Official AFC Championship Post: SD @ NE..vol NE Will Reign on your parade

[yeahitsrust]

Originally Posted by JBug88

i'm just ready to see LT complaining and crying on the sideline like he always does....

yup. dude is second only to T.O. when it comes to *****in and cryin. Every shot they show of him on the sidelines when his team is losing is him yelling at a coach or a team mate.
"you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'"
uh-huh...sure thing LaDanian.
I ain't saying dude ain't talented, he's just a big crybaby.
Pats by at least 14. this game could very well be the blowout game of the playoffs...

-J-
At least spell the back-to-back leading rushers name right. Its LaDainian

its funny to hear guys bash on LT when almost everyone associated with the NFL says he is nothing but pure class. Stop hating, get off it.

 

[jbug88]

it ain't hating, if you are telling the truth... if you can sit there and honestly tell me he ain't a crybaby and a complainer, at least this year,well, i don't know, you must be drinking TJ water or something dude.

-J-

 

[inine5]

Originally Posted by yeahitsRUST

Originally Posted by JBug88

i'm just ready to see LT complaining and crying on the sideline like he always does....

yup. dude is second only to T.O. when it comes to *****in and cryin. Every shot they show of him on the sidelines when his team is losing is him yelling at a coach or a team mate.
"you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'"
uh-huh...sure thing LaDanian.
I ain't saying dude ain't talented, he's just a big crybaby.
Pats by at least 14. this game could very well be the blowout game of the playoffs...

-J-

At least spell the back-to-back leading rushers name right. Its LaDainian

its funny to hear guys bash on LT when almost everyone associated with the NFL says he is nothing but pure class. Stop hating, get off it.

pure class?

if he's got so much class, why does he have to remind us that "i'm a classy guy"....people that have class don't need to tell peoplethat they're classy....

F%*$ the media. They all wanted Colts/Pats and Cowboys/Packers.

Like Rawsheed said, The teams that are here right now, deserve to be here.

But isn't ironic that both week 2 teams are playing each other again in the championship games? Also, (correct me if im wrong) but here is something interesting...

-97 Broncos, changed to new uniforms and won the super bowl.
-01 Patriots, changed to new uniforms and won the super bowl.
-02 Bucs, changed to new uniforms and won the super bowl.
-07 Chargers, changed to new uniforms....
interesting find....here's another one to consider:

70's steelers, terry bradshaw, HOF QB, dynasty
80's niners, joe montana, HOF QB, dynasty
90's cowboys, troy aikman, HOF QB, dynasty
00's pats, tom brady....

 

[rockme11]

yeah for sure LT will have more to cry about this sunday. he will be shut down. case closed. hope the pats knock him out of the game and he can stand on thesidelines like he did against the colts. LT= non-factor.

 

[acidicality]

I hope the Chargers win for two reasons...1) i HATE the patriots and 2) so that the cocky patriot fans (bandwagon/nonbandwagon) can shut up.

 

[DeadsetAce]

just flew home from working in DC for the past week, and sat next to a dude in a chargers jersey. he's got tickets for the game. he was a nice dude. wetalked about the game and stuff, he even bought me a couple beers on the flight. there were actually three other guys on the flight also headed to the game andcoming in from san diego...so looks like the charger fans will be representing on sunday at gillette.

 

[sdtekken]

A lot of you guys are goin way over board with LT bein a cry baby and all this other hoopla. Obviously he was frustrated when the team was struggling. I meanwho wouldnt be? They were favored to make it to the Super Bowl and their season was looking like it might turn into a disaster. But because he shows hisemotion and passion to win all of a sudden hes a bad guy thats second to TO??? LOL get out of here with that. Everyone on the team has nothing but respect foreach other. If they didnt I dont think they would be 1 game away from the Super Bowl.

Anyways... heres an interesting article:


San Diego's baby-blueprint for victory
Cold, Hard Football Facts for January 17, 2008

(Ed. Note: the author and Chief Troll will join Dennis & Callahan on WEEI 850 AM in Boston Friday at 7:20 a.m. to discuss San Diego's blueprint to beat New England.)

By Kerry J. Byrne

Cold, Hard Football Facts Mike Brady wanna-be

New England's opponents this year - not to mention the pigskin "pundits" - have turned into amateur architects over the past few months, searching for the proverbial blueprint to beat the Patriots.

So far the effort has gone as well as O.J.'s quest for the real killers.

The best any team has been able to produce is a blueprint for remaining competitive midway through the fourth quarter. And that blueprint makes for a rickety row-house on Victory Lane.

The best the "pundits" have produced are a list of meaningless and misguided clichés about "aging" linebackers or a "vulnerable" defense. And that argument is imploded by the dynamite of actual evidence. The Patriots, for example, surrendered 288.3 YPG this season, the fewest by a New England team since 1979, while giving up just 8.4 second-half points per game (despite surrendering a lot of garbage-time points while sporting large second-half leads).

But leave it to the I.M. Pei of pigskin, the Cold, Hard Football Facts, to secure the necessary blueprints for beating New England.

The blueprint we uncovered tells us that if any team can complete the job, it's the Chargers. Let's call it San Diego's baby-blueprint to beat New England, in honor of the pigskin-pastel of their alternative togs.

Despite their slow start, the Chargers proved to be one of the most statistically dominant teams in the NFL this year. If you size them up across the board in our Quality Stats, only New England and Green Bay were stronger, and the margin between the three was so slim that O.J.'s buddies use it to jimmy open doors in Vegas hotel rooms.

• The Patriots ranked an average of 4.44 in our nine Quality Stats
• The Packers ranked an average of 4.56 in our nine Quality Stats
• The Chargers ranked an average of 4.67 in our nine Quality Stats

The Chargers topped the entire NFL in three of our nine Quality Stats. Only New England itself led the league in more categories (four).

San Diego's statistical dominance offers us a pretty definitive guide to why the Chargers can beat the Patriots. We didn't say will beat the Patriots; we said can beat the Patriots.

And, certainly, the injuries to key San Diego players Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson (none of whom practiced Wednesday), can shatter the best-laid plans. But if the Chargers do win, only the Cold, Hard Football Facts will have outlined the pattern ahead of time.



Baby-blueprint: San Diego boasts the best pass defense in football

The Cold, Hard Football Facts measure pass defenses by Defensive Passer Rating, a "Quality Stat" because it has a direct correlation to winning football games: the top 11 teams in Defensive Passer Rating this year all reached the playoffs.

And the Chargers topped the list, allowing opposing passers a 70.0 rating this year. Their capabilities were most evident in their league-leading 30 picks, eight more than any other team in football. The 2007 Chargers are the first team in franchise history to lead the league in either category, let alone both.

The Cold, Hard Football Facts have proven time and again the devestating effect of interceptions in the playoffs. Teams that throw 0 INTs have won 78.6 of their playoff games in the Super Bowl Era. Teams that throw two or more picks in the playoffs win just 23.5 percent of the time.

We've yet to see anybody truly shutdown Tom Brady's passing attack this year. And, of course, he absolutely shredded San Diego in their first meeting back in Week 2:

• 25 of 31 (80.6%) for 279 yards, 9.0 YPA, 3 TD, 1 INT, 123.0 passer rating.

But these lightning Bolts need only strike once. And if any team in football this year has a shot at humbling New England's historic attack, it's San Diego.



Baby-blueprint: San Diego is the top Big Play team in football

The Cold, Hard Football Facts measure each team in its ability to make "Big Plays" on both sides of the ball.

Most NFL contests are wars of attrition in which one or two Big Plays typically prove the difference between victory and defeat (our definition of "Big Plays" can be found here). Our Big Play Index is a hugely important indicator with a high correlation to winning football games.

Teams that won the Big Play battle this year were a remarkable 180-34 (.841). (Forty-two games featured an even Big Play battle.)

The "pundits," of course, once again fail to understand even the most basic concepts of football, such as the omnipotence of Big Plays in the NFL. Their "blueprints" to beat New England typically call for teams to "grind out" those "long drives" and "eat the clock." Not only do these arguments represent lazy, cliche-riddled work, it's the equivalent of calling for a Pickett's Charge of pigskin: ordering an under-equipped army to launch a full front assault over exposed territory against a larger enemy force in an entrenched position.

In other words, the plan preferred by the "pundits" is pure suicide. Their "blueprint" calls for outmanned teams to overpower the Patriots in a war of attrition. Stupid "pundits."

Instead, the baby-blueprint to beat New England calls for gridiron guerilla warfare, a series of quick, unforeseen (and, yes, even lucky) strikes in the Big Play department: the team that beats New England will strike quickly with Big Plays, and at times and places you could not predict.

And no team was better in the Big Play wars this year than San Diego. The Chargers led the league in the number of Big Plays they made (69), eight more than second-place Minnesota. More importantly, the Chargers led the league in Big Play differential (+29), two ahead of second place New England.

All those interceptions, long runs and explosive special teams plays add up to a lot of game-winning moments for the Chargers.

But the Patriots certainly pose a difficult Big Play challenge. They allowed just 28 Big Plays, fewest in the NFL this year.



Baby-blueprint: San Diego is the most efficient team in football

The Cold, Hard Football Facts measure the efficiency of each team's offense and defense through our Scoreability and Bendability Indices. These Quality Stats have a high correlation to victory because they do not measure offenses and defenses in a vacuum. Instead, they measure how each unit on a team interacts to 1) put points on the board or 2) keep opponents off the scoreboard.

In other words, they are measures of team-wide efficiency.

And no team rated more highly than the Chargers: they defined the "bend-but-don't break" phenomenon on defense this year, with a No. 1 ranking in our Bendability Index. And they were second only to New England in our Scoreability Index. (It's actually quite a tribute to the widely-criticized Norv Turner that his team played so efficiently in 2007; poorly coached teams never rate highly in these indicators.)

The San Diego defense this year forced opponents to march 18.04 Yards Per Point Scored, or the equivalent of a daunting 126.3 yards for every 7 points they put on the board. It tells us that opponents churned up a lot of empty yards against the Chargers.

The 30 INTs were certainly a big reason why. And the win over Indy last week provided a perfect example of this "bend-don't-break" efficiency: the Colts cranked out 446 yards of offense, including 402 in the air. But they produced a measly 24 points - a pathetic number relative to the yards they generated. Two red-zone picks by San Diego were a big reason for Indy's lack of efficiency on offense.

The San Diego offense, meanwhile, was highly efficient throughout the year. The Chargers needed just 12.24 Yards Per Point Scored in 2007, or the equivalent 85.7 yards for every 7 points they put on the board. It tells us that the Chargers often find themselves in good scoring position, and then take advantage of those opportunities.

And we don't want to get any of those "yeah, but" emails that these arguments about scoring efficiency always generate. Yes, special teams and defense have played a large role in San Diego's scoring opportunities. Yes, we understand that argument. Yes, we understand that other teams were more spectacular on offense, if you compare only the production of those individual offenses.

But that's the point, folks. The scoreboard does not care where the points come from. The scoreboad does not care that a big kick return gave the offense a short field. The scoreboard does not care if points came off a pick-six instead of a long offensive drive. The scoreboard is a truly egalitarian place: it treats all points equally. And so should football fans.

San Diego's ability to score efficiently, paired with the most efficient defense in football this year - the one defense that makes opponents work harder than any other to put points on the board - spell out one very dangerous team.

It's a team that clearly offers a blueprint to topple the Patriots powerhouse.
Lets go Bolts!

 

[rockme11]

nice article. i believe you need turnovers to win to beat the pats. not knowing how healthy the 3 big guys will be is another factor. but brady and belichekcan defeat any blueprint. pats are 11-0 at home in the playoffs. all smack aside
the chargers really need to get the pats in a lot of 3 and outs, get 3-4 turnovers, and have a little luck..well lots of luck.

 

[DeadsetAce]

^ interesting article. blue prints are fine and dandy and make teams feel all warm inside...but that blue print requires PERFECT EXECUTION in almost all phasesof the game. but nonetheless, interesting article.

 

[thetruth03]

at drinking TJ water..

 

[buggzpimpin]

love my team..

 

[licensed to ball]

@ Calling LT a crybaby. What would you rather him do? Be boring, act like he doesnt care? Have you forgotten how your favorite wide receiver Randall Mosswas when he was on a losing raiders team? He basically gave up. "I try when i want to." Yeah, okay Randy...very cool of you. Pouting all on thesidelines, not running his routes, being a cancer in the locker room. Who is the real cry baby? Someone like LT who cares enough about his team winning to thepoint where he is emotional, shows his frustrations, and wants to perform better...or someone like Randy Moss, who pouts and gives up until he is surrounded bya team that satisfies his standards for quality teamates?

Get the F outta here with that.

 

[DeadsetAce]

Originally Posted by LiCeNseD To BaLL

@ Calling LT a crybaby. What would you rather him do? Be boring, act like he doesnt care? Have you forgotten how your favorite wide receiver Randall Moss was when he was on a losing raiders team? He basically gave up. "I try when i want to." Yeah, okay Randy...very cool of you. Pouting all on the sidelines, not running his routes, being a cancer in the locker room. Who is the real cry baby? Someone like LT who cares enough about his team winning to the point where he is emotional, shows his frustrations, and wants to perform better...or someone like Randy Moss, who pouts and gives up until he is surrounded by a team that satisfies his standards for quality teamates?

Get the F outta here with that.

No one said Randy was perfect. But for a "classy" guy, LT does sure love to run his mouth. I did lose a lot of respect for LT after lastyear's little breakdown after the playoff game against us followed up by some of the things that he's done/said this year, but he's still one hellof a player on the field. Whatever though, there are worse people in the league than LT when it comes to being classless...i.e. Phillip Rivers

 

[inine5]

Originally Posted by LiCeNseD To BaLL

@ Calling LT a crybaby. What would you rather him do? Be boring, act like he doesnt care? Have you forgotten how your favorite wide receiver Randall Moss was when he was on a losing raiders team? He basically gave up. "I try when i want to." Yeah, okay Randy...very cool of you. Pouting all on the sidelines, not running his routes, being a cancer in the locker room. Who is the real cry baby? Someone like LT who cares enough about his team winning to the point where he is emotional, shows his frustrations, and wants to perform better...or someone like Randy Moss, who pouts and gives up until he is surrounded by a team that satisfies his standards for quality teamates?

Get the F outta here with that.

who's talking about randy moss? we're talking about LT, don;t deflect criticism by bringing apples into a discussion about oranges.....
i thinkit's less emotion and more sour grapes....let's face it, LT does not know how to lose well. if you get beat, take the L, move on. don;t whine....nobody likes a whiner.....

when the pats got beat by the colts last year, did you hear anyone on the team whine?.... nobody made excuses.

 

[kb8sandiego]

Don't get me wrong, I got mad respect for LT, but I ain't going to front. At some point in this season, I did get irritated a little bit.

 

[ballin 2k3]

im watching last years playoff loss on nfl network, and i cant believe how we gave that game away, so frustrating

, i cant wait for sundays game...




GO CHARGERS!!!

 

[licensed to ball]

Originally Posted by iNiNe5

Originally Posted by LiCeNseD To BaLL

@ Calling LT a crybaby. What would you rather him do? Be boring, act like he doesnt care? Have you forgotten how your favorite wide receiver Randall Moss was when he was on a losing raiders team? He basically gave up. "I try when i want to." Yeah, okay Randy...very cool of you. Pouting all on the sidelines, not running his routes, being a cancer in the locker room. Who is the real cry baby? Someone like LT who cares enough about his team winning to the point where he is emotional, shows his frustrations, and wants to perform better...or someone like Randy Moss, who pouts and gives up until he is surrounded by a team that satisfies his standards for quality teamates?

Get the F outta here with that.

who's talking about randy moss? we're talking about LT, don;t deflect criticism by bringing apples into a discussion about oranges.....
i think it's less emotion and more sour grapes....let's face it, LT does not know how to lose well. if you get beat, take the L, move on. don;t whine.... nobody likes a whiner.....

when the pats got beat by the colts last year, did you hear anyone on the team whine?.... nobody made excuses.

I didn't know LT made excuses about losing in the playoffs last year. I could of sworn he had just felt disrespect about the lack of class thePatriot players showed after the game. and get that apple oranges stuff outta my face, so ur saying i cant bring up new england players up in a discussion,within a thread about new england versus san diego? Oh, im sorry, i guess when someone brings up the name LT on page 10...then the rest of the page should onlybe talk about LT and no one else.

Im not dillusional, i know LT has complained, i know he has not looked very happy on the sidelines this year. Myquestion though, is why would it bother you? You may not be bothered but it sure seems like you are. Why would you even care? If anything, it should justbother us San Diego fans. It bothered some, and it didnt bother others...like me. I want to see LT mad on the sidelines, thats just me personally. I want tosee him angry, i want to see him being emotional, i want to see him expect more from himself and his teamates, thats how all great players should be. Sourgrapes? So your saying that LT is only pissed on the sidelines because he is bitter? about what? Is LT so bitter about losing to New England last year that hewas "crying" on the sidelines all throughout the next season? Cmon now, give me a break. Excuse me if i seem angry, im not, just don't agree withyou bro thas all.

 

[buggzpimpin]

and this is what a week long discussion of the patriots and chargers gets you

 

[darthska]

^ Seriously.

This game is going to start on like page 17.

 

[DeadsetAce]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

^ Seriously.

This game is going to start on like page 17.

i love it though, this thread got me through a boring week at work

 

[buggzpimpin]

Originally Posted by ballin 2k3

im watching last years playoff loss on nfl network, and i cant believe how we gave that game away, so frustrating

, i cant wait for sundays game...




GO CHARGERS!!!

Marty with the ******ed challenge. That extra timeout could have won the game...Also I believe he waste another challenge later in the 4th and thentakes like 30 seconds to give Rivers a play in the comeback drive.

This was the game where I gave up on Marty.

I kind of miss the old jerseys

Ska, we could have a record amount of post with this game. Imagine all the jawing thats gonna go on AFTER the game 20+ pages before AND after the game

andprolly 50 during

Love it

 

[acidicality]

Have you forgotten how your favorite wide receiver Randall Moss was when he was on a losing raiders team? He basically gave up. "I try when i want to." Yeah, okay Randy...very cool of you. Pouting all on the sidelines, not running his routes, being a cancer in the locker room. Who is the real cry baby?

*ding ding ding*
That's why Colston>Randy.

 

[ballin 2k3]

Originally Posted by buggzpimpin

Originally Posted by ballin 2k3

im watching last years playoff loss on nfl network, and i cant believe how we gave that game away, so frustrating

, i cant wait for sundays game...




GO CHARGERS!!!

Marty with the ******ed challenge. That extra timeout could have won the game...Also I believe he waste another challenge later in the 4th and then takes like 30 seconds to give Rivers a play in the comeback drive.

This was the game where I gave up on Marty.

I kind of miss the old jerseys

Ska, we could have a record amount of post with this game. Imagine all the jawing thats gonna go on AFTER the game 20+ pages before AND after the game

and prolly 50 during

Love it

hahaha, thats exactly what i was yelling at my screen, save the timeout! (even tough its last years game).

btw this game is worthy of all the talk we've been doing...


GO CHARGERS!!!

 

[am 1 fiend]

Originally Posted by acidicality


I hope the Chargers win for two reasons...1) i HATE the patriots and 2) so that the cocky patriot fans (bandwagon/nonbandwagon) can shut up.

 

[buggzpimpin]

at jammer getting schooled by caldwell

I hope SD watched that game this weak

LT was bout to beat dude down, pats players knew it too


EDIT

I'm hatin NFL N right now...Can the chargers be the great team they'vebeen the last 9 games against the pats? "Lulz No...it's gonna take the luckiest play in history....blah blah"....

Stupid

yall are suppose to football experts