An Indepth Look At The Playoffs

[stl4life07]

AFC

Best Team: Kansas City Chiefs - The gap has closed some but it still remains they are the best team in the AFC heading into the playoffs. They have the soon to be MVP in Mahomes, an offense that has scored at least 25pts in every game this season, and now homefield advantage. Good luck going into Arrowhead Stadium and winning. Yes the Chiefs postseason resume isnt good. Yes Reid postseason resume only shows (1) Superbowl appearance. Yes Mahomes is making his first postseason appearance. Yes the defense is concerning and the lack of a dynamic back like they once had with Hunt puts all the pressure on Mahomes. I just feel at the end of the day, I feel really good about the Chiefs possibly representing the AFC in the Superbowl.

Least Team: Baltimore Ravens - I call them the least team because there are no bad teams in the playoffs but a team Im not sold on the most. I get the Ravens are hot and if anyone wants to say they are the most dangerous team in the entire playoffs then I wont argue. Here is the reason why Im not concerned about the Ravens? They only have one style and thats running the football. Im not convinced they can beat the Chargers twice in 3 weeks with Lamar only throwing the ball 20 times and not being all that effective when he decides to throw. Plus I think the stage is going to be even bigger for Lamar than it has ever been while with Rivers its just going to be another game. I think Rivers is going to be gamed and what we saw weeks ago it could be the other way around and the Chargers beat the Ravens 22-10. Again I wont argue with anyone who says the Ravens will be a tough out. I just think Lamar is in the playoffs for the first time. Its a big stage and he is going up against a team that he just faced a beat weeks ago. Its hard to beat a team twice in the same season as a rookie QB to beat the same team twice and this time in a playoff setting in which he has never been in will be even tougher.

Dangerous Team: Indianapolis Colts - They have only lost 1 game in 3 months. Wrap your head around that. Andrew Luck is playing at an MVP level. The oline is protecting him and the defense is playing really well. Mack gives them a presence in the running game. Like I could see the Colts making a run. I get people are on the Ravens bandwagon as hottest and dangerous but the Colts actually have a legit QB that is athletic and can throw. I talked about as a Rams fan I dont want to see the Seahawks for a third time, well the Texans and Colts get to see each other for the third time. 

X-Factor: Gronk/Edelman - We know the Patriots is only going to go as far as Brady can take them. Its vital that Gronk and Edelman play at a high level. Injuries have hurt both guys effectiveness this season. I truly believe that if we continue to see the up and down play from both guys the Patriots arent going to Arrowhead and beating the Chiefs. The AFC has a good field this season where its not the Patriots and everyone else. Brady needs his main guys to step up because if they want to have a chance to go back in the Superbowl.

 

NFC

Best Team: New Orleans Saints - They have the top seed and homefield advantage. They earned the right to be the favorites to win the Superbowl. They are tough to beat in the Superdome in the playoffs as the only time they won the Superbowl was when they had homefield advantage. That same season they also lost to the Bucs, Cowboys, and Panthers. So they have that going for them as well. If a team is going to go to New Orleans and win they are going to have to shoot it out with them because they arent going to hold the Saints down in New Orleans. Thats why the narrative of the Bears are the favorites besides the Saints is ridiculous. The Saints in that dome will make the Bears defense look bad. We can debate Bears fans but trust me, its real in that dome when it comes to Saints offense. It dont matter who you are or what you have on defense.

Least Team: Dallas Cowboys - Nice story this season for them. They traded for Cooper and took off. Dak has played better since the addition of Cooper. The defense at times have a looked dominant and have pieces that suggest that they can be a dominant defense consistently moving forward. Zeke has finally become a complete back both on the ground and through the air. Here is the issue with Dallas, they dominate time of possession but dont score a ton of points. When they play a team that is exactly them in terms of play defense, run the ball and control the clock, they get beat. The Seahawks are coming the town and I dont think they beat the Seahawks. IF by some chance they do, then a horror movie is going to happen when the travel to New Orleans to play the Saints in the Superdome. I can legit see Payton trying to run up the score and put up 50pts on the Cowboys just to get them back for making them look bad in Dallas on a TNF game. 

Dangerous Team: Los Angeles Rams - They went from being the favorites/front runners to now the underdogs. Of course the Saints are the favorites and now many people are looking at the Bears as the 2nd team in the NFC. Im loving it. The Rams have the type of team that can go into New Orleans and shoot it out with the Saints. The biggest knock on the Rams is McVay willingness to commit to the run. Against the Cardinals the Rams ran the ball 39 times for over 250yds. Against the Niners the Rams ran the ball 40 times for over 160yds. I didnt count the kneel downs in those games. People forget the Rams were the top rushing team in the NFL for the first half of the season. I believe the Rams can run on anyone if they commit to it. Adding Anderson is huge too. He was vital to the Broncos Superbowl run in 2016. Having him to add to Gurley gives the Rams a great 1-2 punch. The Rams are (19-3) under McVay when they rush for at least 100yds (I didnt include Week 17 last season because they Rams played there backups). This season the Rams had 10 games where they rushed for at least 135yds. We all know the offense runs through the running game and now the Rams have the ability with Gurley and Anderson. Thats going to help Goff. Goff has looked his best when the Rams are committing to the run. Its not coincidence that during these last two games Goff is completing 66% of his passes and has 6tds/0ints. Thats without Gurley but Anderson who has been dominating on the ground. So I think the Rams are a dangerous team. Not to mention on defense with Talib back, it has help alot. The Rams are taking the ball away alot and Donald is still making his impact felt. 

X-Factor: Mitch Trubisky: The Bears defense is legit. Nagy is a great playcaller/designer. I like what they have in terms of weapons on offense. It all comes down to Trubisky. If he can play within himself and I believe at least one game he has to have a great performance, I think the Bears can make a deep run. The Bears are going to have to at least win one road playoff game and we have seen Trubisky and this Bears team on the road. It hasnt been pretty alot of the time. So it comes back to Trubisky. He is the x-factor imo of any player, unit, or coach in the NFC. He is going to determine how far the Bears will go in the playoffs. 

[EaglesPeteC]

Rams?.......Underdogs????? Who said there are no original stories in Hollywood

[Superman(DH23)]

1 minute ago, EaglesPeteC said:

Rams?.......Underdogs????? Who said there are no original stories in Hollywood

Stl4life calling the Rams an underdog and the most dangerous team is quite the shocker

[SBLIII]

19 minutes ago, Superman(DH23) said:

Stl4life calling the Rams an underdog and the most dangerous team is quite the shocker

The guy is pretty funny, I'll give him that.

[Superman(DH23)]

AFC: 

BEST: Chargers.  Dont cry to me about the Chiefs.  The Chiefs arent going anywhere with Bob Suttons defense. They will be 1 and done.  The Chargers.might have the NFLs best roster.  They are the most balanced team in the AFC and are by far the best road team.  Your wildcard SuperBowl rep right here.  Spoiler alert.

Least: Patriots.  Stay with me here.  The Pat's dont have a top 10 defense or offense.  They are 11-5 in a division where they are virtually guaranteed to go 5-1 or 6-0 every year.  They are likely to be hosting the Chargers in the divisional round and will be the inferior team talent wise by far.  Yeah yeah every year we hear about the Pat's demise and I'll believe it when I see it, but honestly on a neutral field, I'm taking any of the other 5 teams.

Most Dangerous: Ravens.  They are doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing.  They are setting football back 30 years and winning bc nobody knows what to do about it.  After the offseason they will have to change bc teams will adjust next year the same way they did to the Wildcat, but right now everybody should be worried about Baltimore coming to your stadium and suffocating you.

 

NFC

Best: New Orleans.  Unlike the chiefs the saints havent forgotten to play defense.  They are opportunistic.  They take the ball away and you have to go into their house, one of the toughest places to play where Payton and Brees.have never lost a game in the post season.  The hype is real.

Least: Sorry Dallas fans, it's the Cowboys.  They are hot, they have a good D, which is always favorable in January, but they have a coaching mismatch in any game they will play.  They have a WR who will either be great or disappear.  And they have OL issues with health.  Most likely upset of WC weekend.

Most Dangerous: Eagles.  They are playing with house money.  They have been there before.  They get to wear the underdog label that they thrive on, then of course there is the magic of Nicky Foles. They clearly have the hardest path to the Superbowl having go thru Soldier Field, and face the scariest defense in the league, and if somehow survive that go to the Dome.  And then if they can redeem the beatdown from just a month ago, have to go on the road...again.  it's a rough path, but nobody should count them out.  That front is nasty on both sides of the ball, and that has always been a winning formula.

Superbowl prediction:

Bears over Chargers

Bear Down!

[stl4life07]

@EaglesPeteC @Superman(DH23) @SBLIII If yall want to look at it that way great. I look at it as the Rams were the favorites and front runners for most of the season. Now they arent even the 2nd favorite team in the NFC by alot of people opinions. To me that makes underdogs. That also makes them dangerous because nobody expect them to go to New Orleans and win. People probably wont be convinced if they face the Bears that they will beat them. We know the Rams are capable but with less pressure now I like. They can just play their game in the playoffs because again the expectations are placed on the Saints and more people are jumping on the Bears bandwagon. I like that. It does give the Rams that Eagles feel from last season where they went from favorites to underdogs and that ultimately made them dangerous because we knew they had the coaching and the talent. Foles was the only question mark and he played with house money against the teams people thought would beat the Eagles. The last time Goff played the Saints, the pressure of the undefeated streak was on. Now if he has to play the Saints the Rams are going to be big underdogs and expected to lose. The Rams will be favored if they have to face the Bears but again, Im sure alot of people are going to be picking the Bears again. No pressure for the Rams. Go out there play your game with the talent you have and they will be fine. That is what I believe makes them dangerous.

[stl4life07]

3 minutes ago, Superman(DH23) said:

AFC: 

BEST: Chargers.  Dont cry to me about the Chiefs.  The Chiefs arent going anywhere with Bob Suttons defense. They will be 1 and done.  The Chargers.might have the NFLs best roster.  They are the most balanced team in the AFC and are by far the best road team.  Your wildcard SuperBowl rep right here.  Spoiler alert.

Least: Patriots.  Stay with me here.  The Pat's dont have a top 10 defense or offense.  They are 11-5 in a division where they are virtually guaranteed to go 5-1 or 6-0 every year.  They are likely to be hosting the Chargers in the divisional round and will be the inferior team talent wise by far.  Yeah yeah every year we hear about the Pat's demise and I'll believe it when I see it, but honestly on a neutral field, I'm taking any of the other 5 teams.

Most Dangerous: Ravens.  They are doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing.  They are setting football back 30 years and winning bc nobody knows what to do about it.  After the offseason they will have to change bc teams will adjust next year the same way they did to the Wildcat, but right now everybody should be worried about Baltimore coming to your stadium and suffocating you.

 

NFC

Best: New Orleans.  Unlike the chiefs the saints havent forgotten to play defense.  They are opportunistic.  They take the ball away and you have to go into their house, one of the toughest places to play where Payton and Brees.have never lost a game in the post season.  The hype is real.

Least: Sorry Dallas fans, it's the Cowboys.  They are hot, they have a good D, which is always favorable in January, but they have a coaching mismatch in any game they will play.  They have a WR who will either be great or disappear.  And they have OL issues with health.  Most likely upset of WC weekend.

Most Dangerous: Eagles.  They are playing with house money.  They have been there before.  They get to wear the underdog label that they thrive on, then of course there is the magic of Nicky Foles. They clearly have the hardest path to the Superbowl having go thru Soldier Field, and face the scariest defense in the league, and if somehow survive that go to the Dome.  And then if they can redeem the beatdown from just a month ago, have to go on the road...again.  it's a rough path, but nobody should count them out.  That front is nasty on both sides of the ball, and that has always been a winning formula.

Superbowl prediction:

Bears over Chargers

Bear Down!

Good one.

Ill stick to my preseason prediction though of Chargers v Rams in the Superbowl with the Rams winning it all. 

[Superman(DH23)]

4 minutes ago, stl4life07 said:

@EaglesPeteC @Superman(DH23) @SBLIII If yall want to look at it that way great. I look at it as the Rams were the favorites and front runners for most of the season. Now they arent even the 2nd favorite team in the NFC by alot of people opinions. To me that makes underdogs. That also makes them dangerous because nobody expect them to go to New Orleans and win. People probably wont be convinced if they face the Bears that they will beat them. We know the Rams are capable but with less pressure now I like. They can just play their game in the playoffs because again the expectations are placed on the Saints and more people are jumping on the Bears bandwagon. I like that. It does give the Rams that Eagles feel from last season where they went from favorites to underdogs and that ultimately made them dangerous because we knew they had the coaching and the talent. Foles was the only question mark and he played with house money against the teams people thought would beat the Eagles. The last time Goff played the Saints, the pressure of the undefeated streak was on. Now if he has to play the Saints the Rams are going to be big underdogs and expected to lose. The Rams will be favored if they have to face the Bears but again, Im sure alot of people are going to be picking the Bears again. No pressure for the Rams. Go out there play your game with the talent you have and they will be fine. That is what I believe makes them dangerous.

People wont be convinced they can beat the Bears bc they got dominated by the Bears with their QB playing the worst game of his career.  Said QB since that game has completed 75% of his passes with 0 ints.  Just because people dont trust the 26th ranked defense full of names to win in the playoffs doesn't make them underdogs, it makes them vulnerable.

[Danger]

The reason the Eagles were doubted it because their would-be MVP QB went down with a season ending injury. There's a key difference between the Eagles last year and one of the most healthy teams in the league this season going into the playoffs. The Rams aren't underdogs to anyone except maybe the Saints in the dome.

[nolaexpat]

So nobody's paying attention to the reigning Super Bowl champs sneaking in at the last minute, playing with the QB that won them the bowl last year? Ok. I'm hoping the Saints take everything seriously and look past no one. The NFC is tough this year and any of these teams can come to our place and beat us. But Bears fans? You have your hands full next week.

Quote

"Great, kid! Don't get cocky!" - Anonymous

 

[Superman(DH23)]

9 minutes ago, nolaexpat said:

So nobody's paying attention to the reigning Super Bowl champs sneaking in at the last minute, playing with the QB that won them the bowl last year? Ok. I'm hoping the Saints take everything seriously and look past no one. The NFC is tough this year and any of these teams can come to our place and beat us. But Bears fans? You have your hands full next week.

 

What? I called them the most dangerous team in the NFC.  I'm not looking past them at all.  

[ninjapirate]

5 minutes ago, Superman(DH23) said:

What? I called them the most dangerous team in the NFC.  I'm not looking past them at all.  

I'm personally ready for Lane Johnson vs. Khalil Mack round 2. 

 

Johnson won the contest last year Mack didn't do anything.

[stl4life07]

20 minutes ago, Superman(DH23) said:

People wont be convinced they can beat the Bears bc they got dominated by the Bears with their QB playing the worst game of his career.  Said QB since that game has completed 75% of his passes with 0 ints.  Just because people dont trust the 26th ranked defense full of names to win in the playoffs doesn't make them underdogs, it makes them vulnerable.

Valid point but also your point is why the Rams are underdogs. People view them as vulnerable. That same 26th ranked defense is 13-3 this season. The Steelers have the 6th ranked defense, 5th ranked offense, lead the league in sacks, two 1200yd receivers, and a pro bowl back and are sitting at home. Thats why we can look at the Rams many different ways and come away with different opinions each one I cant argue with but it comes down to winning and the Saints are the favorites, as you mentioned people wont be convinced the Rams can beat the Bears and they are vulnerable. Yet they are 13-3 with capable guys that can not only win games but dominate games and they have found their footing again with back to back great games. So the sky isnt falling like some people were claiming after losing to the Bears and Eagles in back to back games. 

[Mastercheddaar]

AFC 

Best - Pats. Say what you will but they got Billy and Brady. It's the post season. 

Least - KC. Andy Reid is great in the regular season but not so much in the post season. Look for an early bounce here or at the very least KC fans making me eat said words later on.

Dark Wing Ducks (Let's get Dangerous?) - Chargers. Very good team. Not your normal wildcard. 

NFC

Best - Saints. Nuff said

Least - Cowgirls. Nuff said... well I could say a lot more but I don't wanna get banned. 

Dark Wing Ducks - Eagles. They took the underdog title and ran with it last year. They have beat LAR and Hous in recent weeks. Time to win back to back. Chicago better be ready. Watch the Eagles, somehow win this.

GO BIRDS!

Master "The Haul" Cheddaar

 

[Superman(DH23)]

2 minutes ago, ninjapirate said:

I'm personally ready for Lane Johnson vs. Khalil Mack round 2. 

 

Johnson won the contest last year Mack didn't do anything.

First of all I'm not downplaying Mack at all, but they really need to think about Goldman, bc hes decided these last few weeks to own the middle of the LOS and it's not fair what he is doing to OCs and OGs at this point, especially with Hicks lined up next to him.  Mack is going to get his, bit so much attention has to be devoted to him that it makes it really tough on your IOL bc of the 700+ lbs that is dominating right now