NFL Discussion (Week 13) ESPN will burn in hell

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:05 am

wco81 wrote:Hawks are having a great season but they will have to prove themselves in the playoffs after flopping every year.

They are not that different from the teams which have made it there the last couple of years.

Jackson still drops balls so I don't think their WR corps are comparable to Chad Johnson and TJ H.

And Hasslebeck, after his snotty comment in the OT coin flip at the playoff game in Green Bay, hasn't really made the jump to the next level.

They may get through in the NFC but it wouldn't surprise me if they choked. Colts and Broncos should handle them (regardless of what happens in the Indy-Seattle game in a few weeks). Bengals should be able to score on them but I don't know if the Bengals D can stop them either.

If you want to talk choke, start with the Colts. How many Super Bowls have Manning and co. been to? Oh yeah, 0. They roll through the regular season every year, and then get stopped cold in the playoffs.

Jackson & Robinson dropped a lot in 2004. Robinson is gone, and for the few weeks Jackson was playing, he caught just about everything.

I already see this team as vastly different than the last few seasons. First, they are closing out games that in prior years they would have lost. They (finally) slammed the door on the Rams and have clinched the West. For the first time ever, they have a chance at home field throughout the playoffs.

It will be interesting to see how they do in the post season, but this years team looks like they have that attitude and confidence that was lacking in prior years.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:32 am

Colts at least got past the first round of the playoffs.

And they were stopped by the eventual champions last year and maybe the year before.

Not really a choke.

I'm not completely sold on them this year. Their run defense may be a vulnerability.

But then again, the teams with the strongest running games in the AFC, they've handled: Denver and KC in previous playoffs and Pittsburgh last week.

Brando70 · Post by **Brando70** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 11:17 am

It's only a choke when you're expected to win. The Colts have had to play the Pats in Foxboro when the Pats were the better team. Seattle meanwhile has had a tendency to start strong but fade during the season, despite having a talented roster. I think both teams reverse those trends this year.

While the AFC playoffs won't be easy, I don't know how you couldn't expect the Colts to win it all. They're going to have the home field, which helps their offense tremendously, and their defense is second in the league in points allowed. Their run defense isn't shut-down caliber, but it's good enough. Outside of the Bengals or Chargers, I don't see any team that can really match up against their defense, and those two teams don't have the defenses to shut down the Colts offense.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 11:21 am

matthewk wrote:If you want to talk choke, start with the Colts. How many Super Bowls have Manning and co. been to? Oh yeah, 0. They roll through the regular season every year, and then get stopped cold in the playoffs.

This is probably the biggest reason I want the Colts to go 19-0. The team finally gets a defense around Manning and suddenly they become dominant. Funny how that works.

Like the others said, losing on the road isn't a choke. A couple years ago they went to KC and won before losing in the AFC Championship to the Pats. Yeah, they've looked bad in those games, but losing at the eventual champs' place isn't a choke.

"We want the ball and we're going to win."

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:01 pm

Not to mention the Super Bowl is going to be played indoors on the carpet as well. Certainly can't be a bad thing for Indy.

Although...they use the sport turf in Detroit...are they using that in Indy yet, or are they still on the old school aritificial green concrete turf?

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:04 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:Although...they use the sport turf in Detroit...are they using that in Indy yet, or are they still on the old school aritificial green concrete turf?

They put in the field turf this year, finally getting away from the green concrete.

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:07 pm

Dave wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote:Although...they use the sport turf in Detroit...are they using that in Indy yet, or are they still on the old school aritificial green concrete turf?
They put in the field turf this year, finally getting away from the green concrete.

Only see the old stuff for two sports now...Field Hockey (mandated in NCAA FH) and some Lacrosse in the northeast.

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 1:42 pm

Dave wrote:Like the others said, losing on the road isn't a choke. A couple years ago they went to KC and won before losing in the AFC Championship to the Pats. Yeah, they've looked bad in those games, but losing at the eventual champs' place isn't a choke.

"We want the ball and we're going to win."

OK, thanks for giving me the "official" definition of a choke in sports. Is there a link somewhere that identifies the exact criteria for a choke? To me, the Colts choked in the playoffs. I also think the Seahawks have choked both in and before the playoffs.

My prediction is a Colts/Seahawks Super Bowl, with the Colts winning.

Not sure if that quote was supposed to be get me worked up, but it doesn't. I'm also a Packers fan, so I couldn't lose that game

Heck, he used to play for Green Bay and was having some fun with it.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:10 pm

The Rams in SBXXXVI were a two TD favorite....That was a choke.
The Colts in SBIII were a 19? pt favorite...That was a choke.

When you are heavily favored and you lose you choked.

The Oilers vs the Bills in the playoffs had a 35-3 lead at the half...That was a choke.
The Blazers vs the Lakers in the playoffs had a 16 pt 4th quarter lead...That was a choke.

When you grab defeat from the jaws of victory thats a choke.

Edited for haste...Tough to sneak em in at work..

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:14 pm

XXXIV wrote:The Rams in SBXXXVI were a two TD favorite....That was a choke.
The Jets in SBIII were a 19? pt favorite...That was a choke.

When you are heavily favored and you lose you choked.

The Oilers vs the Bills in the playoffs had a 35-3 lead at the half...That was a choke.
The Blazers vs the Lakers in the playoffs had a 16 pt 4th quarter lead...That was a choke.

When you grab defeat from the jaws of victory thats a choke.

I think you meant the Colts in Super Bowl 3!!!

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 3:16 pm

Zlax45 wrote:
XXXIV wrote:The Rams in SBXXXVI were a two TD favorite....That was a choke.
The Jets in SBIII were a 19? pt favorite...That was a choke.

When you are heavily favored and you lose you choked.

The Oilers vs the Bills in the playoffs had a 35-3 lead at the half...That was a choke.
The Blazers vs the Lakers in the playoffs had a 16 pt 4th quarter lead...That was a choke.

When you grab defeat from the jaws of victory thats a choke.
I think you meant the Colts in Super Bowl 3!!!

doh!