Let's play mythbusters for the NFL playoffs: 14 teams, 14 things that aren't...

Zero2Cool
Elite Member Topic Starter

a day ago

Is the Steelers' defense actually elite? Is Jared Goff held up by his Lions supporting cast? And is Saquon Barkley really the difference for the Eagles?

Myth: The Packers can't get to the Super Bowl because they can't beat the top teams in the NFC.

Green Bay had an impressive 11-6 season but finished in third place in their own division behind the Lions and Vikings. The Packers' first five losses this season (prior to Week 18's irrelevant loss to the Bears) were to the 15-2 Lions (twice), 14-3 Vikings (twice) and 14-3 Eagles. Those were the Packers' only games against teams that won 11 or more games.

They weren't blowouts, though. Both of their losses to the Vikings were by two points, though they fell way behind early and were scrambling to make it close in the fourth quarter. Their losses to the Lions were by 10 and three points. And they lost by five to the Eagles in the season opener in Brazil. So the Packers have been competitive with those top teams -- they just haven't been able to beat them.

Why it's a myth: Failure to beat an 11-win team in the regular season doesn't disqualify you from making the Super Bowl. There have actually been 14 teams in history that reached the Super Bowl despite not posting a single victory in the regular season against an 11-win team. Most of them were 0-1 in such games, but the point here is that those teams hadn't been tested in this way, either. And perhaps the Packers can draw inspiration from the 2007 Giants, who went 0-4 in the regular season against teams with at least 11 wins but ended up beating a 16-0 Patriots team in that season's Super Bowl. (Those Patriots went 3-0 against 11-win teams that regular season.)

We found 32 teams in NFL history that have reached the Super Bowl after posting losing records against teams that won at least 11 games in the regular season. After all, 11-win teams are hard to beat! The Packers closed the season ranked third in ESPN's Football Power Index; being competitive against them ensures that no one will take them lightly just because they lack that big signature win. Plus, January's a great time to get the first.

Continue Reading @ ESPN

ESPN wrote:

CHAMPIONSHIP BABY!!!

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Zero2Cool
Elite Member Topic Starter

a day ago

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Fan Shout

Mucky Tundra (11h) : @AaronNagler · 2m Both Jordan Love and Malik Willis were Limited participants at Packers practice today.

Zero2Cool (13h) : Johnson didn't make it until 2020. Ring 2023. 🤷 Personally, he should have been in years prior to Hall.

Zero2Cool (13h) : HUMP DAY

beast (13h) : Guys that have a good shot at making the NFL Hall of Fame usually get into their teams pretty fast

beast (13h) : Yeah, but is Kampman and the others in the NFL Hall of Fame?

Zero2Cool (14h) : Johnson was Hall of Fame, 2020. Should haev been in Ring a year later, not three years.

Zero2Cool (14h) : I could be wrong there though

Zero2Cool (14h) : Guys like Kampman, Tim Harris, Al Harris, etc all over 15 years. Hall of Fame is 5 year wait

Zero2Cool (14h) : I guess I see players in Packers Hall come way later

beast (14h) : Yeah, usually teams hall of fames are a much lower bar than the NFL

Zero2Cool (14h) : is it uncommon for Hall before Ring?

Zero2Cool (14h) : S Xavier McKinney named first-team All-Pro by NFLPA

beast (16h) : I missed it, sorry, but he got into the NFL Hall of Fame years before that

Zero2Cool (16h) : Jones took his sweet ole time!

Zero2Cool (16h) : Yeah, he's in the ring of honor, just saw video and his name is up there

Zero2Cool (16h) : Didn't they have a thing in 2023 for Jimmy's ring of honor? I swear I saw it

beast (16h) : Though if they're legitimately trying to re-sign MM, then it makes sense.

beast (16h) : Jerry Jones still hasn't put Jimmy Johnson in the Ring of Honor, but he's in the NFL's Hall of Fame, Jones is petty

Mucky Tundra (8-Jan) : Unless the Cowboys are planning an extension, seems kinda petty

beast (8-Jan) : Cowboys denied Bears request

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : From what I'm reading, MM is under contract through the 14th of January; after that he's free game

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : McCarthy let go or not extended??

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : Chicago Bears have asked the Dallas Cowboys permission to interview Mike McCarthy for head coaching vacancy

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : The winners page that is

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : I was not hoping for that. It messes up the page lol

beast (6-Jan) : Thank you, and I was really opening we were going to get 4 or more tied for the top 3.

beast (6-Jan) : Thank you, and I was really opening we were going to get 4 or more tied for the top 3

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : congrats beast on 2024 !

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : congrats porky on winning 2023 pick'em! (oops sorry)

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : Packers have $60M+ of 2025 cap space on paper TODAY.

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : Missed FG into a Lions TD; that'll do pig, that'll do

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : That might be it for the Vikings

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : Oh so the refs do know what intentional grounding is

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : what the hell was that Goff?! Not much pressure and he just air mails it to Harrison

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : They really need to to get rid of the auto first down for illegal contact

Martha Careful (6-Jan) : watching the Vikings and Lions it's understandable why they swept the Packers. So much better product

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : Even when GB got pressure he was throwing darts; vs no pressure on that last pass he just air mails an open guy

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : didn't have guys in his face ... pressure makes difference

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : Where was this Darnold vs GB?

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : BALL DON'T LIE

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : how was that not a safety? Goff throws it at an offensive lineman

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : Zero, I thought that was a given! ;)

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : Zero I looked through earlier and noticed the same thing. Bonkers year. I just wonder if beast put any money on games

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : I'm hoping for BLOODBATH. Pummel one another.

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : 8 people in pick'em would have won any year with their total lol

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : I'm rooting for the Lions to lose.

Mucky Tundra (6-Jan) : God help me but I'm rooting for the Vikings to...Vikings to...Christ I can't say it

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : 4 td for Rodgers

Zero2Cool (6-Jan) : Chiefs got shutout

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2024 Packers Schedule

Friday, Sep 6 @ 7:15 PM

Eagles

29 - 34

Sunday, Sep 15 @ 12:00 PM

COLTS

16 - 10

Sunday, Sep 22 @ 12:00 PM

Titans

30 - 14

Sunday, Sep 29 @ 12:00 PM

VIKINGS

29 - 31

Sunday, Oct 6 @ 3:25 PM

Rams

24 - 19

Sunday, Oct 13 @ 12:00 PM

CARDINALS

34 - 13

Sunday, Oct 20 @ 12:00 PM

TEXANS

24 - 22

Sunday, Oct 27 @ 12:00 PM

Jaguars

30 - 27

Sunday, Nov 3 @ 3:25 PM

LIONS

14 - 24

Sunday, Nov 17 @ 12:00 PM

Bears

20 - 19

Sunday, Nov 24 @ 3:25 PM

49ERS

38 - 10

Thursday, Nov 28 @ 7:20 PM

DOLPHINS

30 - 17

Thursday, Dec 5 @ 7:15 PM

Lions

31 - 34

Sunday, Dec 15 @ 7:20 PM

Seahawks

30 - 13

Monday, Dec 23 @ 7:15 PM

SAINTS

34 - 0

Sunday, Dec 29 @ 3:25 PM

Vikings

25 - 27

Sunday, Jan 5 @ 12:00 PM

BEARS

22 - 24