NFL 2011 Season Discussion

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I would have loved it if we beat the Packers & the Patriots to win the Vince Lombardi trophy (& thereby defeat the top five passers in the NFL on the way to the top). This is pretty sweet too, though.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Raise your hand if you had the Giants vs. 49ers in the 2011-2012 NFC Championship?  A lot of people could see Ravens at Patriots, but I'm not sure many people, including those diehard fans on both coasts, had the road to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis going through San Francisco.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

49ers v. Patriots anyone?

[Joe Biden 2020]

49ers v. Patriots anyone?

I'd prefer 49ers v. Ravens, but that'd be alright, too.

We could also have a rematch of Super Bowl XXXV between the Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

49ers v. Patriots anyone?

I'd prefer 49ers v. Ravens, but that'd be alright, too.

We could also have a rematch of Super Bowl XXXV between the Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants.

I'd much prefer Ravens v. Niners actually.

[Joe Biden 2020]

49ers v. Patriots anyone?

I'd prefer 49ers v. Ravens, but that'd be alright, too.

We could also have a rematch of Super Bowl XXXV between the Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Giants.

I'd much prefer Ravens v. Niners actually.

Oh, by far.

If the Giants win, it will be either a rematch of Super Bowl 35 - Ravens over Giants or Super Bowl 42 - Giants over Patriots.

If it is Ravens vs. Niners, it will be the Harbaugh Bowl Part II.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Raise your hand if you had the Giants vs. 49ers in the 2011-2012 NFC Championship?  A lot of people could see Ravens at Patriots, but I'm not sure many people, including those diehard fans on both coasts, had the road to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis going through San Francisco.

     After the Niners won yesterday, I saw a lot of diehard fans predicting a Giants victory over the Packers. That was probably just wishful thinking, though. I don't know how many of them actually thought it would come true.

[Psychic Octopus]

PACKERS OUT! 49ERs FAVORED!

[Хahar 🤔]

I'm a lot more scared of the Ravens than the Patriots. I'm not too concerned that the 49ers lost to the Ravens, since they only had three days off and had to cross three time zones, but that game was ugly; Alex Smith was sacked nine times, and Jim Harbaugh apparently never considered calling a screen pass. The Patriots have no defense. I think they can handle that.

When the Niners won in Week 1, I was disappointed because it hurt their chances at Andrew Luck, so this is cool.

[Politico]

I figured anything could happen in the NFC, but I would have bet heavily against the Saints and Packers losing.

My new prediction: A rematch of Super Bowl XLII: Giants Vs. Patriots.

Brady's legacy will be damaged heavily if he loses to Manning and the Giants yet again.

[Associate Justice PiT]

I'm a lot more scared of the Ravens than the Patriots. I'm not too concerned that the 49ers lost to the Ravens, since they only had three days off and had to cross three time zones, but that game was ugly; Alex Smith was sacked nine times, and Jim Harbaugh apparently never considered calling a screen pass. The Patriots have no defense. I think they can handle that.

When the Niners won in Week 1, I was disappointed because it hurt their chances at Andrew Luck, so this is cool.

     Yeah, the thought of playing the Ravens is not appealing, since they function so much like the Niners do; well-rounded, unpredictable, & dangerous. Patriots on the other hand, are another big-time offense to shut down. Not necessarily easy, but much more straightforward.

     Still, I think a Niners-Ravens Super Bowl would go a long way towards discrediting the offense-obssessive attitude that has seized the league lately. Offense wins announcer kudos, defense wins Super Bowls.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I'm just as scared of the Ravens as the Patriots, but it's for different reasons. The Patriots have no defense, but stopping Brady will be a task. The Ravens have no passing offense and--with the Niners great rush defense--I don't think running the ball will be easy for them, either. However, the Ravens' defense is really, really good.

[Keystone Phil]

So we have a 75% chance of seeing some type of Super Bowl rematch or the Harbaugh (Maybe a real Har-Bowl) rematch. Interesting.

I'm rooting for San Fran vs. New England or San Fran vs. Baltimore but I think it's going to be Giants vs. Patriots. I know it's near blasphemy as an Eagles fan but if I have to root for New York in another Super Bowl, so be it. The Patriots must be stopped.

We should see some great games next weekend. I think New England vs. Baltimore will be the better - and closer - game but the Patriots should come away with the win. On the NFC side, I just can't bet against the Giants at this point.

[Хahar 🤔]

I don't understand what would make anyone predict that the Giants will win this game. Is it that they won nine games and the 49ers won thirteen? Is it that they already played the 49ers and lost? Or is it that they'll be playing at Candlestick Park?

[Keystone Phil]

I don't understand what would make anyone predict that the Giants will win this game. Is it that they won nine games and the 49ers won thirteen? Is it that they already played the 49ers and lost? Or is it that they'll be playing at Candlestick Park?

They're the hot team and have a tendency to go on a great run in away games in the playoffs.

P.S. - In the 2007 season, the Patriots won eighteen games. The Giants won ten. The Giants also already played the Patriots in that regular season and lost. Who won that Super Bowl?

[Хahar 🤔]

How are they "the hot team"? By winning four games in a row? So have the 49ers.

In the past twenty years, the Giants have only won playoff games on the road in one season: 2007. That's not a "tendency" to go on a run, that's one example.

You can point to your example of one inferior team that won, or we can consider all the better teams that have won when they played teams that were worse than them.

[Politico]

I don't understand what would make anyone predict that the Giants will win this game. Is it that they won nine games and the 49ers won thirteen?

The regular season does not matter at this point. Just ask the Packers, who were 15-1 in the regular season and 0-1 in the post-season.

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Go ask the Packers what home field advantage means. The 49ers beat the Giants earlier in the season, but that was when the Giants were cold.

Did you not watch the Packers-Giants game? I am sorry, but Alex Smith is in a world of trouble unless that defense and running game really step up for him for four quarters.

[Keystone Phil]

How are they "the hot team"? By winning four games in a row? So have the 49ers.

The Niners haven't had their backs against the wall like the Giants.

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One big example and this season is looking awfully similar to the 2007 season.  

[Politico]

In the past twenty years, the Giants have only won playoff games on the road in one season: 2007. That's not a "tendency" to go on a run, that's one example.

One, who cares about the past twenty years? Phil Simms and Steve Young have nothing to do with this upcoming match-up. What matters is what the current players on the roster have done in the past, specifically this post-season. Secondly, your number is incorrect as evidenced by the win against Green Bay yesterday. Furthermore, the Giants won all four road games in 2007 (if you count the Super Bowl as a road game), and have now handed the Packers two losses at home in the past four years. I do not think any other franchise has ever accomplished either of these feats.

[Хahar 🤔]

I don't understand what would make anyone predict that the Giants will win this game. Is it that they won nine games and the 49ers won thirteen?

The regular season does not matter at this point. Just ask the Packers, who were 15-1 in the regular season and 0-1 in the post-season.

And yet none of that changes what the regular season shows; the 49ers were significantly better than the Giants.

Is it that they already played the 49ers and lost? Or is it that they'll be playing at Candlestick Park?

Go ask the Packers what home field advantage means. The 49ers beat the Giants earlier in the season, but that was when the Giants were cold.

The 49ers, meanwhile, were effectively without Frank Gore. Yet they weren't cold, because they're a very good team.

Did you not watch the Packers-Giants game? I am sorry, but Alex Smith is in a world of trouble unless that defense and running game really step up for him for four quarters.

So, then, what they've been doing all year.

In the past twenty years, the Giants have only won playoff games on the road in one season: 2007. That's not a "tendency" to go on a run, that's one example.

One, who cares about the past twenty years? Phil Simms and Steve Young have nothing to do with this upcoming match-up. What matters is what the current players on the roster have done in the past, specifically this post-season. Secondly, your number is incorrect as evidenced by the win against Green Bay yesterday. Furthermore, the Giants won all four road games in 2007 (if you count the Super Bowl as a road game), and have now handed the Packers two losses at home in the past four years. I do not think any other franchise has ever accomplished either of these feats.

What happened twenty years ago is only marginally less relevant than what happened in 2007; the Giants aren't playing the Patriots now. Your post did convince me that the Giants beat the Packers yesterday. It didn't tell me why the 49ers will lose to a vastly inferior team.

How are they "the hot team"? By winning four games in a row? So have the 49ers.

The Niners haven't had their backs against the wall like the Giants.

I'd say that they had their backs against the wall in that fourth quarter, but you're right; it hasn't happened very often, because the 49ers are a really good team, and so they don't end up in those situations.

In the past twenty years, the Giants have only won playoff games on the road in one season: 2007. That's not a "tendency" to go on a run, that's one example.

One big example and this season is looking awfully similar to the 2007 season. 

This season feels like 1981 to me. Now my narrative is just as good!

Of course, this discussion is pointless, but it just annoys me because the same things were said about the Giants when they won the World Series, and I have a lot more confidence in this team than I did in that one. Every year, we hear how our team actually sucks and some team from the East Coast is so much better. I'm tired of it.

[Politico]

I don't understand what would make anyone predict that the Giants will win this game. Is it that they won nine games and the 49ers won thirteen?

The regular season does not matter at this point. Just ask the Packers, who were 15-1 in the regular season and 0-1 in the post-season.

And yet none of that changes what the regular season shows; the 49ers were significantly better than the Giants.

What, the same regular season that "shows" the Packers were significantly better than the Giants (and 49ers, for that matter)? The same regular season that "showed" the Packers were unbeatable at home? Go tell the 2007 Patriots, Super Bowl losers, that they are the best team ever by virtue of being the only 16-0 team in history. Any given Sunday, man. This is why we have a post-season...

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They're a good team with an AMAZING coach. That coach is the reason for the HUGE turn-around. Don't get me wrong: I like the 49ers in the future, but I do not think this is their year. They have a little bit more maturing to do.

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You totally discount Eli's experience over Alex Smith's, not to mention a lot of vets on defense who are also still with the team? I mean, come on...

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The Giants are on fire (shutting out the Falcons on D, and handing Green Bay their first loss at home in 500-something days or something like that); the 49ers are not. The Giants are experienced; the 49ers are not. Momentum and experience count.

[Хahar 🤔]

I don't understand what would make anyone predict that the Giants will win this game. Is it that they won nine games and the 49ers won thirteen?

The regular season does not matter at this point. Just ask the Packers, who were 15-1 in the regular season and 0-1 in the post-season.

And yet none of that changes what the regular season shows; the 49ers were significantly better than the Giants.

What, the same regular season that "shows" the Packers were significantly better than the Giants (and 49ers, for that matter)? The same regular season that "showed" the Packers were unbeatable at home? Go tell the 2007 Patriots, Super Bowl losers, that they are the best team ever by virtue of being the only 16-0 team in history. Any given Sunday, man. This is why we have a post-season...

Are you saying that the 49ers aren't better than the Giants? The better team usually wins.

The 49ers, meanwhile, were effectively without Frank Gore. Yet they weren't cold, because they're a very good team.

They're a good team with an AMAZING coach. That coach is the reason for the HUGE turn-around. Don't get me wrong: I like the 49ers in the future, but I do not think this is their year. They have a little bit more maturing to do.

Was 2007 not the Giants' year?

What happened twenty years ago is only marginally less relevant than what happened in 2007;

You totally discount Eli's experience over Alex Smith's, not to mention a lot of vets on defense who are also still with the team? I mean, come on...

Yeah, I do. Before 2007, Eli Manning's experience in the playoffs consisted of two losses. Before last year, Aaron Rodgers's was just one game, which he lost. It didn't matter when they beat Brett Favre and Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. I don't see why it would matter now.

It seems to me that the teams that win over and over win because they're good, not because they're experienced.

It didn't tell me why the 49ers will lose to a vastly inferior team.

The Giants are on fire (shutting out the Falcons on D, and handing Green Bay their first loss at home in 500-something days or something like that); the 49ers are not. The Giants are experienced; the 49ers are not. Momentum and experience count.

I'll need proof to believe that momentum and experience count.

[Politico]

You'll understand on Sunday

[Хahar 🤔]

I can't wait! Then it'll be on to number six.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I took Xahar off of ignore solely because I enjoy reading his posts in this thread.

Politico, I think you'll see on Sunday. The Niners defense will shut down Eli and Alex Smith is gonna stomp all over the Giants' secondary.