NFC playoff picture

[Category 5o]

No one is saying you can't win in the playoffs - No one is saying you won't win. But if you think what your team is doing now is a harbinger of anything other than the likelihood you will make the playoffs you are sadly mistaken.

So your argument is that the Giants, Bears and Packers would be tougher opponents come playoff time because, what we are doing right now is not a barometer of what we will do in the playoffs?

I think I am starting to see your logic. Unfortunately it is failing. You can't possibly be trying to tell me that this season doesn't matter, but last seasons playoffs do?

 

[Bemular]

So your argument is that the Giants, Bears and Packers would be tougher opponents come playoff time because, what we are doing right now is not a barometer of what we will do in the playoffs?

I think I am starting to see your logic. Unfortunately it is failing. You can't possibly be trying to tell me that this season doesn't matter, but last seasons playoffs do?

You got some things correct, while others are not even close.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

That would be all fine and dandy to assume, but in this case you need to look at the totals for the defense. Why?

Dallas has turned the ball over 19 times, with a ton of those being in their own territory. Thus upping their PPG a large amount.

Any way you want to look at it they have given up more points than the 49ers. If you take away the 3 int's returned for TD's they still give an average of 20.4 points a game. If you want to get rid of all their points given up from a short field (in this case on their side of the 50) plus the returned TD's they still give up more than the 49ers defense at 17.4 a game.

Doing the same for the 49ers and they give up 11 points per game (10.2 if you count the return TD vs the Packers) So the argument of the Cowboys defense being in short fields holds no weight.

I went and looked at all the turnovers from each team and here is the results where the other team took over the ball

Cowboys:
vs NY: Int at their own 4 results in FG

vs Sea: Int at their own 46 results in Punt

vs TB: Int at their own 29 results in TD
Fumble at TB 19 results in Punt
Fumble at their own 41 results in Punt

vs Chi: Int returned from the 20 for a TD
Int at Chi 6 results in a Chi turnover
Int returned from the 50 for a TD
Int at their own 42 results in a Punt (end of blowout handoffs)

vs Bal: Int at Bal 20 results in a TD

vs Car: Fumble at Car 20 results in a TD

vs NY: Int at their own 27 results in FG
Int at their own 31 results in TD
Int at their own 13 results in FG
Int returned from the 34 for a TD
Int at NY 17 results in a Punt

49ers:
vs Det: Fumble on their own 26 results in FG

vs Min: Fumble at their own 43 results in Punt
Int at their own 44 results in Min turnover
Fumble at Min 42 results in the end of the game

vs Buf: Fumble on Buf 17 results in Buf turnover

vs NY: Int at their own 33 resulting in TD
Int at their own 12 resulting in FG
Int at their own 5 resulting in FG

vs Sea: Int at Sea 4 results in a Punt

 

[DoobieKeebler]

/stats

 

[rmilia1]

The bad part about the NFL IMO is also what makes it great as well. Teams that have great regukar seasons very rarely win the Super Bowl. I mean if you have a division wrapped up 3 weeks early and sit some guys ( like most teams do) and THEN get a week off and then get to go out and play a team that has usually won 3-4 games in a row then its tough to respond. Its no surprise or secret that our last few NFL champs have not had great regular seasons at all. Is it bad to have a team go 13-3 yet lose to a team that went 9-7 in the playoffs??? Depends on what you are looking for I guess. The NFL and MLB are probably the ONLY 2 sports where the best teams hardly ever win the title but it also makes their postseason that much more exciting.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

The bad part about the NFL IMO is also what makes it great as well. Teams that have great regukar seasons very rarely win the Super Bowl. I mean if you have a division wrapped up 3 weeks early and sit some guys ( like most teams do) and THEN get a week off and then get to go out and play a team that has usually won 3-4 games in a row then its tough to respond. Its no surprise or secret that our last few NFL champs have not had great regular seasons at all. Is it bad to have a team go 13-3 yet lose to a team that went 9-7 in the playoffs??? Depends on what you are looking for I guess. The NFL and MLB are probably the ONLY 2 sports where the best teams hardly ever win the title but it also makes their postseason that much more exciting.

It is what I hate about basketball. 99% of the time you already know the outcome of a series.

I think there are a few factors leading to the good teams losing. The first one is that there is a lot of parody in the NFL. Health is another big reason. A lot of teams have the injury bug but get healthy at the right time, while some teams who are good all year get the injury bug at the wrong time. I also think the teams that barely make the playoffs are a little bit more prepared. They have been fighting just to get in so it is like their playoffs started a few weeks early. Already they have nothing to lose because they are the lowest seed and all the pressure is on the top seeds, but they are used to the situation of "no tomorrow" since they have been there for a while already.

 

[clyde_carbon]

The bad part about the NFL IMO is also what makes it great as well. Teams that have great regukar seasons very rarely win the Super Bowl. I mean if you have a division wrapped up 3 weeks early and sit some guys ( like most teams do) and THEN get a week off and then get to go out and play a team that has usually won 3-4 games in a row then its tough to respond. Its no surprise or secret that our last few NFL champs have not had great regular seasons at all. Is it bad to have a team go 13-3 yet lose to a team that went 9-7 in the playoffs??? Depends on what you are looking for I guess. The NFL and MLB are probably the ONLY 2 sports where the best teams hardly ever win the title but it also makes their postseason that much more exciting.

Except for the fact that the best teams DO win the title.

 

[rmilia1]

Except for the fact that the best teams DO win the title.

Nah thats not true. The team playing the best wins the title, that doesnt make them the best team on the year. I think the playoffs are too open in the NFL. I think the divison winners and 1 wild card team would be fine but its all about the money so that will NEVER happen

 

[clyde_carbon]

Nah thats not true. The team playing the best wins the title, that doesnt make them the best team on the year. I think the playoffs are too open in the NFL. I think the divison winners and 1 wild card team would be fine but its all about the money so that will NEVER happen

That doesn't make any sense. What constitutes "best of the year"? All the regular season is for is for positioning in the playoffs, not to determine who the best team is.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

That doesn't make any sense. What constitutes "best of the year"? All the regular season is for is for positioning in the playoffs, not to determine who the best team is.

It was the same thing being said when the Giants beat the Phillies a coupe years ago in the NLCS. Everyone was saying that the best team didn't win and that the regular season is a bigger sample size yada yada yada. But if you asked any athlete (aside from College football) if they would rather be the "best team" or win the championship, it would be 100% for winning it all. Th best team is the last team standing.

 

[deep9er]

That doesn't make any sense. What constitutes "best of the year"? All the regular season is for is for positioning in the playoffs, not to determine who the best team is.

see if replacing "best" with "better" works?

the regular SEASON is to determine who are the better teams. yes, thats why teams get in position to enter the play-offs, and the others don't.

the play-off games are won by the team playing better.

 

[clyde_carbon]

It was the same thing being said when the Giants beat the Phillies a coupe years ago in the NLCS. Everyone was saying that the best team didn't win and that the regular season is a bigger sample size yada yada yada. But if you asked any athlete (aside from College football) if they would rather be the "best team" or win the championship, it would be 100% for winning it all. Th best team is the last team standing.

It's even more ridiculous in Baseball. How can the Giants beat the Philly's best out of SEVEN and still people claim that Philly is better? Stupid.

Regular season success =/= best team.

 

[clyde_carbon]

see if replacing "best" with "better" works?

the regular SEASON is to determine who are the better teams. yes, thats why teams get in position to enter the play-offs, and the others don't.

the play-off games are won by the team playing better.

Yeah, that works. The regular is to determine who gets in the playoffs, not who the best team is. The post season is what determines who the best team is.

 

[rmilia1]

That doesn't make any sense. What constitutes "best of the year"? All the regular season is for is for positioning in the playoffs, not to determine who the best team is.

For sure but a 16 game sample is alot better than a 3 or 4 game sample for me to figure out who the best team was. I mean I get what you are saying but I just dont agree. The Giants were playing the best at year end last year but that doesnt mean they were the best team for the year. Thats like saying a team that goes 17-15 in the NCAA but then wins 6 in a row to win the NCAA basketball title was the best team. Clearly they werent, they just got hot at a good time. Im not saying its 100% wrong Im just saying that very often the team that proved themselves best on the whole year doesnt win the title. I didnt know anyone would even disagree with that thought?? I mean the Gioants were 7-7 and then won their last 6 games. That means that through 70% of the year they were simply average.

 

[rmilia1]

see if replacing "best" with "better" works?

the regular SEASON is to determine who are the better teams. yes, thats why teams get in position to enter the play-offs, and the others don't.

the play-off games are won by the team playing better.

I could go for that.

 

[clyde_carbon]

For sure but a 16 game sample is alot better than a 3 or 4 game sample for me to figure out who the best team was. I mean I get what you are saying but I just dont agree. The Giants were playing the best at year end last year but that doesnt mean they were the best team for the year. Thats like saying a team that goes 17-15 in the NCAA but then wins 6 in a row to win the NCAA basketball title was the best team. Clearly they werent, they just got hot at a good time. Im not saying its 100% wrong Im just saying that very often the team that proved themselves best on the whole year doesnt win the title. I didnt know anyone would even disagree with that thought?? I mean the Gioants were 7-7 and then won their last 6 games. That means that through 70% of the year they were simply average.

But that 16 game regular season stretch is more watered down than the 3 or 4 game playoff stretch. You're playing against worse teams. You're playing against teams that are not necessarily using all the tricks up theirs sleeves. You're playing against teams that might be out of it, or might have locked it up. Or sometimes teams that don't have as much intensity as they would in the playoffs.

I don't think the regular season proves who the best is at all. I think it shows the upper echelon of the league, but not necessarily "the best".

 

[tallglassofwater007]

But that 16 game regular season stretch is more watered down than the 3 or 4 game playoff stretch. You're playing against worse teams. You're playing against teams that are not necessarily using all the tricks up theirs sleeves. You're playing against teams that might be out of it, or might have locked it up. Or sometimes teams that don't have as much intensity as they would in the playoffs.

I don't think the regular season proves who the best is at all. I think it shows the upper echelon of the league, but not necessarily "the best".

This is exactly right. Look at the NFC West last year and the NFC South this year. There are some pretty bad teams and that is about half the schedule right there. When you hit the playoffs you are playing against only the best teams. The season is basically a filtering process until the playoffs which then filters out the best team.

 

[SRPnVA]

You're not gonna win any awards blowing out KC or Buffalo during the reg season. There's only above average teams in the playoffs. Also, the NFC south isn't the best division to prepare for the defenses you'll see in the postseason.

 

[MHSL82]

WK 6 Can't-Miss Play: Douglas' heads-up catch - NFL Videos

 

[Category 5o]

I knew I was right in predicting that the bears were overrated and you should not fear them. They have beat NOBODY this season and lost to all the good teams they played.