NFL - Playoffs Jan 2015

[WalterWhite]

Pats had a nice lead at halftime.  That meant they ran the ball most of the 2nd half, making the D crowd the line, so they were wide open for deep passes which they cashed in on.  You can only play like that when nursing a lead.  Advantage.

Colts were playing from a deficit, so they had to pass way more.  Defense of Pats could lay back and wait for the easy picks.  They were feasting on Luck because they knew Colts wouldn't run much.  Major disadvatage for colts.

THAT explains the 2nd half.

A decent lead but interestingly, during the first half, when the Patriots were reportedly using the deflated footballs, quarterback Tom Brady completed 11 of 21 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown and one interception, as New England scored 17 points (not a blow out by any means). In the second half, Brady completed 12 of 14 passes for 131 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions, as New England scored 28 points.

Bottom line as Dwayne Allen of the Colts said "not a story. They could have played with soap for balls and beat us. Simply the better team. We have to continue to build"

[240 is Back]

yes, in the 2nd half, the Colts were crowding the line of scrimmage and brady did short little dump off passes.  It was all about eating up clock.  yes, Brady will go 12 or 14, but they'll all be absolutely great position receivers, or he'll just run the ball on the plan. 

the game strategy changes greatly for both sides, both teams, when one team has a 3 score lead.  we see it all the time. The team trailining keeps throwing, the team defending the lead keeps getting those picks.  cause they KNOW luck has to pass it.  They don't fear the run anymore, they have more men and more space downfield.

besides, the score doesn't matter.  If Bonds does steroids and strikes out, he's still a cheater.  If beliechick does spygrate and they lose a game, he's still a cheater. 

[Grape Ape]

A decent lead but interestingly, during the first half, when the Patriots were reportedly using the deflated footballs, quarterback Tom Brady completed 11 of 21 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown and one interception, as New England scored 17 points (not a blow out by any means). In the second half, Brady completed 12 of 14 passes for 131 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions, as New England scored 28 points.

Bottom line as Dwayne Allen of the Colts said "not a story. They could have played with soap for balls and beat us. Simply the better team. We have to continue to build"

As stated, a half a football game is too small a sample to draw any conclusions.  As for Dwayne Allen, the issue isn't the score of the game.  If they intentionally altered footballs or tried to use illegal footballs in an AFC championship game, it's a big deal.  That's what this is about.

[tleilaxutank]

You guys are sore, butthurt losers. End of story.

[El Diablo Blanco]

No doubt the Pats cheated with the balls but don't beleive that it was why they won.  They still were the better team and outplayed the colts.

[tleilaxutank]

No doubt the Pats cheated with the balls but don't beleive that it was why they won.  They still were the better team and outplayed the colts.

No doubt? Really? Do you have a source?

[Grape Ape]

No doubt? Really? Do you have a source?

It's called drawing a conclusion based on what is known at the moment.

If that's something you're not interested in, you don't have to discuss it.

[tleilaxutank]

It's called drawing a conclusion based on what is known at the moment.

If that's something you're not interested in, you don't have to discuss it.

I'm interested in what you know. Please tell me.

[Grape Ape]

I'm interested in what you know. Please tell me.

I know the Colts claimed a football they intercepted was under inflated.

I know that 11 of the 12 footballs Patriots were under inflated.

I know that the Colts' footballs were not.

I know the Patriots have been fined and lost draft picks in past for cheating.

I know ex NFL QBs have said it's impossible for a professional QB not to know if a football is 2 psi under what it is normally.

I know the NFL is taking this very seriously.


So, until facts appear that disprove any of the above statements, I'm going to think something's amiss here.

[tleilaxutank]

I know the Colts claimed a football they intercepted was under inflated.

I know that 11 of the 12 footballs Patriots were under inflated.

I know that the Colts' footballs were not.

I know the Patriots have been fined and lost draft picks in past for cheating.

I know ex NFL QBs have said it's impossible for a professional QB not to know if a football is 2 psi under what it is normally.

I know the NFL is taking this very seriously.


So, until facts appear that disprove any of the above statements, I'm going to think something's amiss here.

I think you may need to research the verb, know.

[WoogsRaven]

Fuckin hell I hope the Patriots get crushed

[Grape Ape]

I think you may need to research the verb, know.

It was obvious where you're going with that, but I answered anyway.

See the thing is, without being directly involved, we have to go with the best information we have.  And what I listed above is the best information we have, based on utilizing the major sources - ESPN/CBS sportsline, etc and ignoring all the stuff coming from local blogs, message boards and  and such.  In addition, we can apply common sense to debunk other theories.

So, if you want to use the lens you are using, there's nothing to discuss with you, which is probably best anyway.

[tleilaxutank]

It was obvious where you're going with that, but I answered anyway.

See the thing is, without being directly involved, we have to go with the best information we have.  And what I listed above is the best information we have, based on utilizing the major sources - ESPN/CBS sportsline, etc and ignoring all the stuff coming from local blogs, message boards and  and such.  In addition, we can apply common sense to debunk other theories.

So, if you want to use the lens you are using, there's nothing to discuss with you, which is probably best anyway.

I would say that you could use common sense to determine that this whole thing is a bunch of bologna, but that is through my "lense" as you put it.

Nothing that has been leaked, "credible" or otherwise as you put it, has indicted the Patriots for doing anything wrong. Yet you seem to "know" a great many things.

I almost spit my coffee when you source espn as a "major source" (your insinuation is that their news is credible and unbiased). That place has more patriot haters than this thread does.

This is the company that suspended Bill Simmons for calling Roger Goodell a liar, but brings every former nfl player with an ax to grind against new england to call Brady and Bellichick liars and cheaters with no proof of anything.

[blacken700]

I would say that you could use common sense to determine that this whole thing is a bunch of bologna, but that is through my "lense" as you put it.

Nothing that has been leaked, "credible" or otherwise as you put it, has indicted the Patriots for doing anything wrong. Yet you seem to "know" a great many things.

I almost spit my coffee when you source espn as a "major source" (your insinuation is that their news is credible and unbiased). That place has more patriot haters than this thread does.

This is the company that suspended Bill Simmons for calling Roger Goodell a liar, but brings every former nfl player with an ax to grind against new england to call Brady and Bellichick liars and cheaters with no proof of anything.

he doesn't work on facts he goes by leaks and heresay,instead of waiting for the report to come out he's already drawn his own conclusion

[blacken700]

this about sums it up 

On Monday, the former San Diego Chargers quarterback posted to Twitter: "It's troubling that the NFL can find the video of a locker room attendant in a week and never see the Rice elevator video ever!"

[Nick Danger]

he doesn't work on facts he goes by leaks and heresay,instead of waiting for the report to come out he's already drawn his own conclusion

If you read through the posts, you'll see that Grape Ape is fairly unbiased. 240 is back on the other hand is extremely biased.

[WoogsRaven]

now tell us all why the colts balls weren't deflated

also it was like 50 degrees during that game, not exactly freezing weather

E

I have a hard time debating on whether this is factual or not. I become more skeptical of the NFL media every passing day.

[tleilaxutank]

If you read through the posts, you'll see that Grape Ape is fairly unbiased. 240 is back on the other hand is extremely biased.

Agreed. This is 240 thinking about them damn Patriots.

[blacken700]

If you read through the posts, you'll see that Grape Ape is fairly unbiased. 240 is back on the other hand is extremely biased.

I don't understand people taking leaked information and stating it as fact,lets wait and see when the report comes out

[Nick Danger]

I don't understand people taking leaked information and stating it as fact,lets wait and see when the report comes out

This is a discussion board...

[blacken700]

This is a discussion board...

great, you can discuss a topic without trying to pass shit as fact,he has his mind made up already.what are you going to do haters are going to hate

[Grape Ape]

I would say that you could use common sense to determine that this whole thing is a bunch of bologna, but that is through my "lense" as you put it.

Nothing that has been leaked, "credible" or otherwise as you put it, has indicted the Patriots for doing anything wrong. Yet you seem to "know" a great many things.

I almost spit my coffee when you source espn as a "major source" (your insinuation is that their news is credible and unbiased). That place has more patriot haters than this thread does.

This is the company that suspended Bill Simmons for calling Roger Goodell a liar, but brings every former nfl player with an ax to grind against new england to call Brady and Bellichick liars and cheaters with no proof of anything.

ESPN is a "major source" for sports news. Probably the most major, regardless of perceived bias.  So my comment was that I'm taking what I've seen presented by ESPN, rather than a rumor started by a Patriots'/Colts/Seahawks blogger.  They're not presenting everything that's out there, just things from the NFL and major media outlets.  (FWIW, most I know view ESPN has pro Boston sports - they started ESPN Boston first, employ Simmons, the Boston Sports guy) and their choice of headlines has always been suspect).

I could easily take your view and not speculate because we're not in the investigation.  Except I'm a football fan who happens to live 10 minutes from Gillette stadium, so I'm going to discuss it.

Either way, the footballs were under the limit - that's not up for debate.  Dismissing that the team that provides and is responsible for inflating the footballs possibly having a hand in it is not common sense.  Double that for a team already convicted of cheating.

[Grape Ape]

If you read through the posts, you'll see that Grape Ape is fairly unbiased. 240 is back on the other hand is extremely biased.

Thanks man.  It's easy to chalk up viewpoints that contradict one's own views as being a hater, but you also have to consider the source on that one.

If given  thought to every explanation I've seen as to how 11 of 12 footballs were deflated, and the Colt's weren't, and how Brady couldn't have possibly noticed. 

If better evidence comes to light I could change my mind.  Right now, though, I can't decide if the Pats always had footballs like that and the League is embarassed because they didn't enforce it, or if something happened after the fact.

[tleilaxutank]

ESPN is a "major source" for sports news. Probably the most major, regardless of perceived bias.  So my comment was that I'm taking what I've seen presented by ESPN, rather than a rumor started by a Patriots'/Colts/Seahawks blogger.  They're not presenting everything that's out there, just things from the NFL and major media outlets.  (FWIW, most I know view ESPN has pro Boston sports - they started ESPN Boston first, employ Simmons, the Boston Sports guy) and their choice of headlines has always been suspect).

I could easily take your view and not speculate because we're not in the investigation.  Except I'm a football fan who happens to live 10 minutes from Gillette stadium, so I'm going to discuss it.

Either way, the footballs were under the limit - that's not up for debate.  Dismissing that the team that provides and is responsible for inflating the footballs possibly having a hand in it is not common sense.  Double that for a team already convicted of cheating.

ESPN is not pro patriots. Not their people at least. Ray Lewis, Tom Jackson, Brunell....the list goes on and on. Yeah I know Bruschi works for them too but if you do the math their are a lot of very outspoken people that work for them that despise the patriots. TMZ sports and Jay Glazer are infinitely more credible, IMO.

This whole thing could easily be summed up by the following explanation:

1. Brady likes his balls at the low end of the specification range. Colts like there's on the high side or mid.
2. All balls dropped by some margin (some reports say 2 lbs which is a lot, another says 1 lb which isn't much at all) during the cold weather. Patriots were out of spec after the drop, but the colts were still in (while still dropping).

This whole "cheating reputation" is also very problematic. EVERY NFL team has cheated at one point or another, yet we don't start every discussion involving an issue on those teams with, "Well given their history...."

[The Abdominal Snoman]

No doubt the Pats cheated with the balls but don't beleive that it was why they won.  They still were the better team and outplayed the colts.

The Colts are not a very good team...Denver's game plan and Manning being hurt made them look much better than they are...Pats probably could have laid 70 points on the Colts if they wanted to...I'd like to see Manning go play for the Texans for the next 2 years. And if he did, the Colts probably wouldn't make the playoffs. Texans would win that division...Would be great to see Manning go fuck with the owner of the Colts as he leads that defensive powerhouse, the Texans, to a division championship...