Battle for Homefield

[cowboys4life]

Who do you think gets home field rights this year

NFC - Panthers or Giants

AFC - Titans or Steelers

[carolinabred]

NFC- Panthers
AFC-Steelers

I am a Panthers fan but I beleve the Panthers and Steelers are "peaking at the right time". The Giants are for real and I dont think they are done but I believe that the Titans are a joke and will not make it far.

[Rooster]

Interestingly, the Titans could lose today and still get home field. Not saying it's worth a shot, mind you...

I think the Panthers and Steelers have really established themselves as contenders and have very good chances. I'm picking them both. I don't think either the Giants or Titans was really an 11-1 team, and we're seeing a little evening out.

carolinabred, you're a Panthers fan? Dude, post on the Panthers board. We need you.

[hermes]

giants
steelers


although i think the panthers have a great shot to get it, giants could pull it out though

[J.Kim]

NFC- Panthers
AFC-Steelers

I am a Panthers fan but I beleve the Panthers and Steelers are "peaking at the right time". The Giants are for real and I dont think they are done but I believe that the Titans are a joke and will not make it far.

Good for you.

Anyway...

These playoffs, as Aaron Schatz and (I can't believe I'm actually going to be referring to his opinion in a point to provide legitimacy) Bill Simmons have said, are going to be about the match-ups. There's not necessarily one team that dominates over the other, but you're going to see the Champions of each of the conferences come out depending on the match-ups that there are.

[High 5]

Steelers and Giants.

Carolina is great at home, but they aren't the same team on the road. I don't see them beating New York and I would not be surprised if they lost to New Orleans.

[deeney0]

Panthers and Steelers

[Icness]

NFC- Panthers
AFC-Steelers

I am a Panthers fan but I beleve the Panthers and Steelers are "peaking at the right time". The Giants are for real and I dont think they are done but I believe that the Titans are a joke and will not make it far.

Good for you.

Anyway...

These playoffs, as Aaron Schatz and (I can't believe I'm actually going to be referring to his opinion in a point to provide legitimacy) Bill Simmons have said, are going to be about the match-ups. There's not necessarily one team that dominates over the other, but you're going to see the Champions of each of the conferences come out depending on the match-ups that there are.

I don't really believe that...not any more than in any other season anyways. I think if Pittsburgh wins this weekend they are far and away the dominant AFC team, and I would go so far as to say the only team that has any shot at beating them in Pittsburgh in the playoffs is the streaking Indianapolis Colts. Denver and any of the AFC East teams have no chance in Pittsburgh, and we've just seen the Baltimore movie. The Titans don't match up well with Pittsburgh at all, even less so with no Haynesworth/Vandenbosch, so if you want to consider that a "matchup" issue, so be it.

I do think the NFC is wide open--any team that gets in except the Cardinals can win the whole shebang. I think it will very much be a case of a team getting hot at the right time. That said, Dallas and Philly are both smoking right now and one of them (if not both) almost certainly isn't going to make the playoffs.

You don't win playoff games based on match-ups. You win because your talent executes better and makes fewer mistakes. Momentum plays a part, experience plays a role, coaching play a pretty big role, home field. I would put all of that above matchups like the Vikings run defense versus the Panthers run game. Good teams find ways to overcome disadvantageous match-ups and mitigate them; bad teams rely on supposed mismatches to carry them. That's why Arizona has no chance.

[J.Kim]

NFC- Panthers
AFC-Steelers

I am a Panthers fan but I beleve the Panthers and Steelers are "peaking at the right time". The Giants are for real and I dont think they are done but I believe that the Titans are a joke and will not make it far.

Good for you.

Anyway...

These playoffs, as Aaron Schatz and (I can't believe I'm actually going to be referring to his opinion in a point to provide legitimacy) Bill Simmons have said, are going to be about the match-ups. There's not necessarily one team that dominates over the other, but you're going to see the Champions of each of the conferences come out depending on the match-ups that there are.

I don't really believe that...not any more than in any other season anyways. I think if Pittsburgh wins this weekend they are far and away the dominant AFC team, and I would go so far as to say the only team that has any shot at beating them in Pittsburgh in the playoffs is the streaking Indianapolis Colts. Denver and any of the AFC East teams have no chance in Pittsburgh, and we've just seen the Baltimore movie. The Titans don't match up well with Pittsburgh at all, even less so with no Haynesworth/Vandenbosch, so if you want to consider that a "matchup" issue, so be it.

I do think the NFC is wide open--any team that gets in except the Cardinals can win the whole shebang. I think it will very much be a case of a team getting hot at the right time. That said, Dallas and Philly are both smoking right now and one of them (if not both) almost certainly isn't going to make the playoffs.

You don't win playoff games based on match-ups. You win because your talent executes better and makes fewer mistakes. Momentum plays a part, experience plays a role, coaching play a pretty big role, home field. I would put all of that above matchups like the Vikings run defense versus the Panthers run game. Good teams find ways to overcome disadvantageous match-ups and mitigate them; bad teams rely on supposed mismatches to carry them. That's why Arizona has no chance.

I don't think there's any outright "Best" team in any conference.
Giants looked like they were, but they're starting to look less and less invulnerable.

Pittsburgh, the one weakness which has haunted them all season has always been at their O-Line and protecting Ben Roethlisberger. And considering how the Titans can generate a pass rush with just the four down linemen, as long as Vanden Bosch and Haynesworth are healthy, should be able to shut down the Steelers' Offense.

Maybe it's just me, but this year seems to be different than recent past years in that there has not been one or two elite teams at the top. There's several teams at the top without much spacing in between those, and equal parts talent, coaching and experience. And I think that's why past logic to playoff generalities don't necessarily apply to this year....

(Not sure if this made sense.... probably didn't....)

[J.Kim]

NFC- Panthers
AFC-Steelers

I am a Panthers fan but I beleve the Panthers and Steelers are "peaking at the right time". The Giants are for real and I dont think they are done but I believe that the Titans are a joke and will not make it far.

Sorry to gloat...

KThxBai...

I'm just very happy

[VinnyTheMick]

NFC- Panthers
AFC-Steelers

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