Football (North America: NFL, CFL, Arena Football, minor leagues)

[Beltway]

Maybe true about the deflated balls, but what about the spying and videotaping of the signals of other teams?

There wasn't anything that was going to save the Colts other getting more talented and better coached, neither happened.   It's not like this kind of stuff is exclusive to the New England Patriots, the Houston Astros on the base ball side have been in similar scandals. 

I wasn't talking about the Colts, I was talking about all the other years involved.

[Max Rockatansky]

Maybe true about the deflated balls, but what about the spying and videotaping of the signals of other teams?

There wasn't anything that was going to save the Colts other getting more talented and better coached, neither happened.   It's not like this kind of stuff is exclusive to the New England Patriots, the Houston Astros on the base ball side have been in similar scandals. 

I wasn't talking about the Colts, I was talking about all the other years involved.

I'll circle back to my point that there are probably a lot more teams doing the same thing the Patriots have done.  There probably have been games that were closed where the fruit of cheating yielded the ultimate difference in a close game.  I'd argue that such behavior is probably wide spread enough that the playing field is essentially level.  What I don't get is why people get so fixated on the Colts as an example when that game was a total blowout.  I'd understand the years of outrage more if it was a close game that could have gone either way. 

[Beltway]

I wasn't talking about the Colts, I was talking about all the other years involved.

I'll circle back to my point that there are probably a lot more teams doing the same thing the Patriots have done.  There probably have been games that were closed where the fruit of cheating yielded the ultimate difference in a close game.  I'd argue that such behavior is probably wide spread enough that the playing field is essentially level. 

Yeah, that is what the Pats fans say, that they are no worse than anyone else.

The spying and videotaping of the signals of other teams is far worse and far more impactful than anything claimed about the previous dynasties, and the Pats weren't even a dynasty yet the first time it happened 15 years ago, so like I said that leveraged their first 3 SB wins.

[Alps]

Maybe true about the deflated balls, but what about the spying and videotaping of the signals of other teams?

There wasn't anything that was going to save the Colts other getting more talented and better coached, neither happened.   It's not like this kind of stuff is exclusive to the New England Patriots, the Houston Astros on the base ball side have been in similar scandals. 

I wasn't talking about the Colts, I was talking about all the other years involved.

I'll circle back to my point that there are probably a lot more teams doing the same thing the Patriots have done.  There probably have been games that were closed where the fruit of cheating yielded the ultimate difference in a close game.  I'd argue that such behavior is probably wide spread enough that the playing field is essentially level.  What I don't get is why people get so fixated on the Colts as an example when that game was a total blowout.  I'd understand the years of outrage more if it was a close game that could have gone either way. 

So you're a Cheatriots apologist, just say it.

[thspfc]

Maybe true about the deflated balls, but what about the spying and videotaping of the signals of other teams?

There wasn't anything that was going to save the Colts other getting more talented and better coached, neither happened.   It's not like this kind of stuff is exclusive to the New England Patriots, the Houston Astros on the base ball side have been in similar scandals. 

I wasn't talking about the Colts, I was talking about all the other years involved.

I'll circle back to my point that there are probably a lot more teams doing the same thing the Patriots have done.  There probably have been games that were closed where the fruit of cheating yielded the ultimate difference in a close game.  I'd argue that such behavior is probably wide spread enough that the playing field is essentially level.  What I don't get is why people get so fixated on the Colts as an example when that game was a total blowout.  I'd understand the years of outrage more if it was a close game that could have gone either way. 

So you're a Cheatriots apologist, just say it.

So you're a salty Jets fan, just say it.

[Alps]

Maybe true about the deflated balls, but what about the spying and videotaping of the signals of other teams?

There wasn't anything that was going to save the Colts other getting more talented and better coached, neither happened.   It's not like this kind of stuff is exclusive to the New England Patriots, the Houston Astros on the base ball side have been in similar scandals. 

I wasn't talking about the Colts, I was talking about all the other years involved.

I'll circle back to my point that there are probably a lot more teams doing the same thing the Patriots have done.  There probably have been games that were closed where the fruit of cheating yielded the ultimate difference in a close game.  I'd argue that such behavior is probably wide spread enough that the playing field is essentially level.  What I don't get is why people get so fixated on the Colts as an example when that game was a total blowout.  I'd understand the years of outrage more if it was a close game that could have gone either way. 

So you're a Cheatriots apologist, just say it.

So you're a salty Jets fan, just say it.

Former NFL fan, tired of the sanctioned cheating.

[Beltway]

I'll circle back to my point that there are probably a lot more teams doing the same thing the Patriots have done.  There probably have been games that were closed where the fruit of cheating yielded the ultimate difference in a close game.  I'd argue that such behavior is probably wide spread enough that the playing field is essentially level.  What I don't get is why people get so fixated on the Colts as an example when that game was a total blowout.  I'd understand the years of outrage more if it was a close game that could have gone either way. 

So you're a Cheatriots apologist, just say it.

So you're a salty Jets fan, just say it.

Former NFL fan, tired of the sanctioned cheating.

Besides, who roots for the Jits?  More likely would be the Giants or the Iggles.

[Max Rockatansky]

Maybe true about the deflated balls, but what about the spying and videotaping of the signals of other teams?

There wasn't anything that was going to save the Colts other getting more talented and better coached, neither happened.   It's not like this kind of stuff is exclusive to the New England Patriots, the Houston Astros on the base ball side have been in similar scandals. 

I wasn't talking about the Colts, I was talking about all the other years involved.

I'll circle back to my point that there are probably a lot more teams doing the same thing the Patriots have done.  There probably have been games that were closed where the fruit of cheating yielded the ultimate difference in a close game.  I'd argue that such behavior is probably wide spread enough that the playing field is essentially level.  What I don't get is why people get so fixated on the Colts as an example when that game was a total blowout.  I'd understand the years of outrage more if it was a close game that could have gone either way. 

So you're a Cheatriots apologist, just say it.

I'm actually a Lions fan, that being the case I don't really care one way or another about the Patriots. 

[formulanone]

Maybe true about the deflated balls, but what about the spying and videotaping of the signals of other teams?

There wasn’t anything that was going to save the Colts other getting more talented and better coached, neither happened.   It’s not like this kind of stuff is exclusive to the New England Patriots, the Houston Astros on the base ball side have been in similar scandals. 

I wasn't talking about the Colts, I was talking about all the other years involved.

I’ll circle back to my point that there are probably a lot more teams doing the same thing the Patriots have done.  There probably have been games that were closed where the fruit of cheating yielded the ultimate difference in a close game.  I’d argue that such behavior is probably wide spread enough that the playing field is essentially level.  What I don’t get is why people get so fixated on the Colts as an example when that game was a total blowout.  I’d understand the years of outrage more if it was a close game that could have gone either way. 

So you're a Cheatriots apologist, just say it.

I’m actually a Lions fan, that being the case I don’t really care one way or another about the Patriots. 

Watch enough auto racing, and you become rather cynical about cheating in other sports. Inventive ways around loopholes are usually allowed, or encouraged, but have a 50/50 chance of getting closed up by the following season (or sooner if it's just unsafe). Because the rules change a bit more frequently, finding solutions, inventing tricks, finding vagueness in specifications is a natural outgrowth of the sport...that makes fascinating for some of us.

...then again, you may get stuck with some version of the Tuck Rule for 12 years.

[Alps]

Ahem... in other news, the Tigers have already won the 2020 CFP.

[US 89]

Ahem... in other news, the Tigers have already won the 2020 CFP.

But Auburn isn't playing!

Seriously, this is just one more reason to dislike the SEC in general. Across the entire P5/G5 outside the SEC, there is only one mascot duplication within a conference and that's the Sun Belt's Trojans (Arkansas-Little Rock and Troy). The SEC alone has three duplications: that conference features three Tigers (LSU, Auburn, Missouri) and two Bulldogs (Mississippi State and uga).

[Eth]

Ahem... in other news, the Tigers have already won the 2020 CFP.

But Auburn isn't playing!

Seriously, this is just one more reason to dislike the SEC in general. Across the entire P5/G5 outside the SEC, there is only one mascot duplication within a conference and that's the Sun Belt's Trojans (Arkansas-Little Rock and Troy). The SEC alone has three duplications: that conference features three Tigers (LSU, Auburn, Missouri) and two Bulldogs (Mississippi State and uga).

Imagine if Sewanee hadn't left. Then they'd have four Tigers!

Anyway, I'm tired enough of Clemson at this point that I'm willingly pulling for the SEC team in the title game. At least LSU hasn't been there in a little while.

[US 89]

Ahem... in other news, the Tigers have already won the 2020 CFP.

But Auburn isn’t playing!

Seriously, this is just one more reason to dislike the SEC in general. Across the entire P5/G5 outside the SEC, there is only one mascot duplication within a conference and that’s the Sun Belt’s Trojans (Arkansas-Little Rock and Troy). The SEC alone has three duplications: that conference features three Tigers (LSU, Auburn, Missouri) and two Bulldogs (Mississippi State and uga).

Imagine if Sewanee hadn't left. Then they'd have four Tigers!

Anyway, I'm tired enough of Clemson at this point that I'm willingly pulling for the SEC team in the title game. At least LSU hasn't been there in a little while.

I agree. I also can’t really ever bring myself to root for Clemson because as a general rule, I find many of their fans to be entitled and even just rude in general. They boo for injured players and storm the field after they beat FCS teams (or shitty ACC teams that might as well be FCS). Even uga fans are better - only Miami fans are worse in my experience.

[Max Rockatansky]

All this team duplication reminds me of something...

[webny99]

So, justice has been done in the AFC! The Pats fall to the Dolphins in the biggest "upset" of the season, allowing the Chiefs to steal the bye! 

Not the case over in the NFC, where the profoundly mediocre Packers get a bye thanks to a last-second, gut wrenching FG against the Lions, while the Saints (who destroyed the Panthers 42-10 today and CLEARLY deserved the bye) have to play next weekend. Yikes.

In other news, here's the list of teams that allowed less than 300 points this season: Pats 225, Bills 259, Ravens 282, Bears 298. /list

And lastly, any Super Bowl picks/predictions with the regular season now in the books?

[Beltway]

Not the case over in the NFC, where the profoundly mediocre Packers get a bye thanks to a last-second, gut wrenching FG against the Lions, while the Saints (who destroyed the Panthers 42-10 today and CLEARLY deserved the bye) have to play next weekend. Yikes.

The Packers and the Saints are 13-3, and the number 1 and number 2 seeds, respectively, and do not have to play in the wildcard round.

[Max Rockatansky]

Not the case over in the NFC, where the profoundly mediocre Packers get a bye thanks to a last-second, gut wrenching FG against the Lions, while the Saints (who destroyed the Panthers 42-10 today and CLEARLY deserved the bye) have to play next weekend. Yikes.

The Packers and the Saints are 13-3, and the number 1 and number 2 seeds, respectively, and do not have to play in the wildcard round.

The Saints are the 3 Seed, they along with the 49ers and Packers are 13-3.  I don't think anyone can legitimately say that the Packers have a better team on paper than the Saints.  For what it's worth Arron Rogers hasn't looked like a top tier quarterback all season.

I'll throw out Saints/Ravens as a Super Bowl prediction.  The Ravens look way better and have been way more balanced all year than any other AFC team.  While I like how the 49ers have pretty much been in even the games they lost teams new to playoff stage tend to lose to more experienced ones like the Saints.  Right now I'd count on Drew Brees more to pull out a late game big win. 

[NWI_Irish96]

Not the case over in the NFC, where the profoundly mediocre Packers get a bye thanks to a last-second, gut wrenching FG against the Lions, while the Saints (who destroyed the Panthers 42-10 today and CLEARLY deserved the bye) have to play next weekend. Yikes.

The Packers and the Saints are 13-3, and the number 1 and number 2 seeds, respectively, and do not have to play in the wildcard round.

The Saints are the 3 Seed, they along with the 49ers and Packers are 13-3.  I don't think anyone can legitimately say that the Packers have a better team on paper than the Saints.  For what it's worth Arron Rogers hasn't looked like a top tier quarterback all season.

I'll throw out Saints/Ravens as a Super Bowl prediction.  The Ravens look way better and have been way more balanced all year than any other AFC team.  While I like how the 49ers have pretty much been in even the games they lost teams new to playoff stage tend to lose to more experienced ones like the Saints.  Right now I'd count on Drew Brees more to pull out a late game big win. 

Not the case over in the NFC, where the profoundly mediocre Packers get a bye thanks to a last-second, gut wrenching FG against the Lions, while the Saints (who destroyed the Panthers 42-10 today and CLEARLY deserved the bye) have to play next weekend. Yikes.

The Packers and the Saints are 13-3, and the number 1 and number 2 seeds, respectively, and do not have to play in the wildcard round.

The Saints are the 3 Seed, they along with the 49ers and Packers are 13-3.  I don't think anyone can legitimately say that the Packers have a better team on paper than the Saints.  For what it's worth Arron Rogers hasn't looked like a top tier quarterback all season.

I'll throw out Saints/Ravens as a Super Bowl prediction.  The Ravens look way better and have been way more balanced all year than any other AFC team.  While I like how the 49ers have pretty much been in even the games they lost teams new to playoff stage tend to lose to more experienced ones like the Saints.  Right now I'd count on Drew Brees more to pull out a late game big win. 

Two of the Packers' losses were to AFC teams, and one of the Saints' losses was to an AFC team.  By NFL logic, that makes the Packers more deserving of the higher seed.

The NFL needs to eliminate conferences.  Just seed the eight division winners 1-8 and the wildcards 9-12.  First tiebreaker after head to head should be strength of schedule.  Under this system, playoff seeding this year would be:

1 Baltimore
2 San Francisco
3 New Orleans
4 Green Bay

5 Kansas City vs 12 LA Rams
6 New England vs 11 Buffalo
7 Houston vs 10 Minnesota
8 Philadelphia vs 9 Seattle

[thspfc]

Patriots and Seahawks was my preseason prediction, and that could happen but doesn't look likely. My revised prediction is Patriots and Saints.

[Beltway]

The Packers and the Saints are 13-3, and the number 1 and number 2 seeds, respectively, and do not have to play in the wildcard round.

The Saints are the 3 Seed, they along with the 49ers and Packers are 13-3.  I don't think anyone can legitimately say that the Packers have a better team on paper than the Saints.  For what it's worth Arron Rogers hasn't looked like a top tier quarterback all season.

I see that the 49ers hadn't played their last game when I posted that, or maybe I hadn't refreshed that webpage.

49ers [xyz*]
(13-3-0) Proj: 1st Seed
Packers [xyz]
(13-3-0) Proj: 2nd Seed
Saints [xy]
(13-3-0) Proj: 3rd Seed
http://www.nfl.com/playoffs/playoff-picture

I'll throw out Saints/Ravens as a Super Bowl prediction.  The Ravens look way better and have been way more balanced all year than any other AFC team.  While I like how the 49ers have pretty much been in even the games they lost teams new to playoff stage tend to lose to more experienced ones like the Saints.  Right now I'd count on Drew Brees more to pull out a late game big win. 

Ravens, definitely.

Homefield advantage thruout is always a benefit, and the 49ers have that as long as they win.

The Saints have to play in the wildcard round, and if they win they get to go to Green Bay in January. 

Has a 13-3 or higher team ever had to play in the wildcard round?

[Buck87]

Pulling for the Saints because they have 6 Buckeyes on their roster, including one who just set the single season receptions record.

Would like to see a Saints-Chiefs Super Bowl, since that's what it should have been last year. 

[webny99]

My revised prediction is Patriots and Saints.

It would be crazy if NONE of the first-round bye teams make it to the Super Bowl, and even more so this year with how high-powered the Niners, Ravens, and Chiefs are. I see the Saints beating the Packers and advancing to the NFC championship, but I highly doubt the Patriots are Super Bowl bound. Look at their path after they blew it yesterday: vs. Titans, who have a crazy offense and are playing great since Tannehill took over as starter; @ Chiefs in the divisional round; and @ Ravens (or, long shots to host the Bills or Texans) in the AFC championship.

The Pats may be 32-3 against the Bills in the Brady-Belichick era, but they just blew their chance to tie the Bill's record for 4 consecutive Super Bowl appearances, which is just wonderful. 

[triplemultiplex]

I am thinking this will be the Saint's redemption year.  They'll steamroll Minnesota at home.  The Pack will blow it. And then I see them hosting the NFC championship because Seattle roasts the Eagles and avenges their 4 inches-too-short finish from last week.

[ET21]

I wouldn't mind a KC/Ravens AFC title game and a KC/Saints SB. Texans might just finally get rid of their one and done curse against the Bills. Long as GB loses 

[kurumi]

Interesting stat: from 2010-2019, only two AFC teams never played in a wild card round. One was the Cleveland Browns. The other: the New England Patriots. (Bonus points if you can name the 1 NFC team that hasn't done so.)

Edit: not so for the Pats; see correction by Buck87 downthread