Let the real season begin.
NFL Discussion - 2008-09 Playoffs
- Thread starter the 4th hanson bro
- Start date
As unfortunate as the firing of Crennel is to me, it had to be done. He was a good guy with a even temperament, but the results speak for themselves. He also had the misfortune of this kind of performance during a season that saw such impressive turnarounds as in Atlanta, Baltimore and Miami. Comparisons against that are bound to be bad for a team like the Browns. Maybe Shanahan ought to hire Crennel as DC? It might address the obvious defensive needs that Broncos have.
(sorry, I should have posted this in the other thread that is now closed)
(sorry, I should have posted this in the other thread that is now closed)
Captain Craigs pics:
AFC: Chargers over Colts & Ravens over Dolphins ; Titans over Chargers & Steelers over Ravens ; Titans over Steelers for AFC Championship
NFC: Falcons over Cardinals & Eagles over Vikings ; Giants over Falcons & Eagles over Panthers ; Giants over Eagles for NFC Championship
SuperBowl: Titans vs Giants --- Titans for the win
I don't think that bracket is correct...??
I believe the way it works is the top seed faces the lowest seed left in the second round. So for example if the Ravens beat the Dolphins, they'll go to Tennessee, not Pittsburgh. And if the Eagles beat the Vikings, they play the Giants, not the Panthers.
Anyone else know for sure??
I believe the way it works is the top seed faces the lowest seed left in the second round. So for example if the Ravens beat the Dolphins, they'll go to Tennessee, not Pittsburgh. And if the Eagles beat the Vikings, they play the Giants, not the Panthers.
Anyone else know for sure??
I seem to recall the announcers saying something to that effect yesterday, but I can't say for certain.
Incidentally, I got my daughter (the NY Giants fan) a DVD set of last year's post season games for the team. Five disks, one game each (4 post season + the reg season loss to the Patriots). I told her she's on her own this time if the Giants win again.
What an interesting playoff bracket we have this year. The Dolphins? The Cardnials? It seems like the road to the Super Bowl is wide open and I don't really see a real dominant team this year. Heck, even the top two teams in each conference are vulnerable. Should be an interesting postseason.
I was sure I saw a diffrent itteration last night at halftime of the Broncos/Chargers game as well.
However, several sites have this. So my thinking was, "They can't all be wrong?" Can they?
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4
Site 5
Plus if it helps I grabbed that first visual off the NFL.com website. They list the Sat & Sun games just as the brackets have them. So I'm inclined to think the rest of the brackets are right.
http://www.nfl.com/schedules?seasonType=POST#Week
That has the correct matchups. If the 6 seeds win they will always play the highest available seeded team.
That has the correct matchups. If the 6 seeds win they will always play the highest available seeded team.
Some of those are wrong. Others aren't saying quite what you think they're saying. The NFL has no "brackets" in the playoffs. They never have, at least since the modern playoff system started back around 1991 or whenever it was. Instead, you have, for each conference, 6 seeded playoff teams. In the AFC this year, it's:
1) Tennessee
2) Pittsburgh
3) Miami
4) San Diego
5) Indianapolis
6) Baltimore
In the first round, #6 plays at #3 and #5 plays at #4, while #1 and #2 have a bye. After that, you have the lowest remaining seeded team plays at the #1 team, while the next lowest remaining seeded team plays at the #2 team. So if, say, Miami beats Balt and Indy beats SD, you have this left:
1) Tennessee
2) Pittsburgh
3) Miami
5) Indianapolis
So, in the divisional round, Indy would play at Tennessee and Miami would play at Pittsburgh. However, if, instead, Baltimore beats Miami in the first round, then you'd be left with:
1) Tennessee
2) Pittsburgh
5) Indianapolis
6) Baltimore
In *that* case, Indy would play Pittsburgh rather than Tennessee, while Baltimore would play Tennessee. That's the way the system has been set up for years. That's why, on the official site:
http://www.nfl.com/schedules?seasonType=POST#Week
it says, in the divisional round for example:
Sat., Jan. 10, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Ravens, Chargers or Colts
at Tennessee (13-3)
It lists three different teams that could potentially play at Tennessee that week, because the Titans do *not* automatically play the winner of Chargers/Colts. If the Ravens win on Sunday, then they would play the Titans instead.
Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback column for today seems to confirm just that. It's in the Fine Fifteen section, discussing the Giants at #3.
Dream scenario:
Wildcard Round:
Cardinals over Falcons
Eagles over Vikings
Colts over Chargers
Dolphins over Ravens
Divisional Playoffs:
Eagles over Giants
Cardinals over Panthers
Colts over Titans
Dolphins over Steelers
Conference Championships:
Cardinals over Eagles
Colts over Dolphins
Super Bowl:
Cardinals over Colts
OK. Now that I'm back from La La Land ...
Actual predictions:
Wildcard round:
Cardinals over Falcons (anyone who thinks this result would be an upset is daft)
Vikings over Eagles
Colts over Chargers
Ravens over Dolphins
Divisional playoffs:
Giants over Cardinals (in a surprisingly close game)
Panthers over Vikings
Titans over Ravens
Colts over Steelers
Conference championships:
Giants over Panthers
Colts over Titans
Super Bowl:
Colts over Giants
Wildcard Round:
Cardinals over Falcons
Eagles over Vikings
Colts over Chargers
Dolphins over Ravens
Divisional Playoffs:
Eagles over Giants
Cardinals over Panthers
Colts over Titans
Dolphins over Steelers
Conference Championships:
Cardinals over Eagles
Colts over Dolphins
Super Bowl:
Cardinals over Colts
OK. Now that I'm back from La La Land ...
Actual predictions:
Wildcard round:
Cardinals over Falcons (anyone who thinks this result would be an upset is daft)
Vikings over Eagles
Colts over Chargers
Ravens over Dolphins
Divisional playoffs:
Giants over Cardinals (in a surprisingly close game)
Panthers over Vikings
Titans over Ravens
Colts over Steelers
Conference championships:
Giants over Panthers
Colts over Titans
Super Bowl:
Colts over Giants
Personally, I'd love to see a Giants/Colts Super Bowl, just for the synchronicity of the Mannings going up against each other, after each having won one. Yeah the hype would be nauseating, but that'd not be their fault.
As for the Dolphins.... it'd be fun seeing Pennington in the SB after the Jets released him.
But I seriously doubt it'd happen. They won't get past Baltimore
As for the Dolphins.... it'd be fun seeing Pennington in the SB after the Jets released him.
But I seriously doubt it'd happen. They won't get past BaltimoreAs for the Dolphins.... it'd be fun seeing Pennington in the SB after the Jets released him.
As much as I hate the Phins, I hate the Jets even more. So, yes, that would be an upside to seeing Miami in the SB.
-Jamman
Looking at the brackets, especially in the AFC, the NFL playoff system is highly in need of reform.
Its absolutely ridiculous that an 8-8 Chargers team gets a home game against a 12-4 Indianapolis Colts team who beat them during the season, and an 11-5 Patriots team is left out of the playoffs entirely.
Its absolutely ridiculous that an 8-8 Chargers team gets a home game against a 12-4 Indianapolis Colts team who beat them during the season, and an 11-5 Patriots team is left out of the playoffs entirely.
I agree it seems unfair when an 11-5 team,regardless of who it is, doesn't qualify for the playoffs. Yet an 8-8 team, regardless of who it is, does make it into the post season.
The thing though is everyone knows going in how its set up and largely agrees to the fairness of it. Some years you get really strong conferences that also produce strong divisons. The AFC East and South both had overall strong teams. Then you go out and look at the AFC West or NFC West. Sometimes it just falls that way but at least no one cherry picked teams years in advance to pad their schedule the way the NCAA does things.
The thing though is everyone knows going in how its set up and largely agrees to the fairness of it. Some years you get really strong conferences that also produce strong divisons. The AFC East and South both had overall strong teams. Then you go out and look at the AFC West or NFC West. Sometimes it just falls that way but at least no one cherry picked teams years in advance to pad their schedule the way the NCAA does things.
cabby, no system is perfect, but I'm not so sure that the NFL system is as bad off as you imply. San Diego will be MUCH tougher opponent for the Colts. The past two seasons SD is 2-1 against them. Plus, Rivers has had some very good stats against the Colts, resulting in a nice QB rating.
As for the Patriots, it does seem awkward that they are staying home, but in the end they can only blame themselves for not playing better within their division. The rest of their schedule they did win convincingly but... it wasn't exactly the strongest as thigns turned out this year.
As for the Patriots, it does seem awkward that they are staying home, but in the end they can only blame themselves for not playing better within their division. The rest of their schedule they did win convincingly but... it wasn't exactly the strongest as thigns turned out this year.
