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

Zero2Cool
Elite Member Topic Starter

6 months 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

6 months ago

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dfosterf (14-Jul) : *analysis* gettin' old

dfosterf (14-Jul) : One of the best analyisis I"ve ever watched at this time of an offseason

dfosterf (14-Jul) : Andy Herman interviewed Warren Sharp on his Pack a day podcast

packerfanoutwest (10-Jul) : Us Padres fans love it....But it'll be a Dodgers/Yankees World Series

Zero2Cool (9-Jul) : Brewers sweep Dodgers. Awesome

Mucky Tundra (6-Jul) : And James Flanigan is the grandson of Packers Super Bowl winner Jim Flanigan Sr.

Mucky Tundra (6-Jul) : Jerome Bettis and Jim Flanigans sons as well!

Zero2Cool (6-Jul) : Thomas Davis Jr is OLB, not WR. Oops.

Zero2Cool (6-Jul) : Larry Fitzgeral and Thomas Davis sons too. WR's as well.

Mucky Tundra (5-Jul) : Kaydon Finley, son of Jermichael Finley, commits to Notre Dame

dfosterf (3-Jul) : Make sure to send my props to him! A plus move!

Zero2Cool (3-Jul) : My cousin, yes.

dfosterf (3-Jul) : That was your brother the GB press gazette referenced with the red cross draft props thing, yes?

Zero2Cool (2-Jul) : Packers gonna unveil new throwback helmet in few weeks.

Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : I know it's Kleiman but this stuff writes itself

Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : "Make sure she signs the NDA before asking for a Happy Ending!"

Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : @NFL_DovKleiman Powerful: Deshaun Watson is taking Shedeur Sanders 'under his wing' as a mentor to the Browns QBs

Zero2Cool (30-Jun) : Dolphins get (back) Minkah Fitzpatrick in trade

Zero2Cool (30-Jun) : Steelers land Jalen Ramsey via Trade

dfosterf (26-Jun) : I think it would be great to have someone like Tom Grossi or Andy Herman on the Board of Directors so he/they could inform us

dfosterf (26-Jun) : Fair enough, WPR. Thing is, I have been a long time advocate to at least have some inkling of the dynamics within the board.

wpr (26-Jun) : 1st world owners/stockholders problems dfosterf.

Martha Careful (25-Jun) : I would have otherwise admirably served

dfosterf (25-Jun) : Also, no more provision for a write-in candidate, so Martha is off the table at least for this year

dfosterf (25-Jun) : You do have to interpret the boring fine print, but all stockholders all see he is on the ballot

dfosterf (25-Jun) : It also says he is subject to another ballot in 2028. I recall nothing of this nature with Murphy

dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy is on my ballot subject to me penciling him in as a no.

dfosterf (25-Jun) : I thought it used to be we voted for the whatever they called the 45, and then they voted for the seven, and then they voted for Mark Murphy

dfosterf (25-Jun) : Because I was too lazy to change my address, I haven't voted fot years until this year

dfosterf (25-Jun) : of the folks that run this team. I do not recall Mark Murphy being subject to our vote.

dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy yay or nay is on the pre-approved ballot that we always approve because we are uninformed and lazy, along with all the rest

dfosterf (25-Jun) : Weird question. Very esoteric. For stockholders. Also lengthy. Sorry. Offseason.

Zero2Cool (25-Jun) : Maybe wicked wind chill made it worse?

Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : And then he signs with Cleveland in the offseason

Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : @SharpFootball WR Diontae Johnson just admitted he refused to enter a game in 41° weather last year in Baltimore because he felt “ice cold”

Zero2Cool (24-Jun) : Yawn. Rodgers says he is "pretty sure" this be final season.

Zero2Cool (23-Jun) : PFT claims Packers are having extension talks with Zach Tom, Quay Walker.

Mucky Tundra (20-Jun) : GB-Minnesota 2004 Wild Card game popped up on my YouTube page....UGH

beast (20-Jun) : Hmm 🤔 re-signing Walker before Tom? Sounds highly questionable to me.

Mucky Tundra (19-Jun) : One person on Twitter=cannon law

Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Well, to ONE person on Tweeter

Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : According to Tweeter

Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Packers are working on extension for LT Walker they hope to have done before camp

dfosterf (18-Jun) : E4B landed at Andrews last night

dfosterf (18-Jun) : 101 in a 60

dfosterf (18-Jun) : FAFO

Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : one year $4m with incentives to make it up to $6m

dfosterf (18-Jun) : Or Lions

dfosterf (18-Jun) : Beats the hell out of a Vikings signing

Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : Baltimore Ravens now have signed former Packers CB Jaire Alexander.

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