NFL Playoffs -Divisional Round

[Paddy1951]

Originally Posted by raysachs

It runs pretty deep. I got started as a Colts fan as a little kid in Baltimore in the 60s, but then grew up in Arizona in the 70s when there were no teams between Dallas and California (and the Colts only had a couple good years in the '70s). People in the southwest either loved the Cowboys or hated them. I hated them. Couldn't stand their all-American god and country schtick with Landry and Staubach leading the charge. I liked some of their outcasts, like Duane Thomas, but hated how they were treated.



And then after bouncing around for a few years (lived in the Seattle area and was a Seahawks fan in the Dave Kreig / Steve Largent era), we landed in the Philly area in '92 and gradually became Eagles fans. And around here, EVERYONE hates the Cowboys, it's pretty much required, so I fit right in - didn't need to get up to speed on that AT ALL! And the regional affiliation just fed the hate and let it run that much deeper.



There are two teams in the world I hate come hell or high water, good times or bad times. The Cowboys and the Yankees. There are other teams I hate briefly at times but I always get over it - it's just not that deep. That's how I feel about the Pats at the moment - I'm just fully sick of them. But soon enough they'll suck and I won't hold anything over from when they were great. But the Cowboys and Yankees are on a different level. I've more or less hated them since I was a kid and I'll probably go to my grave feeling that way. I'd rather see the Cowboys lose than the Eagles win - when both happen it's just too good to be true. And when we're in an opposite cycle, I lean into baseball and basketball...



-Ray

The Cowboys and the Yankees are both teams that are/have been the best teams MONEY COULD BUY. That is why both are hated.

With the Cowboys there was an
arrogance about them them that is just unsurpassed.
Rivalries are normal and bad mouthing your rivals, whoever they are, is what you would expect and I believe, normal.

Then there is the whole Texas thing. Texas, contrary to it's self opinion, does not do everything well. The Cowboys are part of this.

I am tired of the Pats. But their coach and QB are top notch. Fortunes change though. Next year... who knows?

In my very biased opinion the best team ever was the Lombardi era Green Bay Packers. A small market team where everybody on the the team was as much a super star in their position, as Brady is today.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by raysachs

Brady's an amazing competitor, but he wouldn't have been nearly as great playing for most other coaches. He ends up throwing so many passes to wide open receivers - that's more on the scheme than him. I've watched every great QB since Unitas and I'd take Aaron Rodgers over anyone. He's an absolute freak at that position and he's never played for a particularly good team or particularly good coach. Have he and Brady switch places and Brady doesn't do nearly as well as Rodgers in Green Bay and Rodgers does better than Brady in Boston.


-Ray

I'm a huge Pats and Brady fan, so I'm very biased. But, I've watched 99% of Pats games since 84 and just about every game Brady has started. I understand that Rodgers is more gifted than anyone else (Mahomes might be in his league though now), but that doesn't alone define the greatest QB. The reason why Brady seems to throw to open receivers so often is because of his presnap reads, calling the audible to the correct play, and his eye discipline during the play. He does it better than anyone. And, unless you've watched every game he plays, most wouldn't know that his arm talent isn't that far behind Rodgers. Yes, I admit Rodgers has the best arm I've seen so far (barring Mahomes), but Brady is no slouch. It's Brady's will and IQ that sets him above in my mind.

To take another sport... Larry Bird wasn't the most athletic person on the basketball court (although, again, he was more athletic than most thought), but how hard he played and his knowledge of the game set him apart from nearly everyone else. Most of which were more athletic.

[AmericanEagle]

Patriots!!

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Scott O

Ray, what do you mean that it's more the scheme than him? I don't understand.

The design of the offense on a game by game basis, which Belichek and whoever his OC at the moment have always been amazing at changing up, and the play calling result in him throwing to a lot of wide open guys. And, for sure, part of that is his calling audibles and reading the defense - I’m not questioning his greatness, just his GOAT-ness. You watch Rodgers engineer a last minute drive and almost every throw seems to thread a needle to a well covered guy right at the sideline. Brady does some of that, but he's gottwn a lot of passing yards and TD passes on plays that didn’t require that much of him as a passer...

-Ray

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Paddy1951

The Cowboys and the Yankees are both teams that are/have been the best teams MONEY COULD BUY. That is why both are hated.

With the Cowboys there was an
arrogance about them them that is just unsurpassed.
Rivalries are normal and bad mouthing your rivals, whoever they are, is what you would expect and I believe, normal.

Then there is the whole Texas thing. Texas, contrary to it's self opinion, does not do everything well. The Cowboys are part of this.

I am tired of the Pats. But their coach and QB are top notch. Fortunes change though. Next year... who knows?

In my very biased opinion the best team ever was the Lombardi era Green Bay Packers. A small market team where everybody on the the team was as much a super star in their position, as Brady is today.

I hear you about the whole Texas thing, but OTOH, I never felt that way about the Houston Oilers or now the Texans. Or the Astros, Rockets, Mavericks, Spurs, or Rangers. For me, a lot of it has always just been the Cowboys. And once Jerry Jones got involved, that TIMES TEN!

The 60’s Packers were amazing - I got to see them a few times as a kid in Baltimore in some incredible Colt/Packer games. But I can say they’re greater than the Pittsburgh, San Francisco, or Patriot dynasties. I realistically have to put the Pats at the top of that list given how long they’ve been able to maintain their level of excellence. I hope they never win (or even get back to) another one though - I’d like for the Eagles to have been the ones to slay that dragon! I’m not saying I THINK they’re done, but I HOPE they are...

-Ray

[RussL30]

Hopefully Dak and the Boys keep playing well.

I wish both teams playing in the super dome could lose. The two rudest and most annoying fan bases there are.

I like all the teams left in the AFC but since my wife is a Patriots fan, go Pats!

[Blueser100]

Should be an exciting weekend. Go Chiefs! Go Rams!

[Dru Edwards]

Well, the Chiefs are piling up the points against the Colts. 17-7 after being up 17-0.

[Kindness]

Lose Cowboys Lose!

Yay Chiefs.

And being from Boston, Go Patriots!

[RussL30]

NFL officiating continues to be terrible.

Dallas is just being out physicaled tonight plus having a couple bad calls go against them and it looks to be a long night.

[AmericanEagle]

Originally Posted by Kindness

And being from Boston, Go Patriots!

Yes, Go Pats!

[RussL30]

Disappointed in how soft the Cowboys defense played tonight. Pathetic effort. Gotta give credit to the Rams OL.

Hopefully the Pats can go all the way, and if not them, then whoever comes out of the AFC. I hope the officiating is halfway decent in that game tomorrow, because the NFL really wants LA to become a football town.

[raysachs]

Now that the Cowboys are out, I can relax and enjoy the rest of the playoffs. I’d love to see the Eagles make another run, but really everything they’re doing right now is gravy. The Cowboys going down is big though...

[ManyMartinMan]

Originally Posted by RussL30

Disappointed in how soft the Cowboys defense played tonight....Gotta give credit to the Rams....

Not a bad game in the end. Sometimes what looks like a soft defense is really preparation by the opposing offense. Either way we'll take the win. Live to play again.

[Dru Edwards]

Did anyone expect the Chiefs/Colts game to be so one sided? Not just the score either - time of possession was 2-1.

Let's go Pats!