2025-2026 NFL Season Thread

[crystal_sun]

yep, all the talk is about Patriot vs. Giants in the Super Bowl.

Let's face it, SF and Baltimore do not get any respect or credit. More reason for them to prove the nation wrong Maybe...just maybe we'll see a brother vs. brother coach ever in a Super Bowl

I don't want to see another Manning vs. Brady.... give other team some fame right?

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Honestly? Joe Flacco and Alex Smith don't belong this far into the play-offs and I think BOTH of them will prove it next weekend. Eli Manning and Tom Brady are easily the class of the QBs that are left.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by crystal_sun

yep, all the talk is about Patriot vs. Giants in the Super Bowl.

Let's face it, SF and Baltimore do not get any respect or credit. More reason for them to prove the nation wrong Maybe...just maybe we'll see a brother vs. brother coach ever in a Super Bowl

I actually wouldn't mind seeing the 49ers face the Patriots in the Super Bowl so Tom Brady can show Alex Smith what a real QB that wins championships looks like.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Peyton got it done ONCE in the play-offs, 2006 and a lot(like me) would argue that if the Bears had had a QB worth anything in that Super Bowl, Manning would still be ringless and the Bears would have 2 Lombardis.

And it took a monumental comeback for Peyton just to get past the Patriots in the 2006 AFC title game. Colts trailed big for a good part of the game before pulling out a narrow 38-34 win in Indy. And ya, the Bears had a really good team that year. Terrific defense. Too bad Rex Grossman threw that Super Bowl away.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I looked up the Manning brothers playoff records.

Peyton Manning: 9-10 record
Eli Manning: 6-3 record

Pretty astounding really. And you can't really say Eli's record is better because he played on better teams. It's just not true. The two years Eli took his team deep into the playoffs - 2007 and 2011 the Giants regular season record was a mediocre 10-6 and 9-7. Peyton has been on countless 12+ win teams, but never gets the job done in the playoffs.

This is the world we live in huh. Forget all the 12+ regular season wins just because of playoff losses. Meanwhile, Eli's record looks nice and tidy because his team misses the playoffs so often.

And what, Peyton's 2009 playoff run means nothing either? Or the fact he had a decent drive last year to help give his team the lead late before Caldwell called that timeout to help the Jets draw up a play.

Peyton last four Playoff games: 7-2 TD-INT 68% completion 100.59 QB rating. But it's all his fault right?

[ChadFL]

NFL drew some monster Saturday ratings in spite of the Pats-Broncos blowout.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...-years/116549/

Despite Blowout, Broncos-Patriots Is Highest-Rated Primetime Divisional Playoff in 11 Years

THE NFL ON CBS’s broadcast of the AFC Divisional Playoff game featuring the New England Patriots’ 45-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday, Jan. 14 (8:15-11:30 PM, ET) scored an average overnight household rating/share of 20.6/34.

Yesterday’s 20.6/34 for the Patriots-Broncos game was the highest rating for an NFL Divisional playoff game in prime time on any network in the metered markets in 11 years.

Last night’s 20.6/35 was the second-highest AFC Divisional playoff game in 18 years (23.9/51; Los Angeles Raiders-Buffalo; NBC; 12:30-3:45 PM, ET; 1/15/94).

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by Hatter

This is the world we live in huh. Forget all the 12+ regular season wins just because of playoff losses. Meanwhile, Eli's record looks nice and tody because his team misses the playoffs so often.

And what, Peyton's 2009 playoff run means nothing either? Or the fact he had a decent drive last year to help give his team the lead late before Caldwell called that timeout to help the Jets draw up a play.

Yes, that's the world we live in. The regular season is just a tune-up for the post-season. My guess is a decade from now everyone will remember who wins the Super Bowl this year and almost nobody will remember the Packers had a near-undefeated 15-1 regular season.

There's no doubt historically Peyton will be viewed as the better QB than Eli, by a wide margin. I'm just saying having a 141-67 regular season record as a starting QB and a 9-10 record in the playoffs kinda says something.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

Yes, that's the world we live in. The regular season is just a tune-up for the post-season. My guess is a decade from now everyone will remember who wins the Super Bowl this year and almost nobody will remember the Packers had a near-undefeated 15-1 regular season.

There's no doubt historically Peyton will be viewed as the better QB than Eli, by a wide margin. I'm just saying having a 141-67 regular season record as a starting QB and a 9-10 record in the playoffs kinda says something.

That his team doesn't play defense? If you look at his 2006 super bowl win, he wasn't very impressive for most of the playoffs. Meanwhile when he has to do it all himself, he loses. Hey, kind of like Brady after his defense was dismantled.

Maybe we should say Brees chokes while we're at it. Same deal, no defense, 5-4 record. Forget the three straight 400 yard postseason games which is two records. Total 400 yard games and consecutive 400 yard games.

[Konfusion1230]

Originally Posted by tylerdurden10

While I won't flat out pick a winner next week yet, I think alot of Pats doubters are forgetting that the Pats have owned the Ravens the last decade, that loss in the Playoffs a few years ago to them happened with a worse defense than they have now, no Wes Welker and no stud tight ends (Gronkowski & Hernandez)

Patriots are 2-1 against Ravens in the Flacco/Harbaugh era, with the 2 wins being by a total of 9 points. The 1 loss being the playoff loss by 19 points. All games in Foxborough.

I'll give you the fact that Wes Welker wasn't there and no tight ends, but they did have Randy Moss then, even if he may have been just a "decoy". Also, those Flacco stats aren't a typo, he really threw only 34 yards in that game while playing injured.

New England's defense was actually better in 2009. They are giving up about 90 more yards per game and a few more points this year.

[tylerdurden10]

Originally Posted by Konfusion1230

Patriots are 2-1 against Ravens in the Flacco/Harbaugh era, with the 2 wins being by a total of 9 points. The 1 loss being the playoff loss by 19 points. All games in Foxborough.

I'll give you the fact that Wes Welker wasn't there and no tight ends, but they did have Randy Moss then, even if he may have been just a "decoy". Also, those Flacco stats aren't a typo, he really threw only 34 yards in that game while playing injured.

New England's defense was actually better in 2009. They are giving up about 90 more yards per game and a few more points this year.

Having watched every Pats game the last 12 years, trust me that defense was worse regardless of what the numbers say! lol

[Tony208]

Packers first 15-1 team to go one and done
that sucks, I hoped they'd at least get to championship game

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Tony208

Packers first 15-1 team to go one and done
that sucks, I hoped they'd at least get to championship game

Well then like the 2007 Patriots they made history, just not the kind they wanted to make.

[crystal_sun]

Rain shower is schedule in San Francisco Wednesday and onward....even through Sunday.

Not sure who has the advantage there...the field is going to be ugly...

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Peyton got it done ONCE in the play-offs, 2006 and a lot(like me) would argue that if the Bears had had a QB worth anything in that Super Bowl, Manning would still be ringless and the Bears would have 2 Lombardis.

I'm glad you went in like this. Manning was below average with more INTs than TDs in those playoffs. That Colt Super Bowl run in 06 was one of the more weaker runs in recent playoff history. They played some of the worst offenses during those playoffs. They beat the Chiefs in the 1st round who had an over the hill Trent Green at QB and a one dimensional offense with Larry Johnson. Then beat Baltimore in the divisional round , again with a past his prime QB in McNair and a one dimensional offense with Jamal Lewis. Then the Pats in the AFC Champ. Game. This is pre-Moss, Welker when the receivers were Jabar Gafney and Reche Caldwell and the Pats still put up 30 + points. They missed having to go to San Diego who owned them at the time because the Pats upset them in the divisional round Then the Super Bowl with Grossman. I don't think there is any need for explaining that.

Yeah obviously they won it and earned it but I can't think of a more weaker set of opponents to win the Super Bowl than the Colts had in that playoffs.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by crystal_sun

Rain shower is schedule in San Francisco Wednesday and onward....even through Sunday.

Not sure who has the advantage there...the field is going to be ugly...

Probably the Giants, Alex Smith IS the lesser QB, one nice game in the play-offs doesn't change that. Giants are from NY too, they're a lot more used to inclement weather, edge NY.

[Tony208]

I'm taking the Giants offense to make more mistakes than the 49ers offense.

Alex Smith has not been turning the ball over, he used to be a pick machine. I think he's turned the corner this season and he shed the game manager label vs the Saints.

Flacco or Rice will have to step up big time. In that 09 game, the Patriots didn't have Welker, Gronk, or Hernandez. The two tight ends weren't even drafted yet.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Hatter

This is the world we live in huh. Forget all the 12+ regular season wins just because of playoff losses. Meanwhile, Eli's record looks nice and tidy because his team misses the playoffs so often.

Freak catch, and again monster defense and Eli prospers when is he going to carry the entire team.

Oh and he still got whipped by the Redskins twice

[iam1bearcat]

I worry for the Ravens. Don't you forget for a second that the Ravens dominated the Patriots in the wildcard round 2 years ago (or was that last year...). If you don't think Belichick and Brady aren't gonna wanna get revenge for that you're crazy. Belichick always schemes well when he wants revenge

[SleeperAgent]

I think regardless of the outcome this week, Brady will be hurting if he makes it to the Super Bowl. Chuck Pagano will be sending everything after him Sunday. I would love to see 2-3 sacks by Suggs.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by SleeperAgent

I think regardless of the outcome this week, Brady will be hurting if he makes it to the Super Bowl. Chuck Pagano will be sending everything after him Sunday. I would love to see 2-3 sacks by Suggs.

I was shocked at how little Suggs did this week, if he doesn't show up again this week (and with Reed possibly banged up) it could get bad.

[dfinch]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Probably the Giants, Alex Smith IS the lesser QB, one nice game in the play-offs doesn't change that. Giants are from NY too, they're a lot more used to inclement weather, edge NY.

Although both teams will be affected, the edge here would EASILY belongs to the 49ers. Would it not be fair to say that the Giants are more dependent of their pass game than the 49ers? Rain makes it harder to throw tight spirals. And vision is another problem as rain makes it harder for receivers to spot the ball down field. Also, if the field gets really sloppy, Bradshaw will not be as efficient as he usually is.