ESPN picks the Pats to win it all

[WilliamPitt]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs04/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=1957742

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The man in the hood is back in his 'hood, the playoffs, and for New England coach Bill Belichick, the early expectations in many quarters are that he and his Patriots will be atop the NFL throne again in five weeks.

We don't disagree.

(snip)

The numbers, as they say, folks, don't lie. Belichick's postseason winning percentage, a gaudy .875 mark, is by far the best among the dozen head coaches whose clubs qualified for this year's Super Bowl derby. The rest of the field sports a pedestrian aggregate mark of just 42-45, for a mundane .483 success rate.

The 11 other playoff coaches are 6-12 in conference championship games, own just three Super Bowl titles, and don't possess the aura that Belichick does.

If you think the numbers aren't pertinent, think again, because coaching and preparation are even more critical in the playoffs than in the regular season. And, truth be told, which of the sideline counterparts that he might confront in the 2004 playoffs is clearly superior to Belichick?

Certainly, by the numbers, no one.

...more...

[tsakshaug]

1. I don't know

It has been a great 4 year ride with the pats, after many years of being the patsies, but the Steelers look so good right now. I think Belichick is a better coach than Cowher, by far, but that doesn't win all the games. Maybe it is the New England upbringing, but this is not the year.

[LiberalVoice]

2. Oh please...

That article was ridiculous. The only numbers I need are 15-1.

Especially since that 15 includes The Pats, Philly before they lost T.O. Jacksonville on a 6 game winning streak beforehand, the Ravens(which were the only team to beat us) and Buffalo, who couldn't even beat us when playing only our 2nd and 3rd string players. The steelers are by far the best team in the NFL and in three games everyone else will know it.

[sportndandy]

4. Eagles is hoping for a little super-revenge.

But can the Steelers win a game when it matters? We shall find out.

[LiberalVoice]

6. It mattered when we beat you the first time!

:P

[sportndandy]

9. It mattered to who?

It was a meaningless regular season game and it gave the eagles the excuse they needed to insert Jeremiah Trotter into the starting line-up. How could a non-conference road game in the middle of the season be meaningful?

[LiberalVoice]

15. Because it followed our win against the Pats

and continued our streak. duh! :D

[Darknyte7]

16. Don't forget the 14 straight wins...

That's my favorite fact to remind the naysayers of... ;-)

[sportndandy]

3. To hell with that shit.

If the patriots even MAKE IT to the big dance they are going to have to doe-si-doe with my Philly Eagles. And the birds is VERY hungry.

A pre-election poll in philadelphia indicated more people wanted the Eagles to win the superbowl then to have their choice become president.

[LiberalVoice]

5. The eagles don't have a chance without T.O.

They've played like scrubbs since they lost him...lol

And even if they do make it, they can't beat the Steelers. :)

[rhino47]

7. Steelers !!

There is not one sportscaster that likes them.The rodney dangerfields of the nfl.They just do not get any respect.

[LiberalVoice]

8. Exactly!

I have watched every single game this season and there hasn't been one where the commentators weren't kissing the asses of whatever team we were playing. It drives me fucking nuts!

[sportndandy]

10. Good luck against the colts.

One and done my steel-headed friend.

[sportndandy]

12. Do the Eagles get respect?

According to the "experts", the only reason the birds might make the superbowl is because their is not NFC competition. That doesn't sound like respect.

The Steelers lack respect because everyone is waiting for the rookie QB to fold.

[LiberalVoice]

14. Its been 14 games....

aren't you tired of waiting?

[Baclava]

21. Preach it brutha!

Especially RayRay and his band of thugs.

[sportndandy]

11. T O will be in Jacksonville.

But will the Steelers?

Can they really outscore the colts?

[LiberalVoice]

13. The colts won't score....

We have the number one def against the run and the number four against the pass....The real question is whether or not the Colts can stop Bettis, Staley, Ward, Burress, Randle El, etc. etc. etc. ...

[BulletproofLandshark]

20. "TO Will Be In Jacksonville"

He should be able to buy some good seats.

[HuckleB]

17. Is this anything like the SI cover curse?

[nickgutierrez]

18. Just what I was thinking.

They're sure to lose now.

[GOPBasher]

19. They have a good chance, but my money's on the Steelers. nt

[Forkboy]

22. My money is on neither

not because I dont think they can win but the paying odds aren't money makers (Pats are 7/5 odds,Steelers 9/5).

If I was putting money down on a team (which this year I'm not) I'd put it on either the Falcons at 8/1 odds or the Packers at 8/1 odds.

I do think either the Pats or Steelers will be Super Bowl champs though.

[GOPBasher]

23. I'm not actually betting, though.

I just meant that I think the Steelers will win. I'm not much of a gambler.

[Forkboy]

24. The Pats might be the only team with a chance to beat the Steelers

I dont put a lot of stock in the regular season matchup.It was the week the Sox won the World Series and everyone around here pretty much saw the loss coming.The whole week you could just sense a flat showing.It was a week begging for a letdown.Take a flat Pats showing,mix in a psyched up Steelers team ready to play and you got the result we saw.

Not to take anything anything away from the Steelers performance though.They played excellent,and deserved the win for sure.But Belichek will be tough to beat twice,and the Pats might be the only team to come up with a way to stop the Steelers awesome running game.If no one can stop that the Steelers will win it all I think.

[GOPBasher]

25. I agree, Pats are the second best team, I think.

Philly is third, IMO. But the AFC will win it all this year.

[shawmut]

26. I don't know if I can handle all these parades

But I'll be going anyway!

[Penndems]

27. Michael Wilbon picks the Steelers to win:

By February, Everyone Will See How Super the Steelers Are

By Michael Wilbon
Monday, January 3, 2005; Page D09

The NFL playoffs don't begin until Saturday, but the league's best team is already known. It's the only team with a 15-1 record. It's the team that didn't mail it in the final two weeks despite having a nice cushion, injured players and desperate quality opponents on the schedule. It's the team with the best defense of any team in the playoffs. It's the team that can run the ball and control the clock, or strike quickly by throwing deep down the field to a trio of receivers. It's the Pittsburgh Steelers, silly.

As a rule, it's a bad idea to pick against the champs in any sport until they're knocked out. And New England, at 14-2, ain't exactly chopped liver. But, in order to repeat, the Patriots will probably have to win at Pittsburgh in the AFC championship game. The problem with that is that the Patriots lost one game of consequence this season . . . at Pittsburgh. And every indication as the regular season closed for business yesterday is that these Steelers are just a teensy-weensy bit better than these Patriots.

Any responsible conversation about the playoffs starts and ends with the AFC side of the bracket and deals with the NFC only on an as-needed basis. That's because the NFC is a disgrace. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth seeds in the NFC have to be the weakest the conference has ever trotted out. Minnesota, St. Louis and Seattle are stiffs by playoff standards. The Packers, even with Brett Favre, are ordinary. Yet it's not out of the question that any of the aforementioned could beat Atlanta and/or Philly and get to the Super Bowl, which truly would be sad for the NFL. Sad enough, two of the hottest and most entertaining teams over the last seven weeks, the Panthers and Bills, couldn't remain hot enough to win yesterday and make it all the way to the playoffs.

<snip>

They can run in cold weather if necessary behind Jerome Bettis or Duce Staley. They can have Ben Roethlisberger throw deep to Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress and Antwaan Randle El if they fall behind or want to pick on a weak secondary. And the defense, ranked No. 1 in the NFL, is built to punish Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or Donovan McNabb, if it comes to that. The Steelers have a team built the old-fashioned way, to defend, run and pass in the NFL playoffs, which, by February, will result in a march through the Chargers, Patriots and Eagles, and a return to glory for one of the NFL's storied franchises.
**********************************************************************
More:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43335-2005Jan2.html

[MrSlayer]

28. Not really going out on a limb here are they?

Doesn't take a whole lot of sack to pick the defending champs and odds on favorite all season. The Pats have the best coach and team, they should win it all.

[Baclava]

32. "Best team" I don't think so.......

I didn't think that the Colts had much of a chance to win outdoors either at Pittsburgh or New England. Now that Ty is out for the playoffs, I have to say that I think that they beat New England at Gillette. I don't care how great Belichick is supposed to be at game planning. New England’s secondary is in shambles. When you lose Law and Tyrone Poole, you're going to give up passing yards. Lots of them. Peyton Manning's about to eat Robert Kraft's lunch.

Of course, now "Law" will be their "Dillon" excuse if they do get by the Colts and lose to the Steelers.

[TroubleMan]

29. The Colts are going to take out the Pats

nt.

[hijinx87]

30. who cares what ESPN says . . . . .

what do the exit polls say?

;)

[WilliamPitt]

31. They were right about the Sox

:)

[DaveinMD]

34. a broken clock

is right twice a day. They've been picking the sox for some time. It was bound to happen sometime.

[Bill Lumbergh]

33. GO BLEDSOE

I hate the Pats. :P

[hijinx87]

35. ty law is out for the playoffs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs04/news/story?id=1961978

can't be good news.