2016 NFL Season

[C0ma]

Anyway, I'll go against the odds and pick the Falcons to pull off the upset.  If the defense can limit Pats scoring to somewhere in the 20s, like they did with a red-hot Aaron Rodgers and the Pack, I think they'll win.  

Difference being the offensive tools. Green Bay had no running game and their offense was banged up. Brady is coming in with a full quiver... While yes Gronk is out they made a great off season pick up with Martellus Bennett. The difference too between Brady and Rogers is that Rogers leans on his physical talents and (like Favre) slings the ball down field looking for big plays. Brady is willing to sit back and methodically shred a zone defense (which is what Atlanta plays almost exclusively). I don't see Atlanta doing any better than Pitt or Houston (who are better defenses) at keeping them under 34-38 points.

[faldor]

Anyway, I'll go against the odds and pick the Falcons to pull off the upset.  If the defense can limit Pats scoring to somewhere in the 20s, like they did with a red-hot Aaron Rodgers and the Pack, I think they'll win.  

Difference being the offensive tools. Green Bay had no running game and their offense was banged up. Brady is coming in with a full quiver... While yes Gronk is out they made a great off season pick up with Martellus Bennett. The difference too between Brady and Rogers is that Rogers leans on his physical talents and (like Favre) slings the ball down field looking for big plays. Brady is willing to sit back and methodically shred a zone defense (which is what Atlanta plays almost exclusively). I don't see Atlanta doing any better than Pitt or Houston (who are better defenses) at keeping them under 34-38 points.

Credit to Atlanta's D, but GB left 10 points on the field early with the missed FG and fumble inside the 10. That would've put them over 30 and the game would've been more competitive.

[faldor]

Sure ... I agree about the D carrying them ... they need to score ... we know Brady will...but they have just played great football all around lately ... and like we discussed, these Pat games tend to be close.

You and Coma also never think they are going to lose ... 

To be fair....they're playing the odds pretty well here.  They lose about 4 times a year, on average over the past 10 years and play, on average, about 18 games per year.  If you always predict they win, you're right about 80% of the time.

Can you blame 'em?

Yeah, I mean we have been spoiled as Patriots fans. We may never see an extended run like this ever again for any team. I could probably count on one hand how many times I thought the Pats were going to lose over the last decade or so. I expect them to win just about every game. Obviously that's not realistic, but they're favored for most of them.

I was unnecessarily nervous heading into the AFCCG 2 weeks ago. It worries me that I'm not that nervous for this game. I was confident going into Denver last year and that didn't work out well. I'm not saying Atlanta's not a good team or they can't win, I just think New England is the better team by a good margin. We will find out for sure on Sunday though. I'm surprised the spread has stayed steady while 2/3 of the money in Vegas is going towards the Pats. Seems like they are banking on a 3 point game or Falcons win.

[JAEBALL]

Sure ... I agree about the D carrying them ... they need to score ... we know Brady will...but they have just played great football all around lately ... and like we discussed, these Pat games tend to be close.

You and Coma also never think they are going to lose ... 

To be fair....they're playing the odds pretty well here.  They lose about 4 times a year, on average over the past 10 years and play, on average, about 18 games per year.  If you always predict they win, you're right about 80% of the time.

Can you blame 'em?

Yeah, I mean we have been spoiled as Patriots fans. We may never see an extended run like this ever again for any team. I could probably count on one hand how many times I thought the Pats were going to lose over the last decade or so. I expect them to win just about every game. Obviously that's not realistic, but they're favored for most of them.

I was unnecessarily nervous heading into the AFCCG 2 weeks ago. It worries me that I'm not that nervous for this game. I was confident going into Denver last year and that didn't work out well. I'm not saying Atlanta's not a good team or they can't win, I just think New England is the better team by a good margin. We will find out for sure on Sunday though. I'm surprised the spread has stayed steady while 2/3 of the money in Vegas is going towards the Pats. Seems like they are banking on a 3 point game or Falcons win.

It is very rare that a line moves off of three... they always get crushed when they do.

[JAEBALL]

Also ... I read the majority of the real big bets have come in on Atlanta... keeping it where it is.

[faldor]

Also ... I read the majority of the real big bets have come in on Atlanta... keeping it where it is.

Not sure what the money line is, but I'd think if you're going to bet Atlanta that'd be the way to go instead of taking a measly 3 points. Of course, watch them lose by 2 and blow that theory.

T minus 6 hours and counting.

[C0ma]

5

25 point comeback, 2TD's, 2 2PT conversions, OT TD Drive. 5th career SB game winning drive.

[JAEBALL]

All I can say is thank god i am not a falcons fan ...

Nice moment for Brady with his mother ... she is clearly very sick ... best wishes to her.

[GeorgeSteele]

All I can say is thank god i am not a falcons fan ...

The fans should boycott that team for a year.  Any team that decides to turn into a JV team midway through the 3rd quarter of a Super Bowl deserves more than just losing.  What a bunch of assholes.

And as horrible as they were, they still had the game locked up --- 22-yd line, 4 minutes left, 8pt lead... just run the damn ball 3 times, run out some clock, kick the FG and then game over.  Probably karma that that did not happen, because all things considered, they deserved to lose. 

[JAEBALL]

Yup ... matty ice ... just go down and take the sack !!! 

His fumble in their zone was ....

Sickening .... but like I said all last week that coaching staff was going to cost them .... run the ball go up 11 ... games over.

Take nothing away from the comeback ... just incredible ... but holy shit that's two in a row that the other team simply didn't want the win.

The talent differential on the field was incredible ... but on the sidelines it was a mis match.

Kraft crying on the podium about the horror and injustices laid before them for the past two years really made me laugh.

[Dr. Blutarsky]

Atlanta's defense deflated after the 3rd quarter like Tom Brady's balls.

Being a Jets fan, I couldn't bring myself to cheer for the Pats. So was rooting for Atlanta by default. Also would have liked to see a new face holding up the Lombardi Trophy on a team who had never won the big game.

Wasn't meant to be.  Brady and Belicheck are the best coach/QB team ever. Even if Brady is about as mobile as a statue at his age 

[C0ma]

Yup ... matty ice ... just go down and take the sack !!! 

His fumble in their zone was ....

Sickening .... but like I said all last week that coaching staff was going to cost them .... run the ball go up 11 ... games over.

Take nothing away from the comeback ... just incredible ... but holy shit that's two in a row that the other team simply didn't want the win.

The talent differential on the field was incredible ... but on the sidelines it was a mis match.

Kraft crying on the podium about the horror and injustices laid before them for the past two years really made me laugh.

I didn't get the play calling on that series after the Julio Jones catch... BUT lets not act like one series determined the outcome of that game. The Pats scored 31 unanswered points after the falcons scored to make it 28-3 with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. They scored 19 in the 4th quarter alone. The Falcons last 4 possessions were Punt, Fumble, Punt, Punt.

It gets to a point where speed and raw talent fall to experience and in game adjustments. That happened at the end of the game, Atlanta panicked when New England kept coming... They are used to getting up big (28-3 for example) and watching the other team accept defeat.

[pilferk]

Yup ... matty ice ... just go down and take the sack !!! 

His fumble in their zone was ....

Sickening .... but like I said all last week that coaching staff was going to cost them .... run the ball go up 11 ... games over.

Take nothing away from the comeback ... just incredible ... but holy shit that's two in a row that the other team simply didn't want the win.

The talent differential on the field was incredible ... but on the sidelines it was a mis match.

Kraft crying on the podium about the horror and injustices laid before them for the past two years really made me laugh.

I didn't get the play calling on that series after the Julio Jones catch... BUT lets not act like one series determined the outcome of that game. The Pats scored 31 unanswered points after the falcons scored to make it 28-3 with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. They scored 19 in the 4th quarter alone. The Falcons last 4 possessions were Punt, Fumble, Punt, Punt.

It gets to a point where speed and raw talent fall to experience and in game adjustments. That happened at the end of the game, Atlanta panicked when New England kept coming... They are used to getting up big (28-3 for example) and watching the other team accept defeat.

The Pats deserve a ton of credit for execution.  And I agree...one series did not determine that game.

But Atlanta lost at least as much as (and maybe slightly more than), the Pats won that game.  Mistake after mistake, penalty after penalty, bad play call after bad play call.  The defense was also gassed because, even with a 28 to 3 lead, the Pats ruled timed of possession all the way through the game.

The Pats actually didn't make all that much in terms of adjustments in the 2nd half.  Pretty similar play calling (Edelman and White, over and over, to the same spots), pretty similar defensive scheme.  The difference was....where in the first half Atlanta was a step ahead and playing smart...in the 2nd half they were a step behind, and playing dumb.

The Pats deserve credit for jumping on those mistakes, and taking advantage. And Brady, for sure, deserves credit for his ability to deliver the ball. But if the Falcons don't make those mistakes, they win that game in a blowout. And if they don't make that last one, and Matty ice either dumps the ball or they just run 3 running plays and kick...the Pats lose in a squeaker.

There's no way to objectively watch that game and not thing "The Falcons just pissed that win away".

[C0ma]

The Pats deserve credit for jumping on those mistakes, and taking advantage. And Brady, for sure, deserves credit for his ability to deliver the ball. But if the Falcons don't make those mistakes, they win that game in a blowout. And if they don't make that last one, and Matty ice either dumps the ball or they just run 3 running plays and kick...the Pats lose in a squeaker.

There's no way to objectively watch that game and not thing "The Falcons just pissed that win away".

I agree they pissed it away, but I think a significant piece of that is that the Pats pulled their heads out of their asses in the 2nd half. The Pats spotted them 14 points on turnovers which allowed the Falcons to play the way they like... up. Once the Pats came out in the 2nd half and played the way they should have all game they put pressure the Falcons and they pissed their pants. It showed up in on the field decision making (Ryan taking the sack up the middle)  and in game play calling. Although I chalk part of that up to a quote from before the where one of the Running Backs (maybe Freeman) said they had their game plan and it is the same every week 'we do what we want'... Only running 4 times in the 4th quarter sort of defines the "you aren't going to change the way we do things" theme of that quote.

If you can't change your play calling to meet the situation you aren't going to win. It's situations like this that make me giggle when the Matt Ryan's and Cam Newton's of the world win MVP's while Tom Brady has just 2. The fact that Matt Ryan never even thought of checking into a run on the Pats 23 yard line with 4 minutes to go killing the clock and kicking to put them up 11. After the Refs botched the XP block in the 2nd quarter, the Pats would't have attempted it in that spot.

The other thing is mistakes or not, 30 other QB's would not have been able to drive their team down the field for 25 points (including 2 2pt conversions) in that time frame.

So with that said, YES, Atlanta blew it, but no one else in the league wins that game... Which is why I think you have to go 60% Atlanta pissed down their leg and 40% Pats won it.

[GeorgeSteele]

So with that said, YES, Atlanta blew it, but no one else in the league wins that game... Which is why I think you have to go 60% Atlanta pissed down their leg and 40% Pats won it.

I don't know about 60/40, but I think that first statement is a fair assessment, no other team could have done what the Pats did.  I would disagree, though, that the 22-yd line sequence did not decide the game.  Every fuck-up by Atlanta and every great play by the Pats, on its own, decided the game.  If not for even one of those things happening, Pats have no chance to tie before end of regulation.  Everything had to line up for them the way it did, take one factor out of the equation and the result fails. 

[faldor]

Yup ... matty ice ... just go down and take the sack !!! 

His fumble in their zone was ....

Sickening .... but like I said all last week that coaching staff was going to cost them .... run the ball go up 11 ... games over.

Take nothing away from the comeback ... just incredible ... but holy shit that's two in a row that the other team simply didn't want the win.

The talent differential on the field was incredible ... but on the sidelines it was a mis match.

Kraft crying on the podium about the horror and injustices laid before them for the past two years really made me laugh.

I didn't get the play calling on that series after the Julio Jones catch... BUT lets not act like one series determined the outcome of that game. The Pats scored 31 unanswered points after the falcons scored to make it 28-3 with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. They scored 19 in the 4th quarter alone. The Falcons last 4 possessions were Punt, Fumble, Punt, Punt.

It gets to a point where speed and raw talent fall to experience and in game adjustments. That happened at the end of the game, Atlanta panicked when New England kept coming... They are used to getting up big (28-3 for example) and watching the other team accept defeat.

The Pats deserve a ton of credit for execution.  And I agree...one series did not determine that game.

But Atlanta lost at least as much as (and maybe slightly more than), the Pats won that game.  Mistake after mistake, penalty after penalty, bad play call after bad play call.  The defense was also gassed because, even with a 28 to 3 lead, the Pats ruled timed of possession all the way through the game.

The Pats actually didn't make all that much in terms of adjustments in the 2nd half.  Pretty similar play calling (Edelman and White, over and over, to the same spots), pretty similar defensive scheme.  The difference was....where in the first half Atlanta was a step ahead and playing smart...in the 2nd half they were a step behind, and playing dumb.

The Pats deserve credit for jumping on those mistakes, and taking advantage. And Brady, for sure, deserves credit for his ability to deliver the ball. But if the Falcons don't make those mistakes, they win that game in a blowout. And if they don't make that last one, and Matty ice either dumps the ball or they just run 3 running plays and kick...the Pats lose in a squeaker.

There's no way to objectively watch that game and not thing "The Falcons just pissed that win away".

There were a lot more outside throws by Brady in the comeback to Amendola, Hogan, and Mitchell. They changed it up. They played with a lot more urgency on defense too, pressuring Ryan a lot more and did a much better job against the run. Definitely made the necessary adjustments. It certainly took awhile, but they finally imposed their will in the fourth. While it was excruciating to watch them come back so slowly, it might have actually helped keeping the Atlanta D on the field for so long. They were definitely out of gas down the stretch.

I can't say I knew they had it all the way. I wasn't really nervous until halftime, but even then I was hoping for a stop and a TD to cut it to 11. Of course that didn't happen and they went down 25 instead. It was a slow grind from there. Even when Gostkowski missed the PAT and it was 28-9, I tried my best to rationalize. No big deal, it's still a 3 possession game. What's the difference being down 19 or 18? Always trying to look on the bright side. I've learned over the years not give up on this team. Despite getting blown out at that time they were driving the ball and controlling the time of possession. They just weren't putting points on the board and were being careless with the ball. Thankfully that all changed and they completed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Thanks for that mockery of deflategate Goodell. Your master plan worked to perfection. Piss Brady off to completely refocus and reenergize him, check. Give the Patriots as a team that extra motivation to right a wrong, check. It all worked out the way it was meant to be in the end. Until the next made up conspiracy. Peace!

Oh, and Brady is the greatest QB ever. Case closed. Everyone else is playing for 2nd place. Thanks for participating.

[JAEBALL]

You can certainly make that argument but him winning or losing last week has no reall bearing on his standing. He's an all time great quarterback no matter what happened last week or going forward.

No objective football fan would rank him higher or lower based on the result of that game that they had no business winning if they even had half way competent coaching in Atlanta.

There is simply no way to prove he's better than Unitas or Montana or Elway or Manning or Marino . Different eras and all are incredible.

Unless you are a patriot fan and then you can say he's the best ever if it makes you happy...

[faldor]

You can certainly make that argument but him winning or losing last week has no reall bearing on his standing. He's an all time great quarterback no matter what happened last week or going forward.

No objective football fan would rank him higher or lower based on the result of that game that they had no business winning if they even had half way competent coaching in Atlanta.

There is simply no way to prove he's better than Unitas or Montana or Elway or Manning or Marino . Different eras and all are incredible.

Unless you are a patriot fan and then you can say he's the best ever if it makes you happy...

Agreed, he was the best ever prior to this last Super Bowl but 5-2 sounds and looks a lot better than 4-3 so it does help. And obviously it's hard to compare eras, but Brady has done it for 16 years with completely different casts of characters each time. Even this team differed quite a bit from the team two years ago.

[JAEBALL]

Lots of love for Victor Cruz ... will always be one of my favorite Giants.

He might get a tryout somewhere but I think he's done.

[JAEBALL]

Love Marshall for the Giants!