NFL Playoffs 2017

[Troublemaker]

Patriots have opened as 16-pt favorites over the Texans. Wow.

Other opens:

Falcons are 4-pt favorites over the Seahawks.

Steelers are 1-pt favorites at the Chiefs.

[OldPhiKap]

Dirty Birds trashing the Seagulls right now.

[Bob Green]

Great game going on between the Cowboys and Packers tied at 28 with ~4 minutes remaining in regulation. Cowboys just tied it up with a touchdown and 2-point conversion.

[BD80]

Great game going on between the Cowboys and Packers tied at 28 with ~4 minutes remaining in regulation. Cowboys just tied it up with a touchdown and 2-point conversion.

'boys riding Mo' right now

[elvis14]

'boys riding Mo' right now

Let's go Packers...

[duketaylor]

WOW!! Just Wow!! Awesome game, as a lifelong Cowboy fan that hurt, but very compelling. As opposed to yesterday which was weak.

Looking forward to tonight's game.

[Turk]

Here we go Steelers! America's no-frills football team (still saving money for the stickers on the other side of their helmets), now gets a chance to go up against Belicheat and the Evil Empire.

Gotta love it when a team can win without scoring a touchdown while their opponents get two TDs.

Shame to do it against the Chiefs (Sorry DIK); maybe we can have a rematch in the AFC championship game next year.

[JasonEvans]

So, Vegas initially set the O/U on the Falcons-Pack game at 58.5 and it quickly got bet up. It is now 60.5 or even 61 at some sportsbooks. Supposedly, it is the 2nd highest O/U line in NFL history and only needs to go up by another half point or so to become the biggest ever.

And it seems like a perfectly reasonable line to me. These two teams are going to score 30+ each, that's practically a given. They both have incredible kickers but I feel like settling for a field goal is going to feel like a victory for the defenses.

The city of Atlanta is positively giddy at the moment. I don't think there has ever been more excitement for the Falcons (even in the year they made the Super Bowl, they were big underdogs in both the NFC championship game against Minny and the Super Bowl against Denver).

-Jason "the debate around here has been - do you want a home game or do you fear Aaron Rodgers? Well, we got our home game, but I really fear that dude" Evans

[BD80]

So, Vegas initially set the O/U on the Falcons-Pack game at 58.5 and it quickly got bet up. It is now 60.5 or even 61 at some sportsbooks. Supposedly, it is the 2nd highest O/U line in NFL history and only needs to go up by another half point or so to become the biggest ever.

And it seems like a perfectly reasonable line to me. These two teams are going to score 30+ each, that's practically a given. They both have incredible kickers but I feel like settling for a field goal is going to feel like a victory for the defenses.

The city of Atlanta is positively giddy at the moment. I don't think there has ever been more excitement for the Falcons (even in the year they made the Super Bowl, they were big underdogs in both the NFC championship game against Minny and the Super Bowl against Denver).

-Jason "the debate around here has been - do you want a home game or do you fear Aaron Rodgers? Well, we got our home game, but I really fear that dude" Evans

Denver last year was an anomaly, and the Ravens a few years back.

The Final Four this year is more proof that this is a quarterback driven league. It's what the fans want, it's what the advertisers want, it's what the league has focused on providing.

Any doubts should be removed by the hissy fit that Brady had Saturday when he was tackled after he released a pass. The defender had a hold of Brady before the ball was released, and dragged Brady down as he tried to step free. Wonder how Cam Newton felt watching that.

[InSpades]

Denver last year was an anomaly, and the Ravens a few years back.

The Final Four this year is more proof that this is a quarterback driven league. It's what the fans want, it's what the advertisers want, it's what the league has focused on providing.

Any doubts should be removed by the hissy fit that Brady had Saturday when he was tackled after he released a pass. The defender had a hold of Brady before the ball was released, and dragged Brady down as he tried to step free. Wonder how Cam Newton felt watching that.

If you picked the winners based solely on which team has the better QB you would have gotten every game right so far.

This will most likely hold in the AFC (the Steelers have never beaten Brady and I don't see why they would do it now...).

NFC will be more interesting. Have to give the QB edge to Rodgers but I think the game is basically a toss-up since it is in Atlanta.

Should be 2 great games!

[DukieInKansas]

Here we go Steelers! America's no-frills football team (still saving money for the stickers on the other side of their helmets), now gets a chance to go up against Belicheat and the Evil Empire.

Gotta love it when a team can win without scoring a touchdown while their opponents get two TDs.

Shame to do it against the Chiefs (Sorry DIK); maybe we can have a rematch in the AFC championship game next year.

I couldn't really lose in this game. I was a Steelers fan way before I became a Chiefs fan. Although I wanted the Chiefs to win this time since it had been so long for them, they just didn't perform well enough to win - too many dropped passes and stupid penalties. (Yes, I'm talking about you, Travis Kelce.)

Let's go, Steelers!

[rsvman]

I'm going to go against the grain here and predict a Steelers victory over New England. Brady hasn't looked sharp. I'm not sure the Patriots defense can stop Bell.

Should be a close, hard-fought game, but in the end I think the Steelers make yet another trip to the SB.

[rsvman]

So this morning I hear that at least 15 of the Steelers players are sick with "the flu." Don't know what they mean by that, but if it's really a norovirus, half the team or more could be down by game time.
If it's really influenza, could be 3/4 of them.
Time will tell, but if this report is true, it turns the balance of power back to New England.

[OldPhiKap]

So this morning I hear that at least 15 of the Steelers players are sick with "the flu." Don't know what they mean by that, but if it's really a norovirus, half the team or more could be down by game time.
If it's really influenza, could be 3/4 of them.
Time will tell, but if this report is true, it turns the balance of power back to New England.

Damn, Belichick is devious. Wonder how he pulled this one off?

[duke4ever19]

So this morning I hear that at least 15 of the Steelers players are sick with "the flu." Don't know what they mean by that, but if it's really a norovirus, half the team or more could be down by game time.
If it's really influenza, could be 3/4 of them.
Time will tell, but if this report is true, it turns the balance of power back to New England.

That's really funny.

[rsvman]

That's really funny.

I meant, in my mind. I had previously predicted a Steelers upset. Now I think it will probably go the other way.

I could well have been wrong in the first place, obviously, but I just feel like this particular Patriots team isn't really an offensive juggernaut, hasn't really been playing all that well in the past couple of games, and will have a hard time stopping Bell.

But playing football during or shortly after a bout of either norovirus infection or influenza virus infection will take a lot out of a player.

[duke4ever19]

I meant, in my mind. I had previously predicted a Steelers upset. Now I think it will probably go the other way.

I could well have been wrong in the first place, obviously, but I just feel like this particular Patriots team isn't really an offensive juggernaut, hasn't really been playing all that well in the past couple of games, and will have a hard time stopping Bell.

But playing football during or shortly after a bout of either norovirus infection or influenza virus infection will take a lot out of a player.

Brady was definitely a bit shaky the previous game, it's just hard to imagine him having the same type of game in back-to-back weeks.

Heck, Brady is 9-2 vs the Steelers with 26 tds and only 3 ints. I'm not betting against those numbers.

[BD80]

Brady was definitely a bit shaky the previous game, it's just hard to imagine him having the same type of game in back-to-back weeks.

Heck, Brady is 9-2 vs the Steelers with 26 tds and only 3 ints. I'm not betting against those numbers.

Amusing compilation of allegations of how the Patriots cheated to achieve those results:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/fr...-of-bad-blood/

One episode that is not discussed is how LaGarrette Blount quit on the Steelers last year only to be immediately picked up by the Patriots. Was there any doubt that he had had contact (illegally) with the Patriots about joining them before he walked off the field during a game - knowing full well he would be cut immediately?

[duke4ever19]

Amusing compilation of allegations of how the Patriots cheated to achieve those results:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/fr...-of-bad-blood/

One episode that is not discussed is how LaGarrette Blount quit on the Steelers last year only to be immediately picked up by the Patriots. Was there any doubt that he had had contact (illegally) with the Patriots about joining them before he walked off the field during a game - knowing full well he would be cut immediately?

Thanks, that was a fun article, however, I was expecting the writer to conclude that somehow Grayson Allen was behind the whole thing. I'm sure they'll figure out a way.

[Bob Green]

Max McCaffrey has been promoted to the active roster for today's game due to the condition of Green Bay's receivers:

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...-max-mccaffrey

This could be his golden opportunity.