup ;D
Like I said. Peyton choked(again) against an inferior Pats team. Jesus, it happens every year but it's still sickening to watch such crappy performances. The loss is for the greater good but the two INTs look absolutely horrible in Peytons stats. I might even take a one TD, 190 yd win over this crap. IF Peyton STILL gets benched late in the season after this embarrassment, there is no justice in this world.
dammit patriots why do you always have to have a good record each year
why can't you miss the playoffs for once like the rest of us
why can't you miss the playoffs for once like the rest of us
Now THAT is the 49ers team that we saw week 2
TheValkyries
proudly reppin' 2 superbowl wins since DEFLATEGATE
You know, in hindsight, I'm going to simply refer everyone to some hero's analyses, them being so accurate and all.
So happy the Patriots won against the Broncos... I had two bets on that game! The Patriots are on fire; I just hope they keep it going for the rest of the season, and I'm sure they will.
some hero stop making excuses for losing to a team that clearly dominated their opponent. Peyton didn't choke, Brady was connecting plenty of his passes to his receivers/TEs (though, LaFell dropped quite a few and that annoyed me a lot). Patriots defense, while making some mistakes, still put a lot pressure on Manning, and he has a great offensive line in front of him. In fact, the Broncos as a whole are a really great team, and the Patriots have been improving drastically since the beginning of the season.
I really don't see how you think the Patriots are an "inferior" team, lol. But it must always seem like one team dominates and the other chokes, eh?
some hero stop making excuses for losing to a team that clearly dominated their opponent. Peyton didn't choke, Brady was connecting plenty of his passes to his receivers/TEs (though, LaFell dropped quite a few and that annoyed me a lot). Patriots defense, while making some mistakes, still put a lot pressure on Manning, and he has a great offensive line in front of him. In fact, the Broncos as a whole are a really great team, and the Patriots have been improving drastically since the beginning of the season.
I really don't see how you think the Patriots are an "inferior" team, lol. But it must always seem like one team dominates and the other chokes, eh?
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NAH Flacco got this
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