2025-2026 NFL Season Thread

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Hatter

This win improves my weekend to 3-1. 6-2 overall to secure a winning record.

Next week:

Giants over 49ers
Patriots over Ravens

These are my picks as well..... the fact that they are "popular picks" doesn't change my opinion

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.

Brady will tear them apart with the quick-outlet receivers (TE's) so there is no way they can Blitz very often, or they'll keep getting burned.

[SleeperAgent]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

These are my picks as well..... the fact that they are "popular picks" doesn't change my opinion



Brady will tear them apart with the quick-outlet receivers (TE's) so there is no way they can Blitz very often, or they'll keep getting burned.

Knowing Brady he will go for one of those deep strikes more often than not, and that's when Ed Reed will be there. The Ravens have all the tools to win this game, now it's just up to Cam Cameron to RUN THE FRAKKIN BALL! Ray Rice ran over the Pats the last time they met in the post season in Foxborough, and he'll do it again given the chance. The Pats defense is a joke.

But knowing Cam Cameron, he'll be first down throw, second down throw, 3 and long NOW WE RUN. If the Ravens don't win the super bowl that guy needs to go.

[Blu-Benny]

the world doesn't seem quite as bright this morning.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

the world doesn't seem quite as bright this morning.

Maybe a discount double check would cheer you up

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Maybe a discount double check would cheer you up

that was the lone bright spot yeseterday....i hadn't seen the matthews commercial yet and i laughed my ass off when it came on.

"what's up dude??"

[steve1971]

First I want to say how sorry I feel for the Packer nation. The Giants came in on a roll and left that way leaving the Packers wondering "what just happened?". Just goes to show that no matter how good you may be in the regular season and you may have a first round by and home feild advantage but it dont mean squat in the playoffs. Packers one and done. My picks for next weekend:

49ers over the Giants. The Niners just seem to have that mojo and will win.

The Patriots over the Ravens. A few of the Raven players are already talkin smack about Brady and the Pats. Well if I were the Ravens I wouldnt give Tom Brady anymore motivation then he already has because we all saw what happened to Denver and Tim Tebow. Brady and the Pats have something to prove. It will be a close game and a dog fight in New England but in the end it will be Brady and the Pats moving onto the big game and winning it.

[wilky61]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

that was the lone bright spot yeseterday....i hadn't seen the matthews commercial yet and i laughed my ass off when it came on.

"what's up dude??"

Hahaha me too!

"He plays football... professionally."

[Blu-Benny]

the way i look @ it....w/rodgers losing in the 1st game, that's happened to manning (peyton) in the past, and i'm almost positive that's happened to brady as well (correct me if i'm wrong, but it happened last year didn't it??).

so it's nothing new to have the #1 seed knocked out right off the bat.

i'd fully expect that to drive rodgers into being that much more prepared come next season.

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

i'd fully expect that to drive rodgers into being that much more prepared come next season.

Hopefully it drives the Defense even more...

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Chordata

Hopefully it drives the Defense even more...

Rodgers is the new Peyton, he can carry an entire side of the ball, just not both sides

[wilky61]

It's refreshing that, in a (historically unprecedented) season characterized by dominant offenses and a disregard for defenses, three of the four teams remaining play smashmouth defense. I expect the mastermind Bellicek will be able to rally the troops before next Sunday's game, though, and I think that game will not reach the over/under. Another thing I'm looking out for is the 49ers special teams unit; in a close game, that was one area in which they owned the Saints.

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by wilky61

It's refreshing that, in a (historically unprecedented) season characterized by dominant offenses and a disregard for defenses, three of the four teams remaining play smashmouth defense. I expect the mastermind Bellicek will be able to rally the troops before next Sunday's game, though, and I think that game will not reach the over/under. Another thing I'm looking out for is the 49ers special teams unit; in a close game, that was one area in which they owned the Saints.

Yeah some former Giants LB was on Mike&Mike this morning and he had a great line I hadn't heard before: Offenses win games, Defenses win championships. (Of course I'd heard the latter part before).

[wilky61]

Originally Posted by Chordata

Yeah some former Giants LB was on Mike&Mike this morning and he had a great line I hadn't heard before: Offenses win games, Defenses win championships. (Of course I'd heard the latter part before).

All I know is turnovers lose games.

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by wilky61

All I know is turnovers lose games.

You're sure right about that.

[Hatter]

Brees, Peyton, Marino. Probably the three best pure passers of alltime with average postseason sucess despite solid postseason numbers

Brees Playoffs:

9 Games: 5-4 Record 67% completion % 22-4 TD-INT 2980 Yards(331 per game) 104.17 QB Rating.

Peyton Playoffs:

19 games: 9-10 Record 63% completion % 29-19 TD-INT 5389 yards (283 yards per game) 88.4 QB Rating

Marino Playoffs:

18 games: 8-10 Record 56% completion 32-24 TD-INT 4510 yards (250 yards per game) 77 QB Rating

Can't really say these guys are choking or anything but don't have great records. Brees stats are off the charts and he's just one game above .500

Brady is 15-5 with a 62.8% completion % 4770 yards (238.5 per game) 36-17 TD-INT and 89.1 QB Rating

Roethlisberger 10-4 60.6 % 3150 yards (225 yards) 20-17 TD-INT 83.7 QB Rating

Roethlisberger gets all this extra hype because of his 10-4 record despite average play and missing the playoffs after superbowl wins. Brady stats back him up but they're not colossally better than Manning. Roethlisberger and Brady's teams were also far more complete than Manning's and Brees for most of his wins. Brees deserves far better than his 5-4 record.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Chordata

Yeah some former Giants LB was on Mike&Mike this morning and he had a great line I hadn't heard before: Offenses win games, Defenses win championships. (Of course I'd heard the latter part before).

I was looking over the last 9 Super Bowl champions and for the most part it's definitely true that defense wins championships. In that time 7 of the 9 winners had top 10 defenses, with only the 2009 Saints (25th in total defense) and 2006 Colts (21st in total defense) outside the top 10. This year's championship matchups feature polar opposites when it comes to defense, with the 49ers 4th ranked defense against the Giants 21st ranked defense, and the Ravens 3rd ranked defense against the Patriots 31st ranked defense.

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

I was looking over the last 9 Super Bowl champions and for the most part it's definitely true that defense wins championships. In that time 7 of the 9 winners had top 10 defenses, with only the 2009 Saints (25th in total defense) and 2006 Colts (21st in total defense) outside the top 10. This year's championship matchups feature polar opposites when it comes to defense, with the 49ers 4th ranked defense against the Giants 21st ranked defense, and the Ravens 3rd ranked defense against the Patriots 31st ranked defense.

You have to say the Giants defense is playing far better than their 21st ranking now. Ditto with their 2007 superbowl win when they were ranked 17th in points allowed (7th in yards).

[Chordata]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

I was looking over the last 9 Super Bowl champions and for the most part it's definitely true that defense wins championships. In that time 7 of the 9 winners had top 10 defenses, with only the 2009 Saints (25th in total defense) and 2006 Colts (21st in total defense) outside the top 10. This year's championship matchups feature polar opposites when it comes to defense, with the 49ers 4th ranked defense against the Giants 21st ranked defense, and the Ravens 3rd ranked defense against the Patriots 31st ranked defense.

According to Mike&Mike, that 2009 Saints team is the lowest-rated championship defense of all-time.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

against the Patriots 31st ranked defense.

Didn't think I needed to say it , but they are right in the center with points given up per-game so that 31st is a little misleading.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by supersix4

Didn't think I needed to say it , but they are right in the center with points given up per-game so that 31st is a little misleading.

Yeah, I went on a little rant a couple weeks back because yards allowed is the stat that is used for total defense rather than points allowed. It's not surprising that the Packers and Patriots gave up the most yards because they were the 1st and 3rd highest scoring teams so teams were often throwing to try and keep pace or catch up to them, whereas a team like Jacksonville had the 6th ranked total defense in large part because teams often had big leads on them and therefore didn't need to pass much in the second half so they weren't racking up much yards.