The Patriots

[powderblueboy]

I really admire the Patriots. They just get it done. While everyone else talks about getting it done the Patriots just do it. It must be heaven being a fan of theirs. Fuckin heaven.

Patriots always seem to get help. This playoffs, they got a few real nice calls that were critical. The marginal off sides call on Dee Ford; the phantom holding on the Ram's center in the 4rth quarter......I think they once had a call go against them in a big game...but i'm not sure.

[Charged4Life]

Patriots always seem to get help. This playoffs, they got a few real nice calls that were critical. The marginal off sides call on Dee Ford; the phantom holding on the Ram's center in the 4rth quarter......I think they once had a call go against them in a big game...but i'm not sure.

I think if I were a ref I'd give them the benefit of the doubt as well.

[jamrock]

Patriots always seem to get help. This playoffs, they got a few real nice calls that were critical. The marginal off sides call on Dee Ford; the phantom holding on the Ram's center in the 4rth quarter......I think they once had a call go against them in a big game...but i'm not sure.

It all began with the tuck rule call against the Raiders.

[Bolts223]

The AFC East has easily been the worst division in football the past 20 years. Arguably, the worst three front offices in the league are all AFC East. Every division in the NFL except the AFC East has had at least two different franchises represent in the Superbowl during the past 20 years (if Tennessee is included from the 1999 season). You say the Dolphins play the Patriots "tough." The Patriots are 13-5 vs them since 2010. And the Dolphins play them the best of those three garbage teams.

How much of that is because of the Pats? I'm not going to lie and say the AFC East is a powerhouse division, but people exaggerate how bad it is.

The Jets have actually had some good teams - they even went to back to back AFC Championship games at one point. It's not unrealistic to say that the 2010 Jets could've gotten better seeding which could've resulted in a SB birth if they didn't play in the same division as the Patriots who went 14-2 that year and beat them 45-3 in the regular season. Maybe they beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship if that game is at home.

The Patriots have gone 6-0 in the AFC East exactly 1 time in 18 seasons. To say that they get 6 easy wins every year is just not true.

Also: Look at every season which actually resulted in the Patriots winning the Super Bowl. Only 2018 could you actually say the AFC East was bad.

In 2001: The Dolphins and Jets both made the playoffs as wild cards with 11-5 and 10-6 records respectively.

In 2003: The Dolphins went 10-6 and just missed the playoffs.

In 2004: The Jets went 10-6 and beat us in the playoffs that year. The Bills went 9-7 and just missed the playoffs.

In 2014: The Bills went 9-7 and had one of the best defenses in the league that year. They were in playoff contention until week 17. Dolphins were also 8-8.

In 2016: The Dolphins went 10-6 and made the playoffs.


Also: I find the "Every division but the AFC East has had two different representatives in the last 20 years."

Yeah. Unless an AFC South team that isn't the Colts makes the playoffs this year, that is no longer true.

It's been 17 years since a non-Broncos AFC West team has made the SB.

The fact is that the AFC in general hasn't had a whole lot of parity in the 21st century. It's mainly been dominated by the Patriots/Steelers/Ravens/Peyton Manning led teams.

The only AFC Division that has had two teams that have actually been in recent SB's is the AFC North with the Steelers and Ravens. And the Ravens have only had 2 seasons in their entire franchise history in which they finished with a better regular season record than the Patriots. (2000 and 2006)

[Bolts223]

It all began with the tuck rule call against the Raiders.

I would point out that the 1976 Raiders only won the SB because of a phantom RTP that came on a 4th down incompletion against the Patriots in the divisional round that year.

Sometimes things just come full circle.

[chargers1316]

How much of that is because of the Pats? I'm not going to lie and say the AFC East is a powerhouse division, but people exaggerate how bad it is.

The Jets have actually had some good teams - they even went to back to back AFC Championship games at one point. It's not unrealistic to say that the 2010 Jets could've gotten better seeding which could've resulted in a SB birth if they didn't play in the same division as the Patriots who went 14-2 that year and beat them 45-3 in the regular season. Maybe they beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship if that game is at home.

The Patriots have gone 6-0 in the AFC East exactly 1 time in 18 seasons. To say that they get 6 easy wins every year is just not true.

Also: Look at every season which actually resulted in the Patriots winning the Super Bowl. Only 2018 could you actually say the AFC East was bad.

In 2001: The Dolphins and Jets both made the playoffs as wild cards with 11-5 and 10-6 records respectively.

In 2003: The Dolphins went 10-6 and just missed the playoffs.

In 2004: The Jets went 10-6 and beat us in the playoffs that year. The Bills went 9-7 and just missed the playoffs.

In 2014: The Bills went 9-7 and had one of the best defenses in the league that year. They were in playoff contention until week 17. Dolphins were also 8-8.

In 2016: The Dolphins went 10-6 and made the playoffs.


Also: I find the "Every division but the AFC East has had two different representatives in the last 20 years."

Yeah. Unless an AFC South team that isn't the Colts makes the playoffs this year, that is no longer true.

It's been 17 years since a non-Broncos AFC West team has made the SB.

The fact is that the AFC in general hasn't had a whole lot of parity in the 21st century. It's mainly been dominated by the Patriots/Steelers/Ravens/Peyton Manning led teams.

The only AFC Division that has had two teams that have actually been in recent SB's is the AFC North with the Steelers and Ravens. And the Ravens have only had 2 seasons in their entire franchise history in which they finished with a better regular season record than the Patriots. (2000 and 2006)

You have to be kidding. Let's make it simpler for you since you don't seem to understand the raw utter and unique incompetence of the Patriot competition in the AFC East. Name one great quarterback that any of those three teams have had since both Marino and Kelly retired. Zero. Meanwhile, the Colts had Manning and Luck. The Chargers had Brees and Rivers. The Packers with Favre and Rodgers. And the Dolphins are so clueless they passed on Brees twice. Nick Saban got frustrated with Miami management's incompetent decision making - he went to Alabama.

[beachcomber]

You have to be kidding. Let's make it simpler for you since you don't seem to understand the raw utter and unique incompetence of the Patriot competition in the AFC East. Name one great quarterback that any of those three teams have had since both Marino and Kelly retired. Zero. Meanwhile, the Colts had Manning and Luck. The Chargers had Brees and Rivers. The Packers with Favre and Rodgers. And the Dolphins are so clueless they passed on Brees twice. Nick Saban got frustrated with Miami management's incompetent decision making - he went to Alabama.

sorry I don't follow you.... where is the raw utter and unique incompetence in an 11-5 record ?? and how is that you choose to tear down a very solid and well documented post ??

yes the Pats are good, and yes they might not have faced any great shakes within their division, and.... take for example the Chargers under Telesco.... how much of a threat have we been.... to anybody, let alone Major Tom & Co.

[Bolts223]

You have to be kidding. Let's make it simpler for you since you don't seem to understand the raw utter and unique incompetence of the Patriot competition in the AFC East. Name one great quarterback that any of those three teams have had since both Marino and Kelly retired. Zero. Meanwhile, the Colts had Manning and Luck. The Chargers had Brees and Rivers. The Packers with Favre and Rodgers. And the Dolphins are so clueless they passed on Brees twice. Nick Saban got frustrated with Miami management's incompetent decision making - he went to Alabama.

That's very interesting. I provided you hard facts to back up what I said, you provided your opinion, some anecdotal tails as well as pointing out that other franchises like the Colts and Packers have had fortune with QB's. Problem with this argument is: you are picking two franchises that have been the gold standard in their division for the past 20 years and the other 3 teams in both of their divisions aren't much better than the 3 AFC East teams in terms of QB's they've had. The best QB the Jaguars/Titans/Texans
have had is... Matt Schaub? Kerry Collins? Watson has shown promise, but he's still yet to establish himself as a true franchise guy. And in the NFC north with the Vikings/Lions/Bears - you can say the Vikings had Favre for a year, but so did the Jets. Besides that it would have to be Matt Stafford? Kirk Cousins? Jay Cutler? I'll admit that's a step up from Tanehill/Pennington but do you really think that a Kirk Cousins or Matt Stafford led team would be competing with Brady/Belichick on a consistent basis? Very, very doubtful.

[wu-dai clan]

It all began with the tuck rule call against the Raiders.

It began with The Immaculate Reception.

Wait. It began with Al Davis planting a mic in the light fixture above Harland Svare.

Wait. It began with George Halas.

[Topcat]

It began with The Immaculate Reception.

Wait. It began with Al Davis planting a mic in the light fixture above Harland Svare.

Wait. It began with George Halas.

Wait. It all REALLY began with the original pig who laid down his life for the original PIGSKIN:



There...fixed it for 'ya!

[chargers1316]

sorry I don't follow you.... where is the raw utter and unique incompetence in an 11-5 record ?? and how is that you choose to tear down a very solid and well documented post ??

yes the Pats are good, and yes they might not have faced any great shakes within their division, and.... take for example the Chargers under Telesco.... how much of a threat have we been.... to anybody, let alone Major Tom & Co.

What 11-5 record are you talking about? Buffalo, NYJ, and Miami barely got 11 wins combined last year. I was referencing the incompetence of the management of the Patriot divisional opponents over 20 years.

[chargers1316]

That's very interesting. I provided you hard facts to back up what I said, you provided your opinion, some anecdotal tails as well as pointing out that other franchises like the Colts and Packers have had fortune with QB's. Problem with this argument is: you are picking two franchises that have been the gold standard in their division for the past 20 years and the other 3 teams in both of their divisions aren't much better than the 3 AFC East teams in terms of QB's they've had. The best QB the Jaguars/Titans/Texans
have had is... Matt Schaub? Kerry Collins? Watson has shown promise, but he's still yet to establish himself as a true franchise guy. And in the NFC north with the Vikings/Lions/Bears - you can say the Vikings had Favre for a year, but so did the Jets. Besides that it would have to be Matt Stafford? Kirk Cousins? Jay Cutler? I'll admit that's a step up from Tanehill/Pennington but do you really think that a Kirk Cousins or Matt Stafford led team would be competing with Brady/Belichick on a consistent basis? Very, very doubtful.

Facts...in the entire Brady career, the Bills made the playoffs once (barely, on a miracle, 2 yrs ago - one and done).

Facts...the Dolphins have one division title (when Brady missed the entire 2008 season) and the Jets have one in the entire Brady era. Do you think that the Patriots would have 17 or 18 division titles if they were in any other division the past 20 yrs?

Facts...the Dolphins, Jets, and Bills have had consistently the worst quarterbacking of any division the last 20 years. If not who is worse? You mention Cousins, Schaub, Collins, etc...ALL of those are better than anything those three teams have had since Marino retired in 1999. You say Titans, Jags, etc...how about Steve McNair? Brunell? Even Leftwich was better than anyone Miami has had since 2000. Almost every franchise in the NFL has had better quarterbacks.

The Patriots have been able to capitalize on winning the weakest division nearly every year and receiving home games and/or byes in the playoffs.

You must be a young Patriots fan.