NFL Playoff Thread

More, how weak the AFC was this year. GB or NO wins last night too. The Jets must have been sick watching. I've never seen a more one dimensional SB team that wasn't a fluke. All they do well is the short passing game. No part of their defense is particularly good, they can't run or throw vertically or to the outside. 13-3 was a miracle / product of the weak AFC.

 

The AFC also had Schaub, Manning and Roethlisberger all banged up or out. Put those three in place and healthy for the end of the season and the AFC looks a lot stronger.

 

I said at the beginning of the playoffs that I'd have five NFC teams as favorite in the AFC. That may be a bit strong because it includes Atlanta and didn't give enough credit to New England.

But your point is part of my rationale. Pittsburgh is very good, but they were banged up. Houston is very good, but they were banged up. The NFC did not have this issue and, indeed, the Giants were headed in exactly the opposite direction, getting healthier as the season came to an end.

 

Houston was good but a lot more than banged up. They were injured at key spots all year which made them weaker for this year. They fought through it which is very impressive, and a reflection of the weakness of the conference. Pittsburgh was good but not as good as it has been in the past even without the injuries. Manning was out all year. I'm not saying the NFC will be stronger forever,, but for this year it was lopsided. This goes back and forth. For a long time (SF, NYG, Chicago, Dallas, GB) it was true, then the balance shifted in the other direction (NE, Indy, Pittsburgh). Now it's very much back.

 

Well, if the Steelers are healthy and Schaub's healthy for the Texans and, conversely, the Saints go into the playoffs without Brees and Pierre Paul and one other linemen (don't make me spell those guys' names) get hurt for the Giants in Week 17, and we may be saying the AFC is stronger.

It's close enough where it really comes down to things like that.

 

Not this year it wasn't.

 

I think Houston is a hell of a lot better than people think, even with a third-string quarterback leading them, and that they could have given the Patriots a game. And I agree the Patriots are built to destroy bad teams. Once they get into a game against a more physical team, though, all the 5-foot-9 receivers, project players and undersized defenders aren't going to be much use. You would think the great, noble-minded Brady, who cares more about winning than anyone on Earth, would want to restructure his deal so they can retool that defense properly.

 

A healthy Houston team > a healthy Pittsburgh Steelers team.

The Texans woulda been a tough out for any playoff team. If they were healthy.
I'm starting to think they are snakebite. Curse of Bum Phillips or something.

 

The Texans are snakebite? Please/

Sincerely,

Lions and Browns fans

 

What, you don't think adding Schaub and a healthy Steelers and subtracting a Brees and a Giants' d-line wouldn't flip things?

I do think the AFC would have an edge, although it would not be the chasm that, to me, separates the NFC from the AFC this year. All things equal, the NFC is a tad bit better. Take away key players from the AFC, but not the NFC, and it ain't close.

So yeah, the difference is a handful of key players.

 

But the Texans still have a pretty bright future. They could be the team next year.

 

Only if Shaub and Johnson stay healthy.