Who Will Advance in Next Week's NFL Playoffs ?

[the other mike]

Playoffs are unpredictable. Sometimes the best team doesn't reach the Super Bowl.

Then again, Tom Brady is out of the picture which makes it a little easier.

 

[toobfreak]

Here is the schedule for the divisional rounds:

 

[protectionist]

A lot of the football talking heads are predicting th Lions to beat the Bucs. They are minimizing & disparaging the Bucs to the degree of having the Bucs lose by 10 points.

Here's my question. What do you think the Lions players & coaches are thinking about the Bucs ? Do you think they are taking them as lightly as the TV pundits ?

 

[task0778]

A lot of the football talking heads are predicting th Lions to beat the Bucs. They are minimizing & disparaging the Bucs to the degree of having the Bucs lose by 10 points.

Here's my question. What do you think the Lions players & coaches are thinking about the Bucs ? Do you think they are taking them as lightly as the TV pundits ?

It's possible. The Lions beat the Bucs once this year and although they are a different team now, so are the Lions. And the Lions are favored by 6 by the oddsmakers, and that's a lot in a playoff game against a playoff team. BUT - this game is at Ford Field where the crowd noise is going to be crazy and whatever the players are thinking about the Bucs might not matter when the game starts cuz that crowd is going to energize the home team. And so is Dan Campbell.

Now, having said that it is fair to note that all year long the Lions have not done well in the 3rd qtr, so if they are behind the Bucs might close the gap. But it is also fair to note that all year long the Lions have returned serve so to speak. When the other team scores the Lions respond in kind, and when the game is on the line the Lions do what needs to be done to win both on offense and defense. So, it could be a close game heading into the 4th qtr but I see the Lions finding a way to win.

 

[the other mike]

Detroit is the only NFC team that hasn't won a Superbowl.

Interestingly the Texans and Bills in the AFC.

 

[protectionist]

It's possible. The Lions beat the Bucs once this year and although they are a different team now, so are the Lions. And the Lions are favored by 6 by the oddsmakers, and that's a lot in a playoff game against a playoff team. BUT - this game is at Ford Field where the crowd noise is going to be crazy and whatever the players are thinking about the Bucs might not matter when the game starts cuz that crowd is going to energize the home team. And so is Dan Campbell.

Now, having said that it is fair to note that all year long the Lions have not done well in the 3rd qtr, so if they are behind the Bucs might close the gap. But it is also fair to note that all year long the Lions have returned serve so to speak. When the other team scores the Lions respond in kind, and when the game is on the line the Lions do what needs to be done to win both on offense and defense. So, it could be a close game heading into the 4th qtr but I see the Lions finding a way to win.

If the Lions do take the Bucs lightly, that will work in the Bucs favor. Another thing that seems to be overlooked and might be more important than it appears is the tendency of teams without playoff experience, to choke in the second half of such a big game.

This advantage would clearly go to the Bucs. While few if any, Lions have playoff experience, practically the whole 2024 Bucs team played in the Super Bowl a few years go, and have been in 6 playoff games in the last 4 years. Could have more bearing than we think.

 

[task0778]

If the Lions do take the Bucs lightly, that will work in the Bucs favor. Another thing that seems to be overlooked and might be more important than it appears is the tendency of teams without playoff experience, to choke in the second half of such a big game.

This advantage would clearly go to the Bucs. While few if any, Lions have playoff experience, practically the whole 2024 Bucs team played in the Super Bowl a few years go, and have been in 6 playoff games in the last 4 years. Could have more bearing than we think.

It's possible, the Lions have done that from time to time: Carolina last year and Baltimore this year. Plus they didn't do so good vs GB on Thanksgiving and that hurt. Plus your guys have the revenge factor to get even after their loss in Tampa earlier this year. But they know what this means to Detroit and Lions fans everywhere and I'm just not seeing them giving up. So I'm not seeing the experience factor as significant; Jared Goff has plenty of that experience and that is where it counts.

 

[task0778]

Detroit is the only NFC team that hasn't won a Superbowl.

Interestingly the Texans and Bills in the AFC.

Really? When did Phoenix, Minnesota, Carolina, and Atlanta win an SB? However, the Lions are the only NFC team that has never even been to the SB game, those other teams have played in at least one but never won as far as I know.

 

[the other mike]

Really? When did Phoenix, Minnesota, Carolina, and Atlanta win an SB? However, the Lions are the only NFC team that has never even been to the SB game, those other teams have played in at least one but never won as far as I know.

Good points .Google lied and I missed it.
I was even a Vikings fan in the 70s.
Jax too

 

[the other mike]

Detroit is the only NFC team that hasn't won a Superbowl.

Interestingly the Texans and Bills in the AFC.

Thanks for correcting that task0778 .

 

[LA RAM FAN]

Then again, Tom Brady is out of the picture which makes it a little easier.

Especially not having to face a team that always had the refs in their pockets.

 

[protectionist]

Especially not having to face a team that always had the refs in their pockets.

Wow, I really hope these games won't be marred by bad officiating. In a recent Bucs game, a defender had both of his arms completely wrapped around the receiver (Mike Evans), and never even looked at the ball coming in.

No pass interference call. I cant know if there was bribery, but that defender seemed to have zero worry about being called for pass interference.

I think it was the Carolina game, 2 weeks ago.

 

[the other mike]

Especially not having to face a team that always had the refs in their pockets.

They did pull off some 'Krafty' wins over the years.

 

[the other mike]

Texans offense is in for a long game in Baltimore.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

Texans offense is in for a long game in Baltimore.

They did pull off some 'Krafty' wins over the years.

When the penalty’s ALWAYS go against the other opponents in the most critical times of the games in playoffs and costs thst team the game and bad calls NEVER go against them and it’s documented with deflategate,spygate the visiting teams headsets always going out but never the home teams headsets,only an idiot would deny reality kraft had the refs and the NFL in his pockets.and there are a lot of them on these boards and in the country.

Peyton manning said thst his team would go in the hallways to talk about their game plan against them because they felt like they were getting bugged sense they always knew all theur plays they were running when they played them there.hense WHY they always had such a winning record at home and why they had a horrible playoff record on the road in playoff games.if this was college football brady and belicheat would be barred from the sports,a fact cheatriots apologists always also ignore.

The eagles in their Super Bowl win,they said they ran the drawn up plays in theur usual workout place but went to a secret site to run their real plays they used in the Super Bowl,proof is in the pudding when they can’t cheat and don’t have the refs in their pockets,they can’t win.

Brady can’t even beat a journeyman career backup in a big game when they can’t cheat and the refs are not in their pockets.

It was also so obvious that the head coac of the falcons and Matt Ryan were paid off to let the pats come back and win so brady could have the greatest comeback win in Super Bowl history,the coach in the first half was aggressive and attacked the offense where in the second half he got super conservative.any high school coach will never stop doing in the second half what worked so well in the first half.

You look at Super Bowl blowouts like the pats bears Super Bowl with Jim mcmahon,they did not blow the lead because the coach did not stop attacking the offense in the second half like they did in the first half,yet people say that game was not fixed around here.

 

[Fiero425]

When the penalty’s ALWAYS go against the other opponents in the most critical times of the games in playoffs and costs thst team the game and bad calls NEVER go against them and it’s documented with deflategate,spygate the visiting teams headsets always going out but never the home teams headsets,only an idiot would deny reality kraft had the refs and the NFL in his pockets.and there are a lot of them on these boards and in the country.

Peyton manning said thst his team would go in the hallways to talk about their game plan against them because they felt like they were getting bugged sense they always knew all theur plays they were running when they played them there.hense WHY they always had such a winning record at home and why they had a horrible playoff record on the road in playoff games.if this was college football brady and belicheat would be barred from the sports,a fact cheatriots apologists always also ignore.

The eagles in their Super Bowl win,they said they ran the drawn up plays in theur usual workout place but went to a secret site to run their real plays they used in the Super Bowl,proof is in the pudding when they can’t cheat and don’t have the refs in their pockets,they can’t win.

Brady can’t even beat a journeyman career backup in a big game when they can’t cheat and the refs are not in their pockets.

It was also so obvious that the head coac of the falcons and Matt Ryan were paid off to let the pats come back and win so brady could have the greatest comeback win in Super Bowl history,the coach in the first half was aggressive and attacked the offense where in the second half he got super conservative.any high school coach will never stop doing in the second half what worked so well in the first half.

You look at Super Bowl blowouts like the pats bears Super Bowl with Jim mcmahon,they did not blow the lead because the coach did not stop attacking the offense in the second half like they did in the first half,yet people say that game was not fixed around here.

That's hilarious! Foles has literally defeated Brady twice; now 0-2! Tom's yet to congrat. the guy, running off the field before doing the customary "handshake" on the field for that sports-news shot! Tom scampers off like Buddy Ryan every time the Bears defeated his Eagles back in the 80's 's including "The Fog Bowl!"

 

[leftwinger]

A lot of the football talking heads are predicting th Lions to beat the Bucs. They are minimizing & disparaging the Bucs to the degree of having the Bucs lose by 10 points.

Here's my question. What do you think the Lions players & coaches are thinking about the Bucs ? Do you think they are taking them as lightly as the TV pundits ?

If the Lions can generate pass rush, it looked to me that Baker was not very nimble. It could be a factor. He is not quick.

When if he gets going in a straight line he looked a little more speedy.

 

[sealybobo]

Lions may not even get past the Bucs next Sunday.

We’re lucky Dallas lost and we have home field advantage. Now I’m rooting for Green Bay to beat San Francisco. Then we would have home field against Green Bay. Assuming we get past Tampa bay.

If La ram fan is correct and it’s rigged, I think it will be Detroit upsets Baltimore in the Super Bowl.

 

[protectionist]

If the Lions can generate pass rush, it looked to me that Baker was not very nimble. It could be a factor. He is not quick.

When if he gets going in a straight line he looked a little more speedy.

That's very wrong. I live in Tampa and have watched all the Bucs games. Baker is an excellent scrambler, and has gotten many first downs doing that. Only exception might be if he is playing while injured.

 

[protectionist]

Texans offense is in for a long game in Baltimore.

You predicted it right. Ravens have the best defense in the nfl.