Official NFL 2007 Thread

[naiwf]

New England 31-14 over Jax, but it'll be close for 2 1/2 to 3 quarters

Indy 28-24 over SD in the best game of the weekend

Dallas 35-20 over my Giants for the hat trick this season *sigh*

Green Bay 24-17 over Seattle in a close, but boring game

[Pepsi]

New England 31-14 over Jax, but it'll be close for 2 1/2 to 3 quarters

Indy 28-24 over SD in the best game of the weekend

Dallas 35-20 over my Giants for the hat trick this season *sigh*

Green Bay 24-17 over Seattle in a close, but boring game

[DMN in the House]

Jacksonville 21 - New England 20

The only game I'm picking.

[Krone]

I could see it happening too. MJD and Fred Taylor could get some big yards on the ground and Gerrard isn't a bad QB, so he could keep the Patriots defense on their heels. Personally, I could see the Seahawks going far for some reason.

[DMN in the House]

Especially if its snowing in New England. That will actually give Jacksonville the advantage, because the New England running game is adequate, but not great. Run the ball, stop the run, and you win playoff games.

[Pepsi]

Especially if its snowing in New England. That will actually give Jacksonville the advantage, because the New England running game is adequate, but not great. Run the ball, stop the run, and you win playoff games.

Edited January 7, 2008 by Pepsi

[sahyder1]

Jacksonville 21 - New England 20

The only game I'm picking.

[DMN in the House]

I think you're downgrading Pittsburgh. They came back in that game, and it was three interceptions that gave Jacksonville the lead in the first place. It wasn't like they were an inferior team.

Jacksonville WILL run the ball. New England's front seven isn't good enough to shut down Fred Taylor and Mo Jones-Drew. Jacksonville will run the ball, and the clock, and we'll see if its enough. New England has been slowing down as the season has moved on, showing that they aren't the amazing offense in the elements like they were in good weather. Plus, New England has let some pretty bad teams (Baltimore, anyone?) hang around on them, and that WILL get them beat against a team like Jacksonville.

I've gone on record in saying I don't think New England gets out of the playoffs alive. They aren't the awe-inspiring, all-dominating team they looked like in the first half of the season. As weird as it might sound considering they're unbeaten, they're beatable.

[gunnar hendershow]

You remember that game against Baltimore that the Patriots more or less were handed by a wide array of mistakes?

Expect that in the Jacksonville game, and if the Jags don't make mistakes we could have quite the upset. But I'm not picking it, however if the Pats are to lose this will be the game.

Giants over 'Boys (31-28)

Packers over Seahawks (20-13)

Pats over Jags (20-17)

Colts over Chargers (33-17)

[Cactus Drags]

Especially if its snowing in New England. That will actually give Jacksonville the advantage, because the New England running game is adequate, but not great. Run the ball, stop the run, and you win playoff games.

But Patriots have shown they can throw the ball even in terrible conditions. They have the best record in snowy weather in the NFL. Plus Jacksonville's defense get's tired fast, they gave up how many points to a bruised and battered Steelers and almost lost the game? I think Patriots play full against the run and man-to-man coverage on the wide outs and force the Jags to try and out throw them which they won't be able to do.

Also they are playing in front of a Foxboro crowd which will be red-hot even if it is snowing. And The Patriots are very well rested where as The Jags are coming off tough game on Saturday. Also, you know they have been practicing on stopping the run because either they were gonna play Jags or Titans both teams which rely almost entirely on the run. So it's not like they didn't already have a game plan figured out probably and were just waiting to see who'd they play.

[DMN in the House]

Saying the Patriots 'have the best record in snowy weather' is a fucking strawman of epic proportions, considering they were undefeated. They had the best record in games played in any conditions. They still aren't the amazing team for the ages they looked like in the beginning of the season, or that ESPN wants you to believe. They can be run on, and they have trouble running their offense in bad weather. Jacksonville is the new Pittsburgh (at least, for this season), and has all the tools they need to beat New England, provided Garrard dosen't make mistakes, which he has shown he can do.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Especially if its snowing in New England. That will actually give Jacksonville the advantage, because the New England running game is adequate, but not great. Run the ball, stop the run, and you win playoff games.

But Patriots have shown they can throw the ball even in terrible conditions. They have the best record in snowy weather in the NFL. Plus Jacksonville's defense get's tired fast, they gave up how many points to a bruised and battered Steelers and almost lost the game? I think Patriots play full against the run and man-to-man coverage on the wide outs and force the Jags to try and out throw them which they won't be able to do.

Also they are playing in front of a Foxboro crowd which will be red-hot even if it is snowing. And The Patriots are very well rested where as The Jags are coming off tough game on Saturday. Also, you know they have been practicing on stopping the run because either they were gonna play Jags or Titans both teams which rely almost entirely on the run. So it's not like they didn't already have a game plan figured out probably and were just waiting to see who'd they play.

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

The Jags are not going to make it competitive with the Pats after that performance in Pittsburgh. They are so lucky to have won that game.

[naiwf]

If Garrard has to win the game for the Jags then they'll get blown out. If they can pound the run/eat clock/keep Brady and Co. on the sidelines then they have a shot to win it. If not, it's a beatdown. The mean reason Garrard didn't throw a lot of picks was because he didn't throw a lot of passes in pressure situations. Hell, he almost tied his season output in 21 attempts this weekend and that was with his team having an 18 point cushion heading into the 4th.

[Cactus Drags]

Naiwf's got it right. Don't get me wrong, I like Garrard, he's serviceable and he doesn't make many mistakes, but that's partly because he's generally not in those risk/reward type of situations. He won't win games by himself, and I don't see him as the type to drag his team back from any real defecit. So as long as the Jags are allowed to stick to their gameplan, they have a chance to win.

Edited January 8, 2008 by Dragsy 7-0

[Pepsi]

Actually I saw it on ESPN they were talking about how The Patriots had the best record in cold weather in NFL but they I didn't hear the time frame they were looking at but I'm pretty sure it was this season as well as a few seasons prior because they had a few years on there. Believe it or not but I haven't heard any sports writers come out and challenge this fact.

And yes The Patriots can throw in poor conditions. Ok so the high winds in The Jets game caused a problem but how many games now have they played in worse conditions? Tom Brady had a terrible game against The Jets but they continued to move the ball effectively even with a suspect running game and how do you think they are doing that, harsh language? The game against The Giants, Brady still threw over 350 yards. In Miami 3 TD's, 2 INT's yes but The Patriots defense held that team to only 7 points even with those INT's. New York Jets game Brady was clearly off his game as he threw for only 140 yards but Maroney had a huge game with over a hundred yards and the defense against played good. Steelers game? How cold was it there and Brady still threw for 1 yard short of 400. They can play good-to-great in cold weather and if you look at the last games in the season The Jets game was Brady's only real "bad" game. And you have to give them credit for that because most teams if the star QB plays horrible they lose or barely win. Brady played horrible and they still won by 10 points.

So your saying my statement that The Jags can't out pass The Patriots is a lie? Are you kidding me? How bout we look at numbers instead. The Patriots are #1 in the NFL with passing yard per game with 295.7 compared to the 17th ranked passing offense of 208 yards per game. Jacksonville has 28 passing TD's this season compared the 50 of The Patriots. Passing points per game? Jacksonville 25.7, Patriots 36.8. Need I continue? I said clearly "Force them to OUT THROW" The Patriots which only The Colts have the ability to do. I never implied Gerrard would make mistakes in fact I think he's a great QB but if the game was a straight pass fest there is no way The Jags would even be able to keep it close.

Edited January 8, 2008 by Pepsi

[NobBe Nobbs]

You know, I've just thought of something. Why are New England being allowed to keep the seventh overall pick? They had the 32nd stripped of them in Spygate, but how much more damage would it do to them if they lost a pick that...well, didn't exactly mean something (because that implies the other one doesn't mean anything), but meant a hell of a lot more than the other one? I mean, I know the answer to the question already - the league inflicted the minimum punishment possible to avoid genuine accusations of favouritism - but it almost seems unfair.

[Maxx]

No, its because they got stripped of THEIR draft pick. The 7th overall is San Fransisco's, and was acquired in a trade, the league would have to negate the trade to take away the pick, which can't happen

[NobBe Nobbs]

But they do hold them both. And if the object is punishment, then losing the last one in the first round hurts a lot less than the one at which Adrian Peterson got picked last year.

[Maxx]

As I said, they can't take away the 49ers pick because it was part of a trade and while they "own" it, the league doesn't view it as their pick. You also have to remember this punishment was put forth in the second week of the season, and they couldn't say, oh we're taking the 49ers pick from you because you're going to do so much better than them.

I hate that its worked out this way too, but its a fair punishment as the league can't take away draft picks acquired in trades unless said trades are negated