American Football: Playoff Predictions

Toejam is right again.

Eagles defense mauls the Falcons. Adios dome team.

Pats in a tough, brutally physical game against Steeltown.

When the Pats lost to Miami, is anyone forgetting that the Pats had won something like 22 straight games! Did you guys seriously think they would never lose again.

A loss had to come sooner or later. Had it come against a tough team, Ming would have concern. It did not. It came aagainst one of the weakest teams in the league. Ergo, airheads, that loss was nothing but a minor laspe or letdown, a football brain hiccup if you will, after an incredible run. The whipping of the Colts showed that when it counts, playyoff time, the Pats are the best.

Originally posted by MingMercil
When the Pats lost to Miami, is anyone forgetting that the Pats had won something like 22 straight games! Did you guys seriously think they would never lose again.

A loss had to come sooner or later. Had it come against a tough team, Ming would have concern. It did not. It came aagainst one of the weakest teams in the league. Ergo, airheads, that loss was nothing but a minor laspe or letdown, a football brain hiccup if you will, after an incredible run. The whipping of the Colts showed that when it counts, playyoff time, the Pats are the best.

Ming my man, are you forgetting that they first lost to the dreaded Steelers? Or didn't that count, since Dillon wasn't there?

I'm going with the Falcons and the Pats this weekend.

As my last two avatars lost (Tomlinson, Culpepper), I'm going for the hat trick with Donovan.

There's not a possibility of snow here in Philly this weekend, it's coming and it could come big. We're supposed to get a minimum of 6" and if things go a certain way it could turn into a Nor'easter and could be 16+ inches. Pittsburgh is only 5 hours west so it wont be much different there. The weather should have a huge impact regardless of which storm we get, it will certainly make for good football. Take the unders.

Unders hrmmm yep...

If its bad snow i guess Vick won't be so mobile?

PA & Toe are on board. Fine. Excellent analyses by both. All you others pay attention. They speak the truth, as does Ming.

Now, Gibbsy. Are you saying that a Patriot team without Corey Dillon against the Steelers is the same as a Patriot team with Corey Dillon against the Steelers. My God Man! Come to your senses!

Originally posted by MingMercil
PA & Toe are on board. Fine. Excellent analyses by both. All you others pay attention. They speak the truth, as does Ming.

Now, Gibbsy. Are you saying that a Patriot team without Corey Dillon against the Steelers is the same as a Patriot team with Corey Dillon against the Steelers. My God Man! Come to your senses!

essentially the same arguement as the weather, my friend...

Major winter storm expected to pass before AFC, NFC title games

By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer
January 21, 2005
They'll be throwing snowballs instead of footballs this weekend in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but a major winter storm projected to dump as much as a foot of snow on both cities should pass in time for Sunday's two NFL conference championship games.

The storm caused the New England Patriots to fly to Pittsburgh a day ahead of schedule Friday night to avoid expected travel delays Saturday. The Patriots will miss a scheduled walkthrough, but coach Bill Belichick said they also skipped it before last weekend's home game against the Colts.

Philadelphia could get the worst of the snowstorm, which is predicted to start early Saturday morning in western Pennsylvania and gradually spread across the state. The National Weather Service predicts 4 to 8 inches in both cities, but State College, Pa.-based Accuweather is calling for 6 to 12 inches in Pittsburgh and as much or more with blizzard-like conditions in Philadelphia.


Once the snow clears out, a gametime temperature of 18 with a minus-7 wind chill factor is predicted for the late afternoon Falcons-Eagles NFC championship game in frigid Philadelphia. Forecasters are calling for 16-degree temperatures and a wind chill around 10 for the early evening Patriots-Steelers AFC championship game in Pittsbur-r-r-r-gh.

And there's no dome in sight in either Pennsylvania city, where the cold weather is nothing out of the ordinary for late January and fans are accustomed to dealing with the unpredictable elements.

``It's evident it's one of our advantages,'' Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell said. ``That's why we don't have a dome stadium.''

The Falcons do as the only one of the four conference finalists not from a cold-weather city. But they're downplaying the weather factor, saying it hardly makes a difference once the game begins.

``It doesn't matter to us -- rain, snow, sleet,'' Falcons coach Jim Mora said. ``You just go play. We're not a team that worries about those things. We don't have room in our brains for that type of stuff.''

Crews at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field and Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field are expected to work around the clock to clear snow and ice from the grandstands and parking lots once the storm begins. Both playing fields will be covered.

``The weather, we're a little concerned about that,'' Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said. ``Saturday could be a little bit bad, but I think it's going to be fine (Sunday). Both teams are cold-weather teams anyway. The field will be in excellent shape.''

The Patriots -- no surprise here -- have won 15 of their last 17 games in temperatures of 35 or below, while the Steelers -- no surprise here -- are 5-2 in the same kind of weather the last three seasons.

``If they were coming here from Miami, it might be different,'' but neither cold-weather team should have an edge, the Steelers' Alan Faneca said Friday.

The Patriots won one of the NFL's best-known bad-weather playoff games three years, beating Oakland in overtime in blizzard-type conditions -- the ``tuck rule'' game when the Patriots kept the ball on a late drive despite quarterback Tom Brady's apparent fumble.

Steelers rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will discard the glove he's been wearing on his passing hand if the field is wet. And Belichick said the weather does influence the pregame planning.

``I think you have to keep your eyes open and say, `Well, OK, if it is a terrible day out there, what are we going to do?''' Belichick said. ``We don't want to be putting in plays on Sunday afternoon.''

TJ, altough the stats offered are by no means complete, it sounds to Ming like the Pats have a lot more experience in cold weather games than Pittsburgh.

Ming says the bad weather helps NE. The snow has become their friend, their MO, part of their legacy as the ultimate survivors in really bad, snowy, cold weather.

If NE loses, Ming will not use the weather as an excuse.

Ming requests that all Steeltowners take the same pledge. Please make your pledges on this thread. Ming will be checking. Failure to do so may result in Ming-like sanctions against offending Steelheads.

Hear that zero tolerance policy for weather making excuses, O members of the Gibbsonian Institute?!

Steelers all the way, even with Dillon back the Pats are going to struggle with the run. I also like the Eagles to make it through.

SpeedF? BTW, You are incorrect.

How about about a pledge of a no weather excuse? Ming awaits your response.

[Edited on 1/22/05 by MingMercil]

Originally posted by MingMercil
SpeedF? BTW, You are incorrect.

How about about a pledge of a no weather excuse? Ming awaits your response.

[Edited on 1/22/05 by MingMercil]

I am not incorrect until the match has been played, same goes for you Mingo. We can only speculate as to the outcome. So until then put a sock in it.

The weather makes no difference to me one bit, that would be a lame excuse. It will be the same for both sides and the better team to adjust on the day will win.

Ming will prove you wrong Freaky one. You will learn the ways of Ming and become obedient - like so many others. Until Ming is proven wrong - the sock stays out of it.

Ming thanks you for the no excuse pledge. You are correct that it would be a lame excuse - but others have tried to use it and have only demeaned and humiliated themselves in doing so.

You are a brave one, O SpeedyF, to go against Ming. But Ming is amused, so it may be allowed for the time being.

However, should Ming be again proven right, you will be required to return and place yourself at the altar of Ming and hope that he grants you mercy.

[Edited on 1/22/05 by MingMercil]

Ming, why do you back away from the claim that Dillon not being available was the difference in the first meeting?

Silence, you Giblet Infidel! Ming backs away from no man and no thing!

Ming acknowledges that the absence of Dillon was a major factor in the NE loss at Pittsburgh. But it was only one of many factors.

The remaining factors are beyond the ken of most mortals. But mull over these: That was the 1st game Ty Law went out with an injury. At that point the Pats had not put together a package to compensate for his loss. A quick look at their record thereafter shows that they did a decent job compensating for his absence.

Matt Light was injured and they had to switch positions with a number of players. Matt's back.

These are not excuses. They are facts. Many of the reasons the Pats lost to the Steelers no longer will exist tomorrow.

Many said that NE could not stop the Colts/Manning's passing game. That it was unstoppable. No one had stopped it yet, so how could the Ty Law-less Pats do it. They did and in convincing fashion.

Ming does not believe that Coach Bill (and that's Belichek not Cowher) will be able to be beaten by them 2x in a row. Cowher playoff record stinks - and he dodged a bullet with the Jets. Don't think Vinateri & Weis will be as charitable.

Need any more reasons why the Pats will win Tyranno-Gibbosaurus Rex, or is that enough?

Dude, they are still lame excuses, no matter how you try to dress them up...

Gibblet, Ming begs to differ.

An excuse is an attempt to explain what you should have done, what you were fully capable of doing, but for whatever inexplicable reason, did not do.

For example, if Tom Brady had gone down in the 1st Qtr of a game and NE lost, Ming would say that was the reason they lost, if they did. Do you not see the difference?

If it was muddy and NE lost and Ming said "Oh, no fair, the field was muddy. That is why they lost." That would be an excuse. You know like you tried to make for the destruction of Colts last week be due to the weather. The field would be equally muddy for both teams and neither achieves an unusual or decided advantage over the other. Understand?

No Corey Dillon? Reason, not excuse.
Ben is a rookie? Excuse, not Reason.
Vrabel has a cold? Excuse, not reason.
Ben's has a bad thumb? Reason, not excuse.
Cowher is an idiot, Sgt. Slaughter? Reason - Reason - Reason.

Get it? Now go and rest your brain for one hell of a football game.

Originally posted by MingMercil
Gibblet, Ming begs to differ.

An excuse is an attempt to explain what you should have done, what you were fully capable of doing, but for whatever inexplicable reason, did not do.

For example, if Tom Brady had gone down in the 1st Qtr of a game and NE lost, Ming would say that was the reason they lost, if they did. Do you not see the difference?

If it was muddy and NE lost and Ming said "Oh, no fair, the field was muddy. That is why they lost." That would be an excuse. You know like you tried to make for the destruction of Colts last week be due to the weather. The field would be equally muddy for both teams and neither achieves an unusual or decided advantage over the other. Understand?

No Corey Dillon? Reason, not excuse.
Ben is a rookie? Excuse, not Reason.
Vrabel has a cold? Excuse, not reason.
Ben's has a bad thumb? Reason, not excuse.
Cowher is an idiot, Sgt. Slaughter? Reason - Reason - Reason.

Get it? Now go and rest your brain for one hell of a football game.

Blah, blah blah. For a team that expouses the use of the word "team", a missing part (Dillon) is an excuse, by your own definition...

But, Thee will be 2 great games played today.

"Thee will be" What does that mean? Did you make an error? Does this mean you do not know your a** from a hole in the dirt?

What's the matter Gibbsy - you can dish it out - but you sure can't take it.

If todays games are going to be as good as the bickering in this thread its going to be one hell of a day!!!

Originally posted by MingMercil
What's the matter Gibbsy - you can dish it out - but you sure can't take it.

That appears to be your issue, dude.