With the NFL reaching its halfway point it has been a very eventful season so far and now we can certainly say that the playoff chase is underway! In most of the divisions there is still lots to play for so with nine weeks left lets take a look at how I think each division will end at the end of the season:
AFC East:
Despite an up and down start, performance wise, to the season the New England Patriots have managed to win 6 of their 8 games played so far this season. The win over Miami put them two games ahead of the second placed New York Jets and despite some key divisional matchups still to come the Patriots are my bet to win their fifth straight divisional title. On offense Tom Brady and co will improve in the second half of the campaign with Gronk back plus with Bill Belichick in charge of the team you know that even with a lot of young players and unfortunate injuries the Patriots always prepare well and on their day can beat anyone.
Miami are a game back at 3-4 while the Jets are 4-4 but New York are overachieving in many people's eyes so there chances of a playoff spot are still a long shot. Miami on the other hand has the talent to make a run at a wildcard spot but tomorrow night they face the in form Bengals who will provide a very tough challenge! As for the Bills well despite being not so far back at 3-5 they are still rebuilding and injuries haven't helped them so you can cross them off the list from performing any second half of the season dramatics!
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: New England Patriots 12-4
2nd: Miami Dolphins 8-8
3rd: New York Jets 6-10
4th: Buffalo Bills 5-11
I am going to be bold and stick with my AFC East predictions that I made in early September with the same records too.
AFC North:
The Bengals have taken the AFC by storm and have recorded impressive victories over the NFC teams like the Packers and Lions. They annihilated the Jets last week and came out on top in a tough game against the Patriots recently too so Cincinnati is proving to be a possible contender come the start of the playoffs Even if the Baltimore Ravens win their game in hand they will still be two behind the Bengals but in week 10 they face off in a game which will be critical to deciding who wins the division despite it still being early days and despite the fact that they meet again on the last day of the regular season.
At 6-2 and still improving I will definitely say that the Bengals win the division whilst the Steelers and Ravens try their best to at least make 8-8 to give them a chance at a wildcard spot. The Steelers have overcome early season struggles to rack up two wins before losing last week to leave them at 2-5; Big Ben has declared this week's game against the Patriots a must win but unfortunately for them you can write them off for 2013. Like them the Browns have also had bad luck in terms of injuries with the 3-5 team looking for a revival under QB Brian Hoyer before he suffered a season ending injury. Defending Super Bowl champions Baltimore lack an identity and even if they make the postseason lady luck won't strike twice for the Ravens.
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: Cincinnati Bengals 11-5
2nd: Baltimore Ravens 8-8
3rd: Pittsburgh Steelers 6-10
4th: Cleveland Browns 4-12
AFC South:
Injuries have been the talk of the NFL in 2013 with many teams suffering critical losses but despite that burden being shared by the Colts they went out and traded for Trent Richardson to give quarterback Andrew Luck a real weapon in the running game. The importance of that trade will be magnified now that they have lost Reggie Wayne to a season ending injury but the Colts have looked very impressive as they are the team who ended the undefeated streaks of the Seahawks and Broncos respectively. To be at 5-2 after facing those two teams and including a victory over the 49ers is scary for their AFC counterparts to look at. Andrew Luck is really something special and you have to say that Indianapolis is a real Super Bowl contender.
With their schedule looking slightly easier for their remaining 9 games I'm betting on them to win the division and stamp their authority on the AFC South with a win over the depleted Texans on the road this weekend. The 2-5 Texans and 0-8 Jags can count their 2013 seasons as write offs while the 3-4 Tennessee Titans are my surprise prediction to make the postseason as they have a schedule which would suggest they could finish say 9-7 and sneak in to the playoffs despite the fact they have some trouble at the quarterback position and have to play the Colts twice (they also have to play the Jags twice so that cancels that out)
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: Indianapolis Colts 13-3
2nd: Tennessee Titans 9-7
3rd: Houston Texans 6-10
4th: Jacksonville Jaguars 2-14
AFC West:
The AFC West is definitely the most intriguing division in the AFC when you consider that the 8-0 Kansas City Chiefs and 7-1 Denver Broncos still have to play each other twice in two games which will essential be crucial in deciding the winners of this division as well as having massive playoff implications regarding seedings! The Chiefs have really brought in to Andy Reid's team spirit which has shown in recent close victories over the likes of Houston whilst on the other hand we have the Broncos who are entertaining to watch and put up high scores each week in entertaining games.
For me I think the bye week is the decider in this division as it has come at the perfect time for the Broncos who need to sort out their defensive weaknesses and ensure that Peyton Manning is healthy whereas the Chiefs get their bye after they face the Bills this week and then they will meet Denver at Mile High after it. The Chiefs will lose their momentum after the bye but still make the playoffs which ultimately is their goal. Personally I feel despite some impressive wins to date their second half of the schedule will hit them hard. I feel they will lose their last two games to Indianapolis and San Diego whilst Denver defeat Houston and Oakland despite them both being on the road. Denver wins the division, Kansas City comes in a close second and the Chargers led by a re-inspired Phillip Rivers return to the playoffs despite finishing 3rd in this division whilst the Raiders remain in obscurity.
Skye's end of season standings:
1st: Denver Broncos 13-3
2nd: Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
3rd: San Diego Chargers 9-7
4th: Oakland Raiders 5-11
Skye's AFC playoff picture:
1st seed: Indianapolis Colts 13-3 (thanks to their 39-33 over the Broncos they win the tiebreaker)
2nd seed: Denver Broncos 13-3
3rd seed: New England Patriots 12-4
4th seed: Cincinnati Bengals 11-5
5th seed: Kansas City Chiefs 12-4
6th seed: Tennessee Titans 9-7 (their week 3 win over San Diego 20-17 sees them sneak in to the playoffs)
So in my playoff picture the Colts have home field advantage whilst the Broncos join them in gaining a bye. This means that the wild card round would pit the Kansas City Chiefs on the road against the Bengals whilst the Titans would have it all to do when they visit Gillette Stadium to take on New England. That would give us a mouth watering divisional round and an AFC Championship game to remember. After my NFC predictions I will look at three potential playoff scenarios for both conferences!
Showing posts with label AFC East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AFC East. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Saturday, 7 September 2013
AFC East Preview
Since the turn of the millennium the New England Patriots have won 10 out of 13 AFC East titles. The Patriots are the team to beat and have dominated the division as well as the NFL in the early 2000's when they won three Super Bowls in four years; 2001, 2003 and 2004. In 2012 New England broke a tie with the Dolphins for most
division titles; The Patriots have won 15 division titles to Miami's 14 with the Bills on ten and the Jets on four.
To decide which team is the greatest threat to New England's throne in the AFC East is tough and we will preview all four teams by taking a look at the Patriots' chances along with how the Jets, Bills and Dolphins will do to see if anyone can topple them:
Buffalo Bills
When you think about unlucky sports teams look no further than the Buffalo Bills. The team lost 4 Super Bowls in a row in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993. To add further salt to their wounds the team currently has the longest playoff drought in the league as they have not appeared in the postseason since 1999. The doom and gloom has continued as the Bills also have the longest active streak of losing seasons as they have not finished .500 or better since 2004.
So how will the Bills perform in 2013? It is their first season under new head coach Doug Marrone and the Bills will start the new season with first round draft pick E.J. Manuel as the teams quarterback so to be honest their 2013 season will be based around his production. C.J. Spiller, Marquise Goodwin and T.J. Graham are all talented players on the Buffalo offense but it is going to be hard to have a successful season especially when their defense is getting a makeover as well.
Doug Marrone will entertain the fans with a fast run offense and their unpredictability may help them throughout the season but it is hard to see this team progressing further than 6-10 record wise. The Bills' main aim will be to keep Jarius Byrd on their roster as the pro bowl safety is being linked with a host of teams including divisional rivals the New England Patriots. Kyle Williams is probably the key player on the Buffalo defense as he has the versatility to play nose tackle and defensive tackle. On offense C.J. Spiller has the ability to win them close games but the question is how many of their games will be close enough for someone to step up and put W's in their column. 2013 is hard to predict for this franchise but their best hope will be to see a productive year out of E.J. Manuel and ensure they don't finish bottom of the AFC East for a 6th successive season.
Season prediction: 5-11. 4th in AFC East.
Miami Dolphins:
Head coach Joe Philbin was hired to in an attempt to revitalize the Dolphins and hopefully end a run of three consecutive losing seasons. Despite Dan Marino's best attempts Miami missed out on the signing of future hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning so instead turned to the draft where they picked up former Texas A&M man Ryan Tannehill has the 8th overall pick. Tannehill had a productive 2012 as he helped the Dolphins finish 2nd in the AFC East with a 7-9 and went on to set franchise rookie records for passing yards, attempts, and completions.
Tannehill was hurt by the team's poor offensive line with the rookie throwing 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions; it is natural to assume he will progress in 2013 but O-line issues are hard to ignore. Nevertheless the Dolphins were the biggest spenders in the 2013 off-season and regardless of some weaknesses they have improved their team on both sides of the ball although usually the big spenders don't perform too well once it actually comes to game time. Brian Hartline signed a new deal with Miami after coming of his best career season whilst the Dolphins added an explosive weapon to their offense when they signed former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Mike Wallace. Despite his talents Wallace will need time to make an impact as this team gels together and the same can be said for the defense as despite some very good acquisitions such as linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Phillip Wheeler they will need time to adjust and grow as a unit. Cornerback Brent Grimes was also a good signing for the Dolphins who joined on a one year contract.
So in 2013 the Dolphins have a chance to end their losing season woes but it will come down to if they can come out victorious in the close games a 2012 saw them lose narrowly against the Cardinals, Jets, Bills and Colts. If they can improve on their divisional matchups they would like to think they have a shot at being a wildcard team but record wise I personally feel they are set to finish at 8-8 and 2nd in the AFC East for the second year running.
Season prediction: 8-8. 2nd in AFC East.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady heads in to 2013 season without key members of a prolific offense from last year which broke the record for first downs in a season with 444 and finished third all-time in scoring, 557 points, just behind the 2011 Green Bay Packers and their own 2007 record setting season. Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, Danny Woodhead and Brandon Lloyd have all departed while Rob Gronkowski underwent a 3rd and 4th forearm surgery this off-season as well as back surgery so his return to the field could take up until week 6 and he looks doubtful for the season opener against the Bills tomorrow.
The Patriots offense now features many new additions with most of them being rookies but preseason alone showed that Brady seems to be making it work with the likes of Kenbrell Thompkins, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce and Zach Sudfeld. 2nd round pick Dobson has lots of potential are notably during his senior season at college he did no record a single drop from the 92 times he was targeted. Josh Boyce and Thompkins put up impressive numbers during preseason so they could be valuable assets whilst undrafted rookie Zach Sudfield who stands at 6'7 has the ability to be a Gronk 2.0. Speaking of 2.0's Danny Amendola was signed in favour of retaining Wes Welker's services and the Patriots will be hoping for similar results out of Amendola with both resilient along with being quick and mobile. Amendola is also a fellow Texas Tech product and after building up a good rapport with Tom Brady it is safe to say he should fit in to the Patriots' offensive system quickly. Brady has a knack for bringing the best out of his receivers which is a skill not many quarterbacks have and if he manages to produce great results out of this unknown group and win a 4th Super Bowl ring too he may certainly cement his place as the greatest QB to ever play the game. This is backed up by the fact that he holds the league record for most touchdown passes in the regular season with 50, has the most playoff wins in NFL history with 17, has the third highest career passer rating of all-time (96.6) and after breaking Joe Montana's playoff wins record also became the first NFL quarterback in history to guide his team to 10 divisional titles; With Joe Montana he's one of only two quarterbacks in history to win the regular season MVP and Super Bowl MVP as well as being one of only two QB's to lead their teams to 5 Super Bowls (3 wins) along with John Elway.
When you take the fact that this offense is led by head coach Bill Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady even when you throw an unknown group of players in with them if anything it is scarier for their opponents as without the players who departed they won't know what to expect which is what still makes the Patriots a genuine Super Bowl contender. Their running game is dangerous and will improve whereas New England's defense doesn't get enough credit for the fact that they have finished in the top 10 in points allowed for six of the past seven years. After drafting the likes of linebacker Jamie Collins in the second round from the 2013 draft and adding him to a young talented group of players that include the likes of Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower as well as defensive leaders Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes this could be one of the Patriots' most talented defensive groups in years. With Aqib Talib signing a new contract he will be a real asset in the secondary and help this underrated defense improve in an area where they have been pretty vulnerable for the past two seasons. MetLife stadium is the aim for many teams for the 2013 season but when you assess the New England Patriots it is clear to see that they are one of the frontrunners to represent the AFC at Super Bowl and clinch a fifth consecutive AFC East title.
Season prediction: 12-4. 1st in AFC East.
New York Jets
Despite a defense that ranked 8th overall in the league the New York Jets failed considerably on offense and fell from an 8-8 team in 2011 to 6-10 in 2012. Their 281 points scored was the third worst total in the league ranking them 30th and despite not improving adding any real game changers to the offense they did draft Geno Smith who entered the 2013 draft out of West Virginia hoping to go in the first round before falling to the Jets in 2nd. With a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove Smith will want to hold on to the starting job that he has gained after Mark Sanchez got hurt during preseason. For many Jets fans they would consider this a blessing in disguise, something Tim Tebow wasn't fortunate enough to receive, as now Smith will lead the team in their week one opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Although Rex Ryan may not be the best head coach he is a good defensive coordinator so the Jets know they can rely on good defense especially when Ryan can be more aggressive with his play-calling considering that their offense is usually so abysmal. Smith has nothing to lose as he takes over a low scoring offense which was being led by a guy who will probably be remembered for the 'butt fumble' wherever he goes for the rest of his life.
But that was in the past and Jets followers will feel their defense gives them a chance in 2013 which it does providing the likes of Quiton Coples, DeMario Davis and Sheldon Richardson step up to the plate. Everyone on that side of the ball must come up big especially after Darelle Revis left for Tampa Bay. Unfortunately for the Jets there isn't too much you can say without sounding harsh so to finish I shall say that providing Geno Smith stays on the field who knows what could happen but realistically Rex Ryan will need an 8-8 season to hold on to his job and that is what they'll achieve at best but in all honesty after owner Woody Johnson sacked their former general manager Mike Tannenbaum after the 2012 campaign he should have done the same to Ryan because only when you start from absolute scratch can you hope to rebuild towards a better future.
Season prediction: 6-10. 3rd in AFC East.
To decide which team is the greatest threat to New England's throne in the AFC East is tough and we will preview all four teams by taking a look at the Patriots' chances along with how the Jets, Bills and Dolphins will do to see if anyone can topple them:
Buffalo Bills
When you think about unlucky sports teams look no further than the Buffalo Bills. The team lost 4 Super Bowls in a row in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993. To add further salt to their wounds the team currently has the longest playoff drought in the league as they have not appeared in the postseason since 1999. The doom and gloom has continued as the Bills also have the longest active streak of losing seasons as they have not finished .500 or better since 2004.
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| CJ Spiller is one of the Bills top talents |
So how will the Bills perform in 2013? It is their first season under new head coach Doug Marrone and the Bills will start the new season with first round draft pick E.J. Manuel as the teams quarterback so to be honest their 2013 season will be based around his production. C.J. Spiller, Marquise Goodwin and T.J. Graham are all talented players on the Buffalo offense but it is going to be hard to have a successful season especially when their defense is getting a makeover as well.
Doug Marrone will entertain the fans with a fast run offense and their unpredictability may help them throughout the season but it is hard to see this team progressing further than 6-10 record wise. The Bills' main aim will be to keep Jarius Byrd on their roster as the pro bowl safety is being linked with a host of teams including divisional rivals the New England Patriots. Kyle Williams is probably the key player on the Buffalo defense as he has the versatility to play nose tackle and defensive tackle. On offense C.J. Spiller has the ability to win them close games but the question is how many of their games will be close enough for someone to step up and put W's in their column. 2013 is hard to predict for this franchise but their best hope will be to see a productive year out of E.J. Manuel and ensure they don't finish bottom of the AFC East for a 6th successive season.
Season prediction: 5-11. 4th in AFC East.
Miami Dolphins:
Head coach Joe Philbin was hired to in an attempt to revitalize the Dolphins and hopefully end a run of three consecutive losing seasons. Despite Dan Marino's best attempts Miami missed out on the signing of future hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning so instead turned to the draft where they picked up former Texas A&M man Ryan Tannehill has the 8th overall pick. Tannehill had a productive 2012 as he helped the Dolphins finish 2nd in the AFC East with a 7-9 and went on to set franchise rookie records for passing yards, attempts, and completions.
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| Will Tannehill & the Dolphins progress in 2013? |
Tannehill was hurt by the team's poor offensive line with the rookie throwing 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions; it is natural to assume he will progress in 2013 but O-line issues are hard to ignore. Nevertheless the Dolphins were the biggest spenders in the 2013 off-season and regardless of some weaknesses they have improved their team on both sides of the ball although usually the big spenders don't perform too well once it actually comes to game time. Brian Hartline signed a new deal with Miami after coming of his best career season whilst the Dolphins added an explosive weapon to their offense when they signed former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Mike Wallace. Despite his talents Wallace will need time to make an impact as this team gels together and the same can be said for the defense as despite some very good acquisitions such as linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Phillip Wheeler they will need time to adjust and grow as a unit. Cornerback Brent Grimes was also a good signing for the Dolphins who joined on a one year contract.
So in 2013 the Dolphins have a chance to end their losing season woes but it will come down to if they can come out victorious in the close games a 2012 saw them lose narrowly against the Cardinals, Jets, Bills and Colts. If they can improve on their divisional matchups they would like to think they have a shot at being a wildcard team but record wise I personally feel they are set to finish at 8-8 and 2nd in the AFC East for the second year running.
Season prediction: 8-8. 2nd in AFC East.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady heads in to 2013 season without key members of a prolific offense from last year which broke the record for first downs in a season with 444 and finished third all-time in scoring, 557 points, just behind the 2011 Green Bay Packers and their own 2007 record setting season. Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, Danny Woodhead and Brandon Lloyd have all departed while Rob Gronkowski underwent a 3rd and 4th forearm surgery this off-season as well as back surgery so his return to the field could take up until week 6 and he looks doubtful for the season opener against the Bills tomorrow.
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| Can Brady and Belichick guide the Pats to their 4th ring? |
The Patriots offense now features many new additions with most of them being rookies but preseason alone showed that Brady seems to be making it work with the likes of Kenbrell Thompkins, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce and Zach Sudfeld. 2nd round pick Dobson has lots of potential are notably during his senior season at college he did no record a single drop from the 92 times he was targeted. Josh Boyce and Thompkins put up impressive numbers during preseason so they could be valuable assets whilst undrafted rookie Zach Sudfield who stands at 6'7 has the ability to be a Gronk 2.0. Speaking of 2.0's Danny Amendola was signed in favour of retaining Wes Welker's services and the Patriots will be hoping for similar results out of Amendola with both resilient along with being quick and mobile. Amendola is also a fellow Texas Tech product and after building up a good rapport with Tom Brady it is safe to say he should fit in to the Patriots' offensive system quickly. Brady has a knack for bringing the best out of his receivers which is a skill not many quarterbacks have and if he manages to produce great results out of this unknown group and win a 4th Super Bowl ring too he may certainly cement his place as the greatest QB to ever play the game. This is backed up by the fact that he holds the league record for most touchdown passes in the regular season with 50, has the most playoff wins in NFL history with 17, has the third highest career passer rating of all-time (96.6) and after breaking Joe Montana's playoff wins record also became the first NFL quarterback in history to guide his team to 10 divisional titles; With Joe Montana he's one of only two quarterbacks in history to win the regular season MVP and Super Bowl MVP as well as being one of only two QB's to lead their teams to 5 Super Bowls (3 wins) along with John Elway.
When you take the fact that this offense is led by head coach Bill Belichick, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady even when you throw an unknown group of players in with them if anything it is scarier for their opponents as without the players who departed they won't know what to expect which is what still makes the Patriots a genuine Super Bowl contender. Their running game is dangerous and will improve whereas New England's defense doesn't get enough credit for the fact that they have finished in the top 10 in points allowed for six of the past seven years. After drafting the likes of linebacker Jamie Collins in the second round from the 2013 draft and adding him to a young talented group of players that include the likes of Chandler Jones, Dont'a Hightower as well as defensive leaders Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes this could be one of the Patriots' most talented defensive groups in years. With Aqib Talib signing a new contract he will be a real asset in the secondary and help this underrated defense improve in an area where they have been pretty vulnerable for the past two seasons. MetLife stadium is the aim for many teams for the 2013 season but when you assess the New England Patriots it is clear to see that they are one of the frontrunners to represent the AFC at Super Bowl and clinch a fifth consecutive AFC East title.
Season prediction: 12-4. 1st in AFC East.
New York Jets
Despite a defense that ranked 8th overall in the league the New York Jets failed considerably on offense and fell from an 8-8 team in 2011 to 6-10 in 2012. Their 281 points scored was the third worst total in the league ranking them 30th and despite not improving adding any real game changers to the offense they did draft Geno Smith who entered the 2013 draft out of West Virginia hoping to go in the first round before falling to the Jets in 2nd. With a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove Smith will want to hold on to the starting job that he has gained after Mark Sanchez got hurt during preseason. For many Jets fans they would consider this a blessing in disguise, something Tim Tebow wasn't fortunate enough to receive, as now Smith will lead the team in their week one opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Although Rex Ryan may not be the best head coach he is a good defensive coordinator so the Jets know they can rely on good defense especially when Ryan can be more aggressive with his play-calling considering that their offense is usually so abysmal. Smith has nothing to lose as he takes over a low scoring offense which was being led by a guy who will probably be remembered for the 'butt fumble' wherever he goes for the rest of his life.
But that was in the past and Jets followers will feel their defense gives them a chance in 2013 which it does providing the likes of Quiton Coples, DeMario Davis and Sheldon Richardson step up to the plate. Everyone on that side of the ball must come up big especially after Darelle Revis left for Tampa Bay. Unfortunately for the Jets there isn't too much you can say without sounding harsh so to finish I shall say that providing Geno Smith stays on the field who knows what could happen but realistically Rex Ryan will need an 8-8 season to hold on to his job and that is what they'll achieve at best but in all honesty after owner Woody Johnson sacked their former general manager Mike Tannenbaum after the 2012 campaign he should have done the same to Ryan because only when you start from absolute scratch can you hope to rebuild towards a better future.
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| FUMBLE! |
Season prediction: 6-10. 3rd in AFC East.
Friday, 7 December 2012
New England Patriots: A look ahead.
With a win over the Miami Dolphins in week 13 the New England Patriots clinched their fourth consecutive AFC East title. It may have been closer than they'd have liked but they got it done when it mattered with the team coming out with a 23-16 win at Sun Life stadium.
Their offense wasn't as explosive as usual but thanks to a good running game and a knack of knowing how to get it done the Patriots came out on top. Steven Ridley opened the scoring when he ran in to the end zone from 2 yards out for a touchdown; he racked up 71 rushing yards on the day from 19 carries.
Dan Carpenter kicked a field goal to cut the gap to four just before the second quarter. Tom Brady threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker to make it 14-3 and then a Gostkowski field goal put the Patriots up by 14. The Dolphins didn't make it easy for their opponents all day long and quarterback Ryan Tannehill ran in the end zone for a score just before the break leaving the score at 17-10 to New England.
A scoreless third quarter set up a nervy final one and with just over 8 minutes to go the Patriots were just 20-13 ahead. But that's when Tom Brady and all his experience came in to play. The Patriots ate up the clock by going on a seven-plus minute drive consisting of 16 plays which brought them all the way down to Miami's 20 and with the resulting field goal it was a two possession game with only 1:10 remaining on the clock.
The Dolphins got a field goal of their own with 31 seconds left to cut the gap to 7 points but failed with an onside kick and with the team using all its timeouts on New England's lengthy drive the game was over meaning that the Patriots won. The victory means they will end the regular season as division champions of the AFC East for the tenth time in 12 years.
For the record books it was a pretty good day for New England too, Tom Brady surpassed Joe Montana's record of 9 divisional titles by winning his 10th one as quarterback for the Patriots. By finishing the day with a touchdown pass Tom Brady also edged closer to Drew Brees' record for consecutive games for throwing a touchdown.
As well as that despite it not being his best day in comparison to his useful standards Tom Brady's statistics for the season are still astronomical as he has now thrown 3537 yards on the season for 28 touchdown passes and just 4 interceptions; the fourth interception came in this game and was the first time he had thrown a pick in 203 passing attempts. All of that means Brady's passer rating is at 102.6 with and with four games remaining he will only improve on these impressive numbers.
Wide receiver Wes Welker tied Jerry Rice’s NFL record by making at least 10 receptions for the 17th time. He had 12 catches for 103 yards and a score. The Brady and Welker combination is working well with the Patriots continuing to get it done on offense despite key injuries to the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman who broke his foot in the win over the Dolphins.
Edelman has become a versatile game changer on offense for the Patriots and will be missed but he and Gronkowski will return for the playoffs which is when the team will need them the most. For now Donte Stallworth has re-joined to help fill the gap at receiver and he will slot in to the system quickly after he previous spells in New England.
Aaron Hernandez has just returned from injury and Bradon Lloyd, whilst looking good, is still getting use to the offense so Brady and Welker are essential in keeping this offense ticking. The Patriots have the league's most prolific offense in terms of scoring and yardage. An added bonus for New England is that they have a strong running game too with Stevan Ridley being the primary runner on the team. He is having a very good season and has now rushed for 1,010 yards on the season with 9 scores as he establishes himself as one of the best up and coming backs in the NFL.
The running game was something the Patriots lacked last season when they just missed out on winning the Super Bowl but now that they have utilised it now they look set to replicate the success of the New England dynasty from the 00's which won 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons. Tom Brady knows how essential a good running game is in an offense and with the Patriots running the no huddle so well the suspense of whether they'll use the pass or the run as well as the possibility of screen plays to the likes of Danny Woodhead or using the play action once the passing game is opened up all of this is a migraine in the mind of any opposing defense.
With a devastating offense at one of the best quarterback's in the NFL's history at his disposal the New England Patriots are well equipped to make another run to the Super Bowl and compete for a championship. They'll need the likes of Gronkowski back come the playoffs but momentum is well and truly on New England's side as the victory over Miami was their six consecutive win in a row moving them on to 9-3. Bill Belichick's team know how to get it done when it reaches this time of year and since the 2010 season the Patriots are now a combined 20-0 in the second half of the regular season.
With the Ravens losing to the Steelers it left them tied at 9-3 with the Patriots and the Denver Broncos meaning that New England held the second seed going in to week 14. The Broncos beat the Raiders on Thursday Night Football meaning that they now have the second seed but with a matchup against the Ravens in week 15 it means that New England still has control of its own destiny as if they win their remaining games they will surely clinch a bye and progress straight to the divisional round of the playoffs.
The 9-3 Patriots next game is on Monday Night Football at home against the 11-1 Houston Texans who currently hold the first seed in the AFC. It is a matchup that will go a long way in deciding who makes the bye week from the conference as well as who can secure home field advantage. With a win the Patriots could be just a game behind the Texans with 3 to play. During that time Houston will have to take on divisional rivals the Colts and rookie quarterback Andrew Luck who has guided his team to an 8-4 record.
New England have a schedule that they feel they can finish strongly on, a win over the Texans will increase momentum their momentum going in to a week 15 heavyweight clash against the San Francisco 49ers before they finish off against the Jaguars and the Dolphins. With their defense improving dramatically over the last month the Patriots are really putting all the pieces together for a championship run; New England's defense is ranked 1st in turnovers in the AFC and after their huge Thanksgiving Day win over the Jets they had an impressive plus-24 turnover ratio.
If Bill Belichick's men can keep this up they will be one of the frontrunners to make it to New Orleans in February. The Texans have more pressure on them in this game as they are a healthy team who wants to put one over one of the league's best teams but they are not use to being the top dog and with the bye week and home field advantage now under pressure by the Broncos, Ravens and Patriots will they be able to hold on come the end of the regular season. The Patriots will go quietly about their business like they always do and know that a win over Houston on Monday could go a long way in helping the Patriots achieve those ambitions as they seek the fourth championship that keeps eluding them. Hopefully now Tom Brady and co has all the pieces in place to go on and lift the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 47.
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/
Their offense wasn't as explosive as usual but thanks to a good running game and a knack of knowing how to get it done the Patriots came out on top. Steven Ridley opened the scoring when he ran in to the end zone from 2 yards out for a touchdown; he racked up 71 rushing yards on the day from 19 carries.
Dan Carpenter kicked a field goal to cut the gap to four just before the second quarter. Tom Brady threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker to make it 14-3 and then a Gostkowski field goal put the Patriots up by 14. The Dolphins didn't make it easy for their opponents all day long and quarterback Ryan Tannehill ran in the end zone for a score just before the break leaving the score at 17-10 to New England.
A scoreless third quarter set up a nervy final one and with just over 8 minutes to go the Patriots were just 20-13 ahead. But that's when Tom Brady and all his experience came in to play. The Patriots ate up the clock by going on a seven-plus minute drive consisting of 16 plays which brought them all the way down to Miami's 20 and with the resulting field goal it was a two possession game with only 1:10 remaining on the clock.
The Dolphins got a field goal of their own with 31 seconds left to cut the gap to 7 points but failed with an onside kick and with the team using all its timeouts on New England's lengthy drive the game was over meaning that the Patriots won. The victory means they will end the regular season as division champions of the AFC East for the tenth time in 12 years.
For the record books it was a pretty good day for New England too, Tom Brady surpassed Joe Montana's record of 9 divisional titles by winning his 10th one as quarterback for the Patriots. By finishing the day with a touchdown pass Tom Brady also edged closer to Drew Brees' record for consecutive games for throwing a touchdown.
As well as that despite it not being his best day in comparison to his useful standards Tom Brady's statistics for the season are still astronomical as he has now thrown 3537 yards on the season for 28 touchdown passes and just 4 interceptions; the fourth interception came in this game and was the first time he had thrown a pick in 203 passing attempts. All of that means Brady's passer rating is at 102.6 with and with four games remaining he will only improve on these impressive numbers.
Wide receiver Wes Welker tied Jerry Rice’s NFL record by making at least 10 receptions for the 17th time. He had 12 catches for 103 yards and a score. The Brady and Welker combination is working well with the Patriots continuing to get it done on offense despite key injuries to the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman who broke his foot in the win over the Dolphins.
Edelman has become a versatile game changer on offense for the Patriots and will be missed but he and Gronkowski will return for the playoffs which is when the team will need them the most. For now Donte Stallworth has re-joined to help fill the gap at receiver and he will slot in to the system quickly after he previous spells in New England.
Aaron Hernandez has just returned from injury and Bradon Lloyd, whilst looking good, is still getting use to the offense so Brady and Welker are essential in keeping this offense ticking. The Patriots have the league's most prolific offense in terms of scoring and yardage. An added bonus for New England is that they have a strong running game too with Stevan Ridley being the primary runner on the team. He is having a very good season and has now rushed for 1,010 yards on the season with 9 scores as he establishes himself as one of the best up and coming backs in the NFL.
The running game was something the Patriots lacked last season when they just missed out on winning the Super Bowl but now that they have utilised it now they look set to replicate the success of the New England dynasty from the 00's which won 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons. Tom Brady knows how essential a good running game is in an offense and with the Patriots running the no huddle so well the suspense of whether they'll use the pass or the run as well as the possibility of screen plays to the likes of Danny Woodhead or using the play action once the passing game is opened up all of this is a migraine in the mind of any opposing defense.
With a devastating offense at one of the best quarterback's in the NFL's history at his disposal the New England Patriots are well equipped to make another run to the Super Bowl and compete for a championship. They'll need the likes of Gronkowski back come the playoffs but momentum is well and truly on New England's side as the victory over Miami was their six consecutive win in a row moving them on to 9-3. Bill Belichick's team know how to get it done when it reaches this time of year and since the 2010 season the Patriots are now a combined 20-0 in the second half of the regular season.
With the Ravens losing to the Steelers it left them tied at 9-3 with the Patriots and the Denver Broncos meaning that New England held the second seed going in to week 14. The Broncos beat the Raiders on Thursday Night Football meaning that they now have the second seed but with a matchup against the Ravens in week 15 it means that New England still has control of its own destiny as if they win their remaining games they will surely clinch a bye and progress straight to the divisional round of the playoffs.
The 9-3 Patriots next game is on Monday Night Football at home against the 11-1 Houston Texans who currently hold the first seed in the AFC. It is a matchup that will go a long way in deciding who makes the bye week from the conference as well as who can secure home field advantage. With a win the Patriots could be just a game behind the Texans with 3 to play. During that time Houston will have to take on divisional rivals the Colts and rookie quarterback Andrew Luck who has guided his team to an 8-4 record.
New England have a schedule that they feel they can finish strongly on, a win over the Texans will increase momentum their momentum going in to a week 15 heavyweight clash against the San Francisco 49ers before they finish off against the Jaguars and the Dolphins. With their defense improving dramatically over the last month the Patriots are really putting all the pieces together for a championship run; New England's defense is ranked 1st in turnovers in the AFC and after their huge Thanksgiving Day win over the Jets they had an impressive plus-24 turnover ratio.
If Bill Belichick's men can keep this up they will be one of the frontrunners to make it to New Orleans in February. The Texans have more pressure on them in this game as they are a healthy team who wants to put one over one of the league's best teams but they are not use to being the top dog and with the bye week and home field advantage now under pressure by the Broncos, Ravens and Patriots will they be able to hold on come the end of the regular season. The Patriots will go quietly about their business like they always do and know that a win over Houston on Monday could go a long way in helping the Patriots achieve those ambitions as they seek the fourth championship that keeps eluding them. Hopefully now Tom Brady and co has all the pieces in place to go on and lift the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl 47.
 |
| Tom Brady will look to stake his claim as the greatest ever by going on to win his 4th ring this season. |
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/
plus-24 turnover ratio
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/
plus-24 turnover ratio
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/
plus-24 turnover ratio
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2012/11/patriots-defensive-playmakers-are-finally-emerging-forcing-turnovers-when-team-needs-them-most/
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
NFL playoff picture: AFC
Week 12 brought us three exciting Thanksgiving Day games with plenty more thrills and spills when the rest of the league took to the field later on in the week. This week's games only muddied the AFC playoff picture. As for the NFC well Thursday Night Footballs sees the Saints and the Falcons go head to head in an NFC South clash which has playoff ramifications to go along with bragging rights. For now we are going to take a look at how things currently stand in the American Football Conference with an overview of each division and see who has the best chance of reaching the playoffs.
AFC current standings:
Divisional leaders:
The AFC's leaders are the Patriots, Ravens, Texans and Broncos. All of which are pretty much guaranteed a spot in the playoffs but they still have seeding to battle it out for with the top two seeds earning a bye week when the playoffs begin.
The Patriots currently hold the third seed with their win over the Broncos earlier in the season being the tie breaker but if the Broncos were to beat the Ravens when they meet up and in theory all three hold the same record then the tie break would get complicated as it was the Ravens who beat the Patriots earlier in the season.
As well as that the Patriots and the Texans still have a matchup against each other to worry about and both have divisional rivals hunting for wild card spots. These four teams will be the top four seeded teams come the end of the regular season but with potential tiebreaker chaos and some crunch games coming down the stretch it's anyone's call as to who will earn home field advantage as well as the byes.
The wildcard hunt:
In the South we have the Colts who still have to play the Texans twice. Indianapolis wants to confirm its place in the post-season as soon as possible and potentially if they put on a late run of wins they could dethrone the Texans in the South but a lot would need to go their way.
The East sees the Dolphins take on their divisional leaders twice when they face the Patriots in week 13 as Miami hopes to get back to .500. Their chances of reaching the post-season though are not as likely as the Colts especially as they'll lose the tiebreak to them if it comes down to it following their defeat to Indianapolis earlier in the season.
The other two AFC East teams are the Bills and Jets who are both 4-7 and would both appear to be out of the playoff picture. For the Bills all are in agreement but some believe the Jets could sneak in if they manage to win at least 4 of their next 5. The only way that is could even be a possibility is if Tebow time happens and he produces the god like form, no pun intended, that he did for Denver last season. So in other words, the Jets need miracle.
In the other two divisions all is very different as the West has no potential wildcard teams in the division. It is safe to say that the likes of the Chargers and the Raiders won't make a late surge as they've been shooting themselves in the foot all season. Meanwhile in the AFC North an injury to Steelers quarterback Big Roethlisberger shook the division up.
Pittsburgh looks mediocre without its franchise QB especially after the week 12 defeat to the Browns. Their rivals, the Bengals, have crept up to a 6-5 record to match the Steelers and look like they could snatch the final wildcard spot. With Pittsburgh facing the Ravens next potentially come the end of week 13 the Steelers will be out of the playoffs at that point in time.
Looking ahead
Steelers @ Ravens: This game is as crucial for Baltimore as it is for their rivals, whether Big Ben returns at quarterback or not for the Steelers it will be the Ravens who come out on top in this one as they hang on to the No. 2 seed for another week.
Patriots @ Dolphins: The Dolphins will give it their all but this mountain is probably too high for Miami. It has the potential to be close as even the Jets and the Bills have had games that have gone to the wire with New England this season but the Patriots know how to win games. With the Patriots currently on a streak of 5 wins in a row they're hitting their second half of the regular season form with both defense and offense taking care of the ball so they'll wrap up another win in week 13 and move on to 9-3.
Bengals @ Chargers: Some people have the Chargers down as a team who could still make a late sprint in to a wildcard spot but as most people know this San Diego team is no playoff squad. With the Bengals having to endure a rugged schedule in the next few weeks it makes this game even more of a must win if they are to have a shot at making the playoffs. Tough call but Cincinnati should edge it.
Buccaneers @ Broncos: Despite a setback last week this 6-5 Tampa Bay team could still make the post-season but they go on the road against Peyton Manning and co. A Denver win keeps their second-seed dreams alive and Peyton knows how to get a job done so no matter how close this potentially could be for the Broncos they'll win and go on to 9-3.
Colts @ Lions: With the madness going on in the NFC in regards to the playoff picture the Lions will be disappointed that their young talented team couldn't go from good to great this season. They may also be envious of Andrew Luck and the Colts who with a win would create significant clarity in the AFC playoff picture with the wildcard spot firmly in their grasp. Matthew Stafford and co are not going to go down without a fight though, with both young quarterback's knowing how to pull off a 4th quarter comeback I see this going down to a game winning drive by either one of the two; you heard it here first.
And looking even further ahead...
Come the end of the regular season all of the current leaders in the AFC will win their respective divisions. Personally I feel one of the Ravens or the Texans will lose their current bye week seeding but I'm going to try and let my head rule my heart over the following decision:
Seed 1: Houston Texans 14-2
Seed 2: New England Patriots 13-3
Seed 3: Denver Broncos 13-3
Seed 4: Baltimore Ravens 12-4
The Texans have played good football all year, they'll hold on to home advantage and the number one seed. They'll lose two games maximum of their remaining five but more importantly for the Texans if they do take the first seed they need to know that no first seed in a conference has gone on to win the Super Bowl since the 2003 Patriots so Houston fans hold your horses.
I would have rather put the Pats, Broncos and Ravens all at 12-4 or all at 13-3 but I doubt all three will finish with the same record. With that being said regardless of what happens there's going to be a tiebreaker headache and they'll be a tiebreaker between the two of the three or all of them come the climax of the regular season.
Let's assume for a second that New England and Denver sweep their schedules and finish 13-3 and the Ravens win 4 of their remaining 5 with the one loss coming against Denver it will be the Patriots who would win the tiebreaker meaning they'll take the second seed and the bye week based off a better AFC record (11-1) than the Ravens (10-2) and Broncos (10-2).
Tom Brady knows how to get it done at this stage of the season and Bill Belichick's men are 16-0 if you combine the second half of the seasons over the past two years, 17 now following their week 12 win. The same can be said for Peyton Manning, he and Brady are both future hall of famers and have been in this position so both Denver and New England will finish the season strongly.
Overall I'm going with the Patriots and the Texans getting that pass in to the divisional round. Baltimore's injuries on defense will take their toll resulting in a defeat to say Denver; that will open up the race for the second seed which I fancy New England to end up taking.
As for the wildcard spots well Andrew Luck has had a great year for the Colts and despite whatever is thrown at them Indianapolis seem to find a way through so they'll take the fifth seed for the playoffs. The sixth seed is the tougher call, usually the Steelers have the know-how and resilience to win games but the young Bengals have found a way to get back in the playoff picture.
Honestly it will come down to the week 16 matchup between the two as no other AFC team has the capability of putting a run together to challenge for that last wildcard spot. Pittsburgh's defense can keep them in games until Big Ben returns but regardless of that I think like Indianapolis it will be the Bengals who enjoy a fairy-tale of their own by also reaching the playoffs.
One thing's for sure, it is going to be a very exciting end to the season as the playoff chase is now definitely in full swing!
AFC current standings:
| AFC EAST | W | L | T | PCT | ||||||||||||||
| New England Patriots | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | ||||||||||||||
| Miami Dolphins | 5 | 6 | 0 | .455 | ||||||||||||||
| New York Jets | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | ||||||||||||||
| Buffalo Bills | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | ||||||||||||||
| AFC NORTH | W | L | T | PCT | ||||||||||||||
| Baltimore Ravens | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | ||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | ||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati Bengals | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | ||||||||||||||
| Cleveland Browns | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | ||||||||||||||
| AFC SOUTH | W | L | T | PCT | ||||||||||||||
| Houston Texans | 10 | 1 | 0 | .909 | ||||||||||||||
| Indianapolis Colts | 7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | ||||||||||||||
| Tennessee Titans | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | ||||||||||||||
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | 9 | 0 | .182 | ||||||||||||||
| AFC WEST | W | L | T | PCT | ||||||||||||||
| Denver Broncos | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | ||||||||||||||
| San Diego Chargers | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | ||||||||||||||
| Oakland Raiders | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | ||||||||||||||
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1 | 10 | 0 | .091 |
Divisional leaders:
The AFC's leaders are the Patriots, Ravens, Texans and Broncos. All of which are pretty much guaranteed a spot in the playoffs but they still have seeding to battle it out for with the top two seeds earning a bye week when the playoffs begin.
The Patriots currently hold the third seed with their win over the Broncos earlier in the season being the tie breaker but if the Broncos were to beat the Ravens when they meet up and in theory all three hold the same record then the tie break would get complicated as it was the Ravens who beat the Patriots earlier in the season.
As well as that the Patriots and the Texans still have a matchup against each other to worry about and both have divisional rivals hunting for wild card spots. These four teams will be the top four seeded teams come the end of the regular season but with potential tiebreaker chaos and some crunch games coming down the stretch it's anyone's call as to who will earn home field advantage as well as the byes.
The wildcard hunt:
In the South we have the Colts who still have to play the Texans twice. Indianapolis wants to confirm its place in the post-season as soon as possible and potentially if they put on a late run of wins they could dethrone the Texans in the South but a lot would need to go their way.
The East sees the Dolphins take on their divisional leaders twice when they face the Patriots in week 13 as Miami hopes to get back to .500. Their chances of reaching the post-season though are not as likely as the Colts especially as they'll lose the tiebreak to them if it comes down to it following their defeat to Indianapolis earlier in the season.
The other two AFC East teams are the Bills and Jets who are both 4-7 and would both appear to be out of the playoff picture. For the Bills all are in agreement but some believe the Jets could sneak in if they manage to win at least 4 of their next 5. The only way that is could even be a possibility is if Tebow time happens and he produces the god like form, no pun intended, that he did for Denver last season. So in other words, the Jets need miracle.
In the other two divisions all is very different as the West has no potential wildcard teams in the division. It is safe to say that the likes of the Chargers and the Raiders won't make a late surge as they've been shooting themselves in the foot all season. Meanwhile in the AFC North an injury to Steelers quarterback Big Roethlisberger shook the division up.
Pittsburgh looks mediocre without its franchise QB especially after the week 12 defeat to the Browns. Their rivals, the Bengals, have crept up to a 6-5 record to match the Steelers and look like they could snatch the final wildcard spot. With Pittsburgh facing the Ravens next potentially come the end of week 13 the Steelers will be out of the playoffs at that point in time.
Looking ahead
Steelers @ Ravens: This game is as crucial for Baltimore as it is for their rivals, whether Big Ben returns at quarterback or not for the Steelers it will be the Ravens who come out on top in this one as they hang on to the No. 2 seed for another week.
Patriots @ Dolphins: The Dolphins will give it their all but this mountain is probably too high for Miami. It has the potential to be close as even the Jets and the Bills have had games that have gone to the wire with New England this season but the Patriots know how to win games. With the Patriots currently on a streak of 5 wins in a row they're hitting their second half of the regular season form with both defense and offense taking care of the ball so they'll wrap up another win in week 13 and move on to 9-3.
Bengals @ Chargers: Some people have the Chargers down as a team who could still make a late sprint in to a wildcard spot but as most people know this San Diego team is no playoff squad. With the Bengals having to endure a rugged schedule in the next few weeks it makes this game even more of a must win if they are to have a shot at making the playoffs. Tough call but Cincinnati should edge it.
Buccaneers @ Broncos: Despite a setback last week this 6-5 Tampa Bay team could still make the post-season but they go on the road against Peyton Manning and co. A Denver win keeps their second-seed dreams alive and Peyton knows how to get a job done so no matter how close this potentially could be for the Broncos they'll win and go on to 9-3.
Colts @ Lions: With the madness going on in the NFC in regards to the playoff picture the Lions will be disappointed that their young talented team couldn't go from good to great this season. They may also be envious of Andrew Luck and the Colts who with a win would create significant clarity in the AFC playoff picture with the wildcard spot firmly in their grasp. Matthew Stafford and co are not going to go down without a fight though, with both young quarterback's knowing how to pull off a 4th quarter comeback I see this going down to a game winning drive by either one of the two; you heard it here first.
And looking even further ahead...
Come the end of the regular season all of the current leaders in the AFC will win their respective divisions. Personally I feel one of the Ravens or the Texans will lose their current bye week seeding but I'm going to try and let my head rule my heart over the following decision:
Seed 1: Houston Texans 14-2
Seed 2: New England Patriots 13-3
Seed 3: Denver Broncos 13-3
Seed 4: Baltimore Ravens 12-4
The Texans have played good football all year, they'll hold on to home advantage and the number one seed. They'll lose two games maximum of their remaining five but more importantly for the Texans if they do take the first seed they need to know that no first seed in a conference has gone on to win the Super Bowl since the 2003 Patriots so Houston fans hold your horses.
I would have rather put the Pats, Broncos and Ravens all at 12-4 or all at 13-3 but I doubt all three will finish with the same record. With that being said regardless of what happens there's going to be a tiebreaker headache and they'll be a tiebreaker between the two of the three or all of them come the climax of the regular season.
Let's assume for a second that New England and Denver sweep their schedules and finish 13-3 and the Ravens win 4 of their remaining 5 with the one loss coming against Denver it will be the Patriots who would win the tiebreaker meaning they'll take the second seed and the bye week based off a better AFC record (11-1) than the Ravens (10-2) and Broncos (10-2).
Tom Brady knows how to get it done at this stage of the season and Bill Belichick's men are 16-0 if you combine the second half of the seasons over the past two years, 17 now following their week 12 win. The same can be said for Peyton Manning, he and Brady are both future hall of famers and have been in this position so both Denver and New England will finish the season strongly.
Overall I'm going with the Patriots and the Texans getting that pass in to the divisional round. Baltimore's injuries on defense will take their toll resulting in a defeat to say Denver; that will open up the race for the second seed which I fancy New England to end up taking.
As for the wildcard spots well Andrew Luck has had a great year for the Colts and despite whatever is thrown at them Indianapolis seem to find a way through so they'll take the fifth seed for the playoffs. The sixth seed is the tougher call, usually the Steelers have the know-how and resilience to win games but the young Bengals have found a way to get back in the playoff picture.
Honestly it will come down to the week 16 matchup between the two as no other AFC team has the capability of putting a run together to challenge for that last wildcard spot. Pittsburgh's defense can keep them in games until Big Ben returns but regardless of that I think like Indianapolis it will be the Bengals who enjoy a fairy-tale of their own by also reaching the playoffs.
One thing's for sure, it is going to be a very exciting end to the season as the playoff chase is now definitely in full swing!
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Present vs Future
The Colts ran out of luck when they visited Gillette stadium on Sunday as the New England Patriots blew out Indianapolis in a 59-24 victory. The defeat ended a four game winning streak for rookie Andrew Luck and the Colts as the team were schooled by veteran quarterback and opposite number on the day Tom Brady with the Patriots dominating on both sides of the ball.
New England's defense stepped up to the plate with a big performance meaning that their offense, which at times has carried the Patriots this season, didn't take the field as much this week so it was a great all round performance. The blitz worked very well and confused Andrew Luck with the rookie ending up trying to force things in the latter stages meaning that he threw 3 picks on the day.
Things did start well for Indianapolis as Delone Carter's 1 yard touchdown run put them up by 7 within the first five minutes of the game but then New England hit back three minutes later when Tom Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski from 4 yards out for the touchdown to level it at 7-7. In the closing stages of the first Luck threw a brilliant 14 yard touchdown pass to the back of the end zone with T.Y. Hilton hauling in the pass to put the Colts 14-7 up going in to the second quarter.
The Patriots tied the game up immediately when Julian Edelman returned a punt for a touchdown with a spectacular 68 yard run. Special teams was brilliant all day for New England and Edelman himself put in an amazing performance. He performed like the playmaker any team would desire and with him racking up yardage all over the field he resembled Patriots hall of famer Troy Brown by putting on a monster game. Edelman finished the game 58 yards receiving in the air and a score, 117 yards returning off two punts and even rushed for 47 yards on his one running play.
The momentum took another big shift towards New England just a minute after the punt return when debutant and new acquisition Aqib Talib picked off Andrew Luck and returned the interception for 59 yards for the touchdown putting the Patriots 21-14 ahead. Talib made the teams secondary look very stable and the the defense as a unit took a big step forward this week with this great performance. Although one player can't change a teams fortunes with Talib and Dennard at cornerback and the likes of Devin McCourty shifting to safety this secondary is looking dangerous along with the rest of the defense which includes the likes of veteran Vince Wilfork as well as rookies Chandler Jones and Hightower up front.
A field goal each by either team meant that the Colts went in to halftime trailing 24-17. The third quarter was all for the Patriots though as Tom Brady kicked in to top gear by throwing two touchdown passes. The first was on a 2 yard play to Edelman and the second was a 24 yard pass to Gronk. Tom Brady put up brilliant numbers again with another efficient performance as he completed 24/35 passing attempts. He threw for 331 yards which included his three TD passes meaning that his season numbers after ten games now stand at a very impressive 2976 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, only 3 interceptions and a passer rating of 102.5.
The amazing tight end Rob Gronkowski also had a brilliant day as he racked up 137 receiving yards off of 7 receptions including his two scores but sadly for New England a fantastic day was dampened by the news that Gronk broke his forearm late in the fourth which required surgery and means that one of their most influential options on offense is now out for 4-6 weeks but will be back in time for the playoffs. Thankfully for the Patriots Aaron Hernandez is back for the thanksgiving day game against the Jets meaning that they still have one head of the double-headed tight end monster available for the big AFC East matchup.
So with the Colts down 38-17 going in to the fourth Andrew Luck looked to get something going in the final quarter but was picked off in the first 13 seconds of it when Alfonzo Dennard returned the interception all the way in to Indianapolis's end zone from 87 yards. Two minutes later Luck threw his second touchdown pass on the day when he linked up with T.Y. Hilton again on a brilliant 43 yard play. The first round overall pick may not have had his best day but he still played well as he completed just over 50% of his passes and racked up 334 passing yards. Despite dropping to 6-4 after this loss the Colts schedule leaves them with a lot of winnable games so if they can regroup they can still make the post-season.
Despite the bad news the Patriots' running game this year has been a great weapon and showed its talent again in this win with Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen being the two running backs who took the snaps this weekend. Ridley is having a very productive season and rushed for 28 yards from 13 attempts for the one score, Vereen who hasn't seen as much play time but has still looked good got the most yardage on the day at running back as he rushed for 40 yards from 11 carries and also got a score. The two touchdown runs came after the Colts last score on the day and with those two scores for New England it meant that the Patriots wrapped up the huge 35 point victory in style.
The New England Patriots are now 7-3 on the season and lead the rest of the AFC East by 3 games. A win for them over the Jets on Thursday will almost certainly clinch them the division as they will then look to push on and hope that they can clinch one of the top two seeds in the AFC to try and get them a bye week in the playoffs. At this moment in time they have the third seed in the conference but with the 8-2 Baltimore Ravens having some injury problems of their own as well as New England still having to play the 9-1 Houston Texans anything is possible as the Patriots look to get home field advantage as Tom Brady and co strive to return to the Super Bowl in February hoping that they can win a fourth championship for the franchise.
New England's defense stepped up to the plate with a big performance meaning that their offense, which at times has carried the Patriots this season, didn't take the field as much this week so it was a great all round performance. The blitz worked very well and confused Andrew Luck with the rookie ending up trying to force things in the latter stages meaning that he threw 3 picks on the day.
Things did start well for Indianapolis as Delone Carter's 1 yard touchdown run put them up by 7 within the first five minutes of the game but then New England hit back three minutes later when Tom Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski from 4 yards out for the touchdown to level it at 7-7. In the closing stages of the first Luck threw a brilliant 14 yard touchdown pass to the back of the end zone with T.Y. Hilton hauling in the pass to put the Colts 14-7 up going in to the second quarter.
The Patriots tied the game up immediately when Julian Edelman returned a punt for a touchdown with a spectacular 68 yard run. Special teams was brilliant all day for New England and Edelman himself put in an amazing performance. He performed like the playmaker any team would desire and with him racking up yardage all over the field he resembled Patriots hall of famer Troy Brown by putting on a monster game. Edelman finished the game 58 yards receiving in the air and a score, 117 yards returning off two punts and even rushed for 47 yards on his one running play.
The momentum took another big shift towards New England just a minute after the punt return when debutant and new acquisition Aqib Talib picked off Andrew Luck and returned the interception for 59 yards for the touchdown putting the Patriots 21-14 ahead. Talib made the teams secondary look very stable and the the defense as a unit took a big step forward this week with this great performance. Although one player can't change a teams fortunes with Talib and Dennard at cornerback and the likes of Devin McCourty shifting to safety this secondary is looking dangerous along with the rest of the defense which includes the likes of veteran Vince Wilfork as well as rookies Chandler Jones and Hightower up front.
A field goal each by either team meant that the Colts went in to halftime trailing 24-17. The third quarter was all for the Patriots though as Tom Brady kicked in to top gear by throwing two touchdown passes. The first was on a 2 yard play to Edelman and the second was a 24 yard pass to Gronk. Tom Brady put up brilliant numbers again with another efficient performance as he completed 24/35 passing attempts. He threw for 331 yards which included his three TD passes meaning that his season numbers after ten games now stand at a very impressive 2976 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, only 3 interceptions and a passer rating of 102.5.
The amazing tight end Rob Gronkowski also had a brilliant day as he racked up 137 receiving yards off of 7 receptions including his two scores but sadly for New England a fantastic day was dampened by the news that Gronk broke his forearm late in the fourth which required surgery and means that one of their most influential options on offense is now out for 4-6 weeks but will be back in time for the playoffs. Thankfully for the Patriots Aaron Hernandez is back for the thanksgiving day game against the Jets meaning that they still have one head of the double-headed tight end monster available for the big AFC East matchup.
So with the Colts down 38-17 going in to the fourth Andrew Luck looked to get something going in the final quarter but was picked off in the first 13 seconds of it when Alfonzo Dennard returned the interception all the way in to Indianapolis's end zone from 87 yards. Two minutes later Luck threw his second touchdown pass on the day when he linked up with T.Y. Hilton again on a brilliant 43 yard play. The first round overall pick may not have had his best day but he still played well as he completed just over 50% of his passes and racked up 334 passing yards. Despite dropping to 6-4 after this loss the Colts schedule leaves them with a lot of winnable games so if they can regroup they can still make the post-season.
Despite the bad news the Patriots' running game this year has been a great weapon and showed its talent again in this win with Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen being the two running backs who took the snaps this weekend. Ridley is having a very productive season and rushed for 28 yards from 13 attempts for the one score, Vereen who hasn't seen as much play time but has still looked good got the most yardage on the day at running back as he rushed for 40 yards from 11 carries and also got a score. The two touchdown runs came after the Colts last score on the day and with those two scores for New England it meant that the Patriots wrapped up the huge 35 point victory in style.
The New England Patriots are now 7-3 on the season and lead the rest of the AFC East by 3 games. A win for them over the Jets on Thursday will almost certainly clinch them the division as they will then look to push on and hope that they can clinch one of the top two seeds in the AFC to try and get them a bye week in the playoffs. At this moment in time they have the third seed in the conference but with the 8-2 Baltimore Ravens having some injury problems of their own as well as New England still having to play the 9-1 Houston Texans anything is possible as the Patriots look to get home field advantage as Tom Brady and co strive to return to the Super Bowl in February hoping that they can win a fourth championship for the franchise.
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