The Official Wild Card Weekend Thread

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bideau

bideau

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One of the two best weekends of the NFL season is here (the other being the divisional round).

NFL Wild Card Weekend

Saturday, Jan. 3
NFC: 4:35 PM (ET) Arizona at Carolina (ESPN)

Is Carolina coming together at the right time? Arizona is still working with a 3rd string QB, the game is at Carolina. We could see the sub-500 Panthers pull this one out. Either way, the winner goes to Seattle because I think Dallas will win.


AFC: 8:15 PM (ET) Baltimore at Pittsburgh (NBC)

Before the Bell injury, I thought Pitt would be the clear favorite. Bitter rivalry, this will be the best game of the weekend. If Baltimore pulls off the upset, we see them in Foxboro for the divisional round. But I think Pitt can hold the home field meaning they go to Mile High to take out Denver.

Sunday, Jan. 4
AFC: 1:05 PM (ET) Cincinnati at Indianapolis (CBS)

I'm hoping for Pitt to hold home field because that means one of these two come to Foxboro instead of Baltimore. Cincy may not have Green, but their running game should be able to dominate Indy. I see Cincy coming out of this one.

NFC: 4:40 PM (ET) Detroit at Dallas (FOX)

IMHO, Dallas is the team which can take out Seattle. Detroit will always find a way to hand over points. Dallas will be going to GB for the divisional round.
 
The only thing I am concerned with is is the Steelers winning in round 1. It matters not whether the Bengals or Colts come to Foxboro. I see the Ravens as the only threat.
 
Carolina is being underestimated I think. Definitely peaking at the right time. If Cam remains healthy they can do some damage and win vs AZ.

Pitt. Unless Bell can't go then the Ravens would be my fav.

Cincy. They'll go heavy OL and run all day long.

Dallas. They're the most well-rounded team and Romo is playing great now.
 
If we're looking for the easiest road, then we want Pitt to win, then Denver to beat Pitt. Neither Indy or Cincy should be an issue here in Foxboro.
 
chevss454 said:
Carolina is being underestimated I think. Definitely peaking at the right time. If Cam remains healthy they can do some damage and win vs AZ.

Pitt. Unless Bell can't go then the Ravens would be my fav.

Cincy. They'll go heavy OL and run all day long.

Dallas. They're the most well-rounded team and Romo is playing great now.
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The Colts hosted Cincinnati earlier in the season, also without AJ Green in the lineup, and the Bengals managed to get their first first down midway through the 4th Quarter, en route to a 27-0 pasting. Without any legitimate threats in the passing game this time around, I'm confident there will be a lot of stacking the box and run blitzing to keep Hill and Bernard in check.
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IMO I think Dallas wants to go on the road. They're 8-0, they'll probably struggle against the lions but watch out to anybody who plays them. Idk y but I feel like they can take out GB and Seattle. Idc who comes in here as long as we are prepared and play with our hearts. I feel bad for Arizona though. Bad luck but still managed to go 11-5. Not bad. And for Denver. I'm pretty sure they don't care about nothing except praying for someone to take us out
 
What's the "Wild Card Round?"
Oh yeah, that's the week that the Pats reserve for their Time shares.

I don't see how this could be set up more perfectly for a run to the Super Bowl.

I'm not very worried about any of our potential opponents in the Division round.
Baltimore is not the same team that they have been in recent years, particularly Flacco.

We have already handled Indy and Cinci with relative ease.
Out of those 3, I would be most concerned about the Bengals...except for the fact that they have the worst QB of any AFC playoff team.

Also. the fact that the game will be played on Saturday gives us an advantage. Our opponent will be travelling to Foxboro. If it is Indy or Cincy, they will have one fewer day to prepare/recover.
If it is Baltimore, they will be coming off a very physical game against Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, the Pats will be rested and healthy.


For the AFC Championship game, we are most likely looking at Denver or Pittsburgh.
That team will be playing in Denver on Sunday, then will travel across the country to Foxboro.
Again, with us having played the Saturday game, at home, we have the advantage of an extra day of preparation and recovery.
Especially if the team is Pittsburgh, who will have just run the gauntlet of tough, physical games against Cinci, Baltimore and Denver
Pittsburgh would be the team that concerns me the most, But they are likely to be pretty banged up after that stretch.
And if Bell's injury is serious...he's about as important to their offense as Gronk is to ours. They DID have an insurance policy in case of an injury to Bell, but that insurance policy is now wearing a Patriots Uniform
 
305patriotfan said:
IMO I think Dallas wants to go on the road. They're 8-0, they'll probably struggle against the lions but watch out to anybody who plays them. Idk y but I feel like they can take out GB and Seattle. Idc who comes in here as long as we are prepared and play with our hearts. I feel bad for Arizona though. Bad luck but still managed to go 11-5. Not bad. And for Denver. I'm pretty sure they don't care about nothing except praying for someone to take us out
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Reading their fan boards, that is exactly what they are talking about. They seem to think we don't have a chance against the Ravens and that is the team they want the Pats to play.

My thoughts on the matter are the Steelers will beat the Ravens, then go to Denver with a healthy Leveon Bell and put a stomping on them, especially if it's cold and windy. I don't see Indy or Cincy giving the Pats much trouble.

As much as I was disappointed in yesterdays loss, they did the right thing resting some of their best players yesterday.

I'm rooting for the Cowboys in the NFC, I think they are the one team that can beat Seattle in Seattle. A Cowboys/Pats SB would be the ultimate for me.
 
dropKickMurphy said:
What's the "Wild Card Round?"
Oh yeah, that's the week that the Pats reserve for their Time shares.

I don't see how this could be set up more perfectly for a run to the Super Bowl.

I'm not very worried about any of our potential opponents in the Division round.
Baltimore is not the same team that they have been in recent years, particularly Flacco.

We have already handled Indy and Cinci with relative ease.
Out of those 3, I would be most concerned about the Bengals...except for the fact that they have the worst QB of any AFC playoff team.

Also. the fact that the game will be played on Saturday gives us an advantage. Our opponent will be travelling to Foxboro. If it is Indy or Cincy, they will have one fewer day to prepare/recover.
If it is Baltimore, they will be coming off a very physical game against Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, the Pats will be rested and healthy.


For the AFC Championship game, we are most likely looking at Denver or Pittsburgh.
That team will be playing in Denver on Sunday, then will travel across the country to Foxboro.
Again, with us having played the Saturday game, at home, we have the advantage of an extra day of preparation and recovery.
Especially if the team is Pittsburgh, who will have just run the gauntlet of tough, physical games against Cinci, Baltimore and Denver
Pittsburgh would be the team that concerns me the most, But they are likely to be pretty banged up after that stretch.
And if Bell's injury is serious...he's about as important to their offense as Gronk is to ours. They DID have an insurance policy in case of an injury to Bell, but that insurance policy is now wearing a Patriots Uniform
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Well stated and I agree. Pitt is playing well enough to knock off Denver on a good day. I'd love to play Pitt here in Foxboro. BB/TB know them well and Blount would be pumped. Roflberger is the 3rd most sacked QB in the league...

But who we play makes no difference at all to me this year. I fear none of these AFC teams.
 
bmooney54 said:
I see the Ravens as the only threat.
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I'm just picking yours, because it was the shortest, but I've seen this so many times.

This isn't the 2012 Ravens. They're 9 and ****ing 7. Why are people so scared of this team?

As much as this team was built defensively to stop the Broncos - it can absolutely cripple the Ravens. And the Ravens back 7 on defense is shaky at best.

Give me Baltimore, please. Best Case Scenario.

chevss454 said:
But who we play makes no difference at all to me this year. I fear none of these AFC teams.
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This is truefax. Not making the Super Bowl would be a monumental disappointment this year. The Patriots are healthy, and have a real defense. There's not a team in the league I'm particularly scared of, in Foxboro, or on a neutral site.
 
My picks: Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Dallas, Carolina.

Then I think Pittsburgh takes down Denver, we roll Indy, Seattle murks Carolina, and Dallas may give Green Bay a run.
 
TommyD420 said:
I'm just picking yours, because it was the shortest, but I've seen this so many times.

This isn't the 2012 Ravens. They're 9 and ****ing 7. Why are people so scared of this team?

As much as this team was built defensively to stop the Broncos - it can absolutely cripple the Ravens. And the Ravens back 7 on defense is shaky at best.

Give me Baltimore, please. Best Case Scenario.



This is truefax. Not making the Super Bowl would be a monumental disappointment this year. The Patriots are healthy, and have a real defense. There's not a team in the league I'm particularly scared of, in Foxboro, or on a neutral site.
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I'm not. Bring them on, I hope they win this weekend, then we know right off the bat who the Pats are playing.
 
TommyD420 said:
I'm just picking yours, because it was the shortest, but I've seen this so many times.

This isn't the 2012 Ravens. They're 9 and ****ing 7. Why are people so scared of this team?

As much as this team was built defensively to stop the Broncos - it can absolutely cripple the Ravens. And the Ravens back 7 on defense is shaky at best.

Give me Baltimore, please. Best Case Scenario.
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Well, I can only speak for myself, but: a couple years ago I was among the number of people who really wanted that rematch against the Giants in the SB. They didn't look like they could beat us and I wanted revenge. And you know the rest. So teams we have a bad history with scare me, despite the current state of the team.

Is it irrational? Yes. Am I a weenie? Probably.

But I'm still traumatized from that sh1t. It happened on my birthdayyyyyy *breaks down in years*
 
(P - shoulder) said:
Well, I can only speak for myself, but: a couple years ago I was among the number of people who really wanted that rematch against the Giants in the SB. They didn't look like they could beat us and I wanted revenge. And you know the rest. So teams we have a bad history with scare me, despite the current state of the team.

Is it irrational? Yes. Am I a weenie? Probably.

But I'm still traumatized from that sh1t. It happened on my birthdayyyyyy *breaks down in years*
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The 2011 Giants team was legitimately better than the Patriots.

Not so much 2007, but hey, bullshit luck and all that. Also, we were treated to one of Mankins' amazing playoff performances that year too.

In 2011, Sure, the Patriots could have won, and would have if Welker didn't pull a Welker Playoff Performance - but the Patriots' defense was dogshit that year, and played one of their best games all year in that Super Bowl, just to keep it close.

The Giants' offense had improved dramatically from 2007, and their defense hadn't dropped off that much from 2007. The Patriots offense was worse and defense was much worse. Edelman was a CB on that team, as you'll recall.

Brady was average and inaccurate all day, starting from the first snap - but it was really because of he and BB that they were even in the game.

Oh yeah, no Gronk.

Going in, I didn't really expect the Patriots to have much of a chance in the 2011 Super Bowl, at least until the point where the Patriots had the lead and the ball late in the 4th. (Again, thank you Welker.)

I thought the 2007 team would roll the Giants by a couple of TDs, and they didn't. The Giants brought a better team into 2011, and the Patriots brought a worse team. :shrug:

I guess my point is, it's not a 'revenge' thing, wanting the Ravens in here. I think they're the worst team in the AFC Playoffs, and that's why I'd want them here. I don't care what they did in 2012, when there are like 10 players left from that team still on the roster.

Also, I don't think you're a weenie :)
 
AkPatsFan said:
Reading their fan boards, that is exactly what they are talking about. They seem to think we don't have a chance against the Ravens and that is the team they want the Pats to play.

My thoughts on the matter are the Steelers will beat the Ravens, then go to Denver with a healthy Leveon Bell and put a stomping on them, especially if it's cold and windy. I don't see Indy or Cincy giving the Pats much trouble.

As much as I was disappointed in yesterdays loss, they did the right thing resting some of their best players yesterday.

I'm rooting for the Cowboys in the NFC, I think they are the one team that can beat Seattle in Seattle. A Cowboys/Pats SB would be the ultimate for me.
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I laugh at those idiots like Nelson from the Simpsons. The Ravens couldn't tie our shoes last year as we dismantled them. With this new defense that can actually play hard and can "cover", something the ravens benefit off. Besides our best corner from those awful years is in Denver. Thank God. We got two beasts as long as they stay healthy. I really don't see Flacco coming to Foxboro and making any noise. So Denver fans need to stop putting their hopes in that. Like I said they are praying for us to get eliminated. Because we will whoop their ass in the AFC championship game, if they make it that far
 
TommyD420 said:
The 2011 Giants team was legitimately better than the Patriots.

Not so much 2007, but hey, bullshit luck and all that. Also, we were treated to one of Mankins' amazing playoff performances that year too.

In 2011, Sure, the Patriots could have won, and would have if Welker didn't pull a Welker Playoff Performance - but the Patriots' defense was dogshit that year, and played one of their best games all year in that Super Bowl, just to keep it close.

The Giants' offense had improved dramatically from 2007, and their defense hadn't dropped off that much from 2007. The Patriots offense was worse and defense was much worse. Edelman was a CB on that team, as you'll recall.

Brady was average and inaccurate all day, starting from the first snap - but it was really because of he and BB that they were even in the game.

Oh yeah, no Gronk.

Going in, I didn't really expect the Patriots to have much of a chance in the 2011 Super Bowl, at least until the point where the Patriots had the lead and the ball late in the 4th. (Again, thank you Welker.)

I thought the 2007 team would roll the Giants by a couple of TDs, and they didn't. The Giants brought a better team into 2011, and the Patriots brought a worse team. :shrug:

I guess my point is, it's not a 'revenge' thing, wanting the Ravens in here. I think they're the worst team in the AFC Playoffs, and that's why I'd want them here. I don't care what they did in 2012, when there are like 10 players left from that team still on the roster.

Also, I don't think you're a weenie :)
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I understand his concern tbh. I'm nervous as him. Not divisional games as much as the pats have rolled in those games but the AFC ship game. It's like the game Brady gets jitters. I hope the crowd rules them up and screams Brady all throughout the game. He needs to be TFB. I will not accept his mediocre ass performances this year. But that's just me. I'm nervous as hell but if they play hard and play with their heads. We win by three scores against anyone of those teams
 
TommyD420 said:
The 2011 Giants team was legitimately better than the Patriots.

Not so much 2007, but hey, bullshit luck and all that. Also, we were treated to one of Mankins' amazing playoff performances that year too.

In 2011, Sure, the Patriots could have won, and would have if Welker didn't pull a Welker Playoff Performance - but the Patriots' defense was dogshit that year, and played one of their best games all year in that Super Bowl, just to keep it close.

The Giants' offense had improved dramatically from 2007, and their defense hadn't dropped off that much from 2007. The Patriots offense was worse and defense was much worse. Edelman was a CB on that team, as you'll recall.

Brady was average and inaccurate all day, starting from the first snap - but it was really because of he and BB that they were even in the game.

Oh yeah, no Gronk.

Going in, I didn't really expect the Patriots to have much of a chance in the 2011 Super Bowl, at least until the point where the Patriots had the lead and the ball late in the 4th. (Again, thank you Welker.)

I thought the 2007 team would roll the Giants by a couple of TDs, and they didn't. The Giants brought a better team into 2011, and the Patriots brought a worse team. :shrug:

I guess my point is, it's not a 'revenge' thing, wanting the Ravens in here. I think they're the worst team in the AFC Playoffs, and that's why I'd want them here. I don't care what they did in 2012, when there are like 10 players left from that team still on the roster.

Also, I don't think you're a weenie :)
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Good post. Just look at this god awful list of safties for 2011

Here's the grand list of defensive players who stepped up at safety over the course of the 2011 season:
Phillip Adams (mid season cut)
Josh Barrett (IR)
Sergio Brown (should have been a special teamer)
Pat Chung (missed 8 games)
Rob Gronkowski (technically, on two hail mary plays)
James Ihedigbo (missed 2 games)
Nate Jones (mid-season signing)
Devin McCourty (mostly played at cornerback)
Antwaun Molden (mid-season signing)
Sterling Moore (on-and-off the roster like Ross Ventrone, saved the season as a cornerback)
Matthew Slater (yeah, that happened)
Ross Ventrone (actually Ross Ventrone)
Malcolm Williams (played a few unregistered snaps at safety)
​
13 players stepped on the field as a safety in 2011. FS Bret Lockett was placed on the IR before the season even started.
They played in front of such legendary figures as Ras-I Dowling (for approximately 6 seconds), Leigh Bodden (for 12 seconds), Kyle Arrington (current CB5), Devin McCourty (current FS1 in the world), Julian Edelman (that happened), and quite literally half of the above list (Williams, Moore, Molden, McCourty, Jones, Adams).
I have given Devin McCourty plenty of leeway and a ton of benefit of the doubt for his production in 2011. He was playing in front of a carousel of safeties that had no business being on the field and was playing on an island against a second carousel of cornerbacks that had no business being on the field. He's since become a fantastic free safety.
Maybe I should offer that same distinction for Pat Chung. He played across from a non-starter every single week. He played behind a non-starter every single week. He was asked to drop back and be a coverage safety when his best work always came in the box and defending the run. They forced him out of position, he couldn't adapt, and was rightfully allowed to leave.
Maybe this time the defense better fits his skills. Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Logan Ryan, and Alfonzo Dennard could have all started in that 2011 secondary. Chung was built for this defense, not the defense he was forced to play.
Maybe this will have a better outcome. But at the very least, this is a reminder of how far this defense has come since the last time they made a Super Bowl.
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http://www.patspulpit.com/2014/4/3/5578908/remembering-the-patriots-2011-safeties
 
IMO the Seattle Seahawks, and GB Packers are our only threat to get a Lombardi... Seattle has the type of Defense that could give Brady and our line Fits, and GB has Rogers...
 
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