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

Zero2Cool
Elite Member Topic Starter

4 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

4 months ago

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beast (22-May) : Colts Owner Jim Irsay has passed away

Zero2Cool (21-May) : Well, emailing should work now. After not working for almost a year. Oops.

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Zero2Cool (20-May) : lol our email hasn't worked in months. 7 pages of unverified users

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beast (19-May) : Supposedly he has to take his image, and name off of it... but otherwise could keep selling wine if he wanted to.

Zero2Cool (19-May) : he giving up his win business?

beast (19-May) : Speaking of Woodson, sounds like he'll be a minority owner (0.1%) of the Browns

Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Zero, regarding Woodson, that'd why I find the timing with Williams peculiar

dfosterf (15-May) : Ryan Hall y'all does a great job of tracking thesr

Zero2Cool (15-May) : Fear not!! I planned to do 33mi bike ride tomorrow morning, so ... yeah

Zero2Cool (15-May) : We got some dark clouds and nasty winds right bout now.

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dfosterf (15-May) : Sure looks like these tornadoes are headed towards Green Bay

Zero2Cool (15-May) : Woodson of Charles fame was reluctant and then loved it. that didn't really come out until post career

Mucky Tundra (15-May) : IE "We bought into the Bears and they let us down, we have no choice to seek alternatives"

Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Or that Williams and his family are preparing an exit ramp if they don't like how things are going in a few years

Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Either Williams thought it would make him look good (reluctant but then embraces the city and franchise)

Mucky Tundra (15-May) : I can only assume that the Williams camp agreed to cooperate with that article tells me 2 things

dfosterf (15-May) : Ya. They are in a great mood

Zero2Cool (15-May) : I should visit again

dfosterf (15-May) : ChiCity Sports entering freakout mode due to Caleb and his dad not wanting him to go there

Zero2Cool (15-May) : "He's looking really good out there," Derrick Ansley said of Kalen King. Adds that he's been playing inside and out.

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Zero2Cool (15-May) : True, that was awesome. The whole F thing was great actually.

dfosterf (15-May) : I did like the Mark Murphy part, sorta

Zero2Cool (15-May) : Some comments on it saying it was great, amazing... I came away thinking... awkward.

dfosterf (15-May) : Packers schedule release video is "interesting" I guess.

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Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Atlanta with 5 primetime games lol

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wpr (14-May) : Vikings schedule leaked. Week 12 in GB. Week 18 in MN.

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beast (13-May) : I was kind of hoping Douglas might come back to the Pack

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beast (13-May) : Well Jenkins probably knows he's not getting that 2026 salary number without a new contact... so just trying to get the new contact early

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dfosterf (13-May) : He's a switch and baiter. Its the same as a bait and switcher except he agreed to the switch first lol

dfosterf (13-May) : 6.8 mil raise next year. Those are existing contract numbers

dfosterf (13-May) : 12.8 plus 4.8 pro rata signing bonus is 17.6 mil. Top center in the league at 18

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2025 Packers Schedule

Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM

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Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM

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Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM

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Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM

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Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM

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Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM

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Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM

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Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM

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Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM

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Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM

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Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM

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Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM

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Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM

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Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM

RAVENS

Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM

Vikings