[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

True, but a rivarly is also built in the playoffs more so than the season unless we're talking about the Giants and the Cowboys who every year face off for a crucial division determining season game.. So really its only 0-1 and while that isn't great for Texas, it means with y'all quickly rising in the AFC that this year you will probably get another chance at it, and I have to wait to see how this Ravens roster gels together this season before I decide who I am favoring in a potential play-off game. At this stage it goes to the Ravens by default, but this season can quickly unravel due to injuries and Texans could get the advantage by the post-season.

Remember that Manning and Brady have both only played the Ravens 3 times (1-2 against Manning but 2-1 against Brady), yet those are considered legitimate play-off rivalries, and was the fucking icing on the cake when we beat BOTH Manning AND Brady last January. Ravens fans would have been happy enough even to lose the Superbowl after the joy of sending both those fuckers home in early exits, and on the road at that? I dare say the Ravens may go down as one of the best post-season road teams in NFL history, we're 14-7 all time in the post-season and yet only THREE of those victories were in Baltimore!!! That is why we never give two fucks about seeding, Ravens know we can go onto anyone's field in the play-offs and send them packing

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Let me reiterate my bias. I FUCKING DESPISE ALL those over-hyped NFL superheros who dominate the sports pages. Really. How fucking great is Peyton Manning when the guy is 9-12 career in the playoffs and hasn't won a Superbowl in years? Same with Tom Brady. Its like, yeah, these guys put up phenomenal stats, but so does Matt Stafford, and so did Drew Brees last year! Stats aren't everything in football, as the late Al Davis said, "Just win baby!!"

So when Ravens sent Brady home in 2009 it was like a fucking fantasy for me, like Suggs said, "Arrogant fucks!!!!" Same thing with Manning, if I have to hear Cris Collinsworth cream his pants one more damned time while mentioning the name "Pey-tuuun Mann-in" in that Northern Ohio drawl I will officially STOP watching Sunday Night football.

So yeah, Ravens are a slugging team, we like being shit on and hated by the media, it makes it so much sweeter when we send home the anointed NFL kings and dictators home packing in an early exit. Of course, it also is what made those two Manning losses and especially the Brady loss last year so epically painful. The way Broncos fans were caught crying on YouTube after the Ravens win, is how we Ravens fans were crying at the loss to the Patriots in 2012. I think I honestly cried, seriously.

[Bytor Peltor]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

How fucking great is Peyton Manning when the guy is 9-12 career in the playoffs and hasn't won a Superbowl in years?

In my opinion, Peyton Manning is the BEST QB in the modern day era. Just because his success doesn't translate to the post season doesn't mean he is any less of a QB.

Maybe I should use the other side of the coin to make my point. In NO WAY would anyone argue that Eli Manning is a Top 5 QB......he simply isn't! However, his Superbowl MVP along with two rings is something to behold, but should never be confused as being a all time great QB.

In a lot of ways, Peyton Manning is like the Atlanta Braves of the 90's. Only the NY Yankee's won more games than the Braves during this decade. The Toronto Blue Jays won back to back World Series in 92/93, but there is no doubt Atlanta has been the more successful franchise.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by Bytor Peltor

In my opinion, Peyton Manning is the BEST QB in the modern day era. Just because his success doesn't translate to the post season doesn't mean he is any less of a QB.

Maybe I should use the other side of the coin to make my point. In NO WAY would anyone argue that Eli Manning is a Top 5 QB......he simply isn't! However, his Superbowl MVP along with two rings is something to behold, but should never be confused as being a all time great QB.

In a lot of ways, Peyton Manning is like the Atlanta Braves of the 90's. Only the NY Yankee's won more games than the Braves during this decade. The Toronto Blue Jays won back to back World Series in 92/93, but there is no doubt Atlanta has been the more successful franchise.

But that is what is a bunch of hyped bullshit. Sounds like Peyton Manning fans just want to try and stretch his greatness to hide the reality that the guy hasn't won big in the play-offs in about a decade, even when he is favored seemingly every year, just like last year, just like he is favored this year. I think 25 years from now, people will remember Peyton as the flawed superstar who just couldn't seem to get it done when it counted. By the way, with TWO Superbowls in the past six years, including MVPs, how is Eli NOT the better Manning career wise? SERIOUSLY? Because Peyton has better season stats, meanwhile Eli has more "big" plays each year. They are different types of QBs, but Eli's style has obviously translated into more success. Remember, its not all about Fantasy numbers, at the end of the day its about wins, period. Look at how much vitriolic shit Lebron got when he was clearly the best player in the NBA and yet couldn't translate it into big play-off wins? Now, two Championships and three consecutive Finals appearances have changed that, and if Lebron falls out of playoff success the torch of "best in the league" will very obviously be passed to who is winning then..

Joe Flacco admittedly puts up pedestrian stats, and gets plenty of ridicule, but in 6 six years the guy is 9-4 career in the post-season, with a Superbowl and Superbowl MVP to boot, and is the first QB EVER to win a play-off game in every one of his first seasons. Do I think Cool Joe is the best in the game? Of course not. BUT, wins don't lie, and Peyton is missing just a few of them when it counts

[Rob Instigator]

I think the original Joe Cool is the best QB I ever saw.

 

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

I think the original Joe Cool is the best QB I ever saw.

 

Agreed completely. By the way, Flacco isn't known as Joe Cool, he isn't personally cool enough for that, in fact, the guy is basically kind of lame and boring. The Ravens have been calling him Cool Joe, because the guy NEVER flinches, never loses his cool demeanor on the field. It was the Ravens defense last year that gave Flacco that name, long before the post-season when the Montanna-Flacco comparisons were becoming more obvious (Flacco was one TD away from beating Montanna's seemingly unbeatable record of 11TDs-ZERO INT)

[Bytor Peltor]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

Sounds like Peyton Manning fans just want to try and stretch his greatness to hide the reality that the guy hasn't won big in the play-offs in about a decade

I believe Peyton needs another Superbowl ring for his postseason credentials. At the same time, there is no denying or stretching this sort of greatness:


Season Team Record Playoff Results

2003 Indianapolis Colts 12–4–0 Lost AFC Championship Game
2004 Indianapolis Colts 12–4–0 Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2005 Indianapolis Colts 14–2–0 # Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2006 Indianapolis Colts 12–4–0 Won Super Bowl XLI
2007 Indianapolis Colts 13–3–0 # Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2008 Tennessee Titans 13–3–0 # Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
2009 Indianapolis Colts 14–2–0 # Lost Super Bowl XLIV
2010 Indianapolis Colts 10–6–0 Lost AFC Wild Card Playoffs

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

You keep posting their season records, but like the 16-0 Patriots what is it worth? You noticeably neglected to emphasize that there is only ONE big win in that list, and a staggering 12 big losses. Call me old fashioned, but if an over-hyped QB NOT named Peyton Manning had lost so many huge play-off games, wouldn't everybody be quick to shit on the guy? Even Mark Sanchez has a better play-off career record (4-2) than Peyton!! If anything, I think between Brady and Peyton Manning that the NFL has been trying desperately to recreate the IMAGE of the kind of singular dominance that was the 1980s 49ers or the 1990s Cowboys, and simply put, Peyton doesn't come CLOSE to those teams. He may be more like the Elway Broncos, and indeed, if Peyton pulls it off this year and wins the Superbowl, I will humbly reassess my criticisms, but it still won't negate his 12 big losses in the play-offs, and if it becomes 10-13 or even worse, 9-13 in 2014 then what?

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

The Ravens have not allowed a touchdown in eight quarters since their season-opening 49-27 defeat in Denver.

Yeah. That is right. Contrary to hating ..err popular opinion the Ravens defense indeed got BETTER since last year, and today it showed all the more. Best special teams in football yet again, and we ain't even got Jacoby back. Ravens football is all about next man up

[Rob Instigator]

Yesterdays game was brutal horror. The texans OFF just withered away. The DEF played amazing but those INT and poor special teams play did the Texans in.

Way to go Ravens.

[Rob Instigator]

Great QB's have a KILLER INSTINCT. Matt Schaub does not. It is not something you can develop either. You have to have that drive to step ion your opponent's neck when they are down so that they do not get up again.

[Bytor Peltor]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

Yesterdays game was brutal horror.

That is one way to say......this is another:

 

Yet another:

 

The Texans are now 5-9 when these guys call a Texans game.

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Looking ahead to next week, the boys in Vegas have the Texans as a 3 point home dog to Seattle.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

Great QB's have a KILLER INSTINCT. Matt Schaub does not. It is not something you can develop either.

I believe I told you that last season when you were mentioned Texans contending. I said probably not with Schaub BUT Ravens and several other teams have indeed won Superbowls entirely on their defense with interchangeable non-impact QBs so its not entirely impossible. Schaub is a great QB btw, I'd put him in the top 15 in the NFL right now, and definitely put the Texans in the top-10

Originally Posted by Bytor Peltor

Looking ahead to next week, the boys in Vegas have the Texans as a 3 point home dog to Seattle.

Didn't they have y'all above Ravens at Baltimore too

J/K.. It can be a friendly rivalry, and the Seahawks need to be humbled significantly, so if its Texans that would be just as well..

[Bytor Peltor]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

Didn't they have y'all above Ravens at Baltimore too

YES - Vegas had Texans favored in Baltimore this previous weekend.

Seattle is now -3 at Houston.

Late last night when the lines opened at European sport-books, the Seahawks at Texans was listed as a Pick'em. BIG money must have come in on the Seahawks this morning. I expect the line will move closer to even by the end of the week.

In 44 years of Monday Night Football, tonight is the 17th meeting between the Raider and Broncos......no two other NFL teams have matched up more on MNF!

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

I don't listen to "Vegas" or to the sports commenthaters "predictions" because they generally involve sucking Peyton Manning or Tom Brady dick repeatedly or just picking whatever team happens to be flavor of the month streaking, but my own belief is that streaks are a terrible way to make predictions, because the simple law of averages catches up with EVERYBODY. There are two internal villains in the world of sports, and they are ALL undefeated across eternity and are the very definition of sport. The first is Father Time, who catches up with EVERYBODY, and ushers in the new eras and young-bucks. Jordan HAD to surpass Magic. Kobe HAD to surpass Jordan. Lebron HAD to surpass Kobe. Durant will HAVE to surpass Lebron. Father Time dictates the game. The second integral force in sports, the law of averages. Sports are about averages, and if you play enough games like if you flip a coin enough times, you will always fall back to the mean. So streaking teams will lose, and losing teams will win. This year all the shit-kicking teams from last year are fucking 3-0, and all the better teams from last year are 1-2.. There is a mechanical explanation for that by the way, the "better" teams are more physically exhausted and injured from having played more intensely last seasons (this again is Father Time and the Law of Averages catching up with the Niners and the Falcons, hoping it finds the Patriots and the Broncos )

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

By the way, how are we not all mutually celebrating this?

 

[Bytor Peltor]

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

This year all the shit-kicking teams from last year are fucking 3-0, and all the better teams from last year are 1-2.

After Seattle, all the other NFC 2012 playoff teams now find themselves with a combined record of 3-12 through Week Three of the 2013 season.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Which is surprisingly what we should expect because essentially the NFC playoffs have been dominated by the same teams for the past 2 or 3 consecutive years. I mean really, how much gas in the tank do the Niners really have after beating 3 of the best teams in football and then almost beating the best last season? The Falcons have been playing too well for years now, and while they haven't been exactly overachieving in the playoffs, it takes a lot of wear and tear to average a 13 wins for three consecutive seasons. The Vikings simply shouldn't have been in the playoffs last season, and that is clear now. That, and the rest of the league has been watching YEARS of tape on these teams, so defenses are much more adjusted. I'm surprised the Patriots and Seahawks are playing so well, but Seattle is young so it won't catch up to them until next year, and the Patriots, well shit, they've quite literally gotten very lucky so I wouldn't be surprised if they start slumping soon. Colts are also surprising. Packers had to fall to earth inevitably after so many great seasons recently.


I think this season we will see all the 12 plus teams regress towards 10-6 and see all the sub-.500 teams either make the play-offs or at least play significantly better.

My predictions? Who the fuck knows! But I do know the Titans and Ravens will make the play-offs, despite whatever the Bengals are thinking

[Bytor Peltor]

Jacoby Jones Injured