NFL GDT: 2018 AFC Championship Game: (1) Kansas City Chiefs vs (2) New England Patriots

kcne


  • Total voters
    84
  • Poll closed .
Status
Not open for further replies.

Sports Enthusiast

Not Here To Be Liked
Sep 19, 2010
19,972
134
Middle of nowhere
Also Mahomes didn’t play at peak level on Saturday but for somebody to type they didn’t really watch the game and then look at the box score and say “Mahomes didn’t play all that great” is absurd and just not true. He was in complete control of that game from the second he had the ball. Had their d line off kilter all day before the ball was even snapped, made his usual assortment of killer passes and didn’t make any mistakes. Plus he wired a handful of passes that just weren’t caught cleanly. It was an exercise in reserved domination and frankly a great sign from a young QB who you might imagine would try to play hero ball or run up his stats too hard.

Well, he was stopped from throwing a TD for the first time this year. They had a grear start but in the 2nd half the offense scored one TD late in garbage time when they were just trying to run the clock out. They gave Indy an opportunity to hang around. The D and 2 key misses by Vinateri were huge, surprisingly. He did fumble in the shotgun once/ Being in the shotgun may have saved a turnover. It's not farfetched to say compared to almost all year, yeah he really didn't have that good of a game. He also took a shot in the 2nd quarter of what little I saw.
 

DangleCity

Registered User
Jun 23, 2016
7,174
3,363
It works for them so that's great but nobody else believes that BS that the Pats concoct to pump themselves up about them being the overlooked underdog. The line on the game, neutral field is basically even. Even if you believe the Chiefs are slight favorites, nobody is overlooking the G.O.A.T. or BB. It's a pretty eye-rolling self-motivation technique if you are anybody but the Pats or a Pats fan. But yeah, Brady built the greatest career ever on that attitude so no reason to stop now.

The coach on the other sideline isn't exactly a novice at game prep either. Nobody scripts the first few drives better than Reid. It'll be a fascinating match-up. If it's close at the end, we'll just have to see if this Mahomes version of KC is Reid-proof/kicker-proof or not.

There was a good contingent of people picking against the Patriots last week and taking it a step further and saying Brady was done and the dynasty was over. Sharpe, Smith, Parker, Kellerman, McIntyre, D. Hall, to name a few. They have been guilty of manufacturing this stuff in the past, but that wasnt the case this week. I think it was the stuff directed towards Brady that has him the most upset.

Also, Andy Reid is a good coach, but the clock management thing with him is real.
 

BKarchitect

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
7,019
11,848
Kansas City, MO
I get the Reid narrative but I’m not buying the whole “Patriots are going to thoroughly out-prepare the Chiefs and the Chiefs and their fans are going into this thinking they are the favorites because the Golden Boy is telling the media he feels his team is David to the Chiefs’ Goliath.” If anything, it’s KC fans that always expect everything bad to happen and Pats fans just expect greatness. Generalizing of course but one franchise is the gilded lilly and the other one of the most tortured in the last 20 years.

Just as many people picked the Colts as the Chargers last week FWIW...all the “experts” were making googly eyes at the “hot” road teams and were shown to be downright silly to go against 50 years of tried and true wisdom about the divisional round. Give the better team an extra week of planning and rest and home field advantage and the road team is simply not going to win often:
 

BKarchitect

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
7,019
11,848
Kansas City, MO
Looks like weather is again going to be interesting...and by interesting I mean the coldest day of the season. Right now, optimistically we could be looking at 10-12 degrees at kickoff with likely game time temps in the evening in the single digits to perhaps zero or below.

Could be 2-6 inches of snow and some ice on Friday and Saturday but it’s the temperatures that will be an issue. It was around 30 degrees during the Colts game, so cold but nothing like this. This level of cold could have much more impact on the game than the snow did prior to last Sarurdays game. Vegas already starting to lower the over/under.
 

Sports Enthusiast

Not Here To Be Liked
Sep 19, 2010
19,972
134
Middle of nowhere
There was a good contingent of people picking against the Patriots last week and taking it a step further and saying Brady was done and the dynasty was over. Sharpe, Smith, Parker, Kellerman, McIntyre, D. Hall, to name a few. They have been guilty of manufacturing this stuff in the past, but that wasnt the case this week. I think it was the stuff directed towards Brady that has him the most upset.

Also, Andy Reid is a good coach, but the clock management thing with him is real.

I think the bye was everything though, we shall see. They are still good at home. I think by done, done is meant by winning superbowls. That I agree with. I think the window passed a few years ago honestly. It took a MIRACLE 18 minutes against Atlanta and POOR playcalling by Atlanta. I mean they threw it 4 times in the 2nd half. That inclides the wide open late pass missed to Jones that helped stop the clock. I blame atlanta more than give the Patriots all that credit. Atlanta's coaching, coached not to lose instead of to win.
 

c9777666

Registered User
Aug 31, 2016
19,892
5,875
Looks like weather is again going to be interesting...and by interesting I mean the coldest day of the season. Right now, optimistically we could be looking at 10-12 degrees at kickoff with likely game time temps in the evening in the single digits to perhaps zero or below.

Could be 2-6 inches of snow and some ice on Friday and Saturday but it’s the temperatures that will be an issue. It was around 30 degrees during the Colts game, so cold but nothing like this. This level of cold could have much more impact on the game than the snow did prior to last Sarurdays game.

The ONE time New England has to play an AFC-CG on the road and it might be so cold that it might be hard for Chiefs fans to make noise......
 

EpochLink

Canucks and Jets fan
Aug 1, 2006
59,514
15,336
Vancouver, BC
The spotlight will be on Bob Sutton and that Kansas City defense.
They need to be on their game.

...also, Mahomes needs to break this awful jinx with him in prime time games.
The lights are on ya big fella.
 

DangleCity

Registered User
Jun 23, 2016
7,174
3,363
I think the bye was everything though, we shall see. They are still good at home. I think by done, done is meant by winning superbowls. That I agree with. I think the window passed a few years ago honestly. It took a MIRACLE 18 minutes against Atlanta and POOR playcalling by Atlanta. I mean they threw it 4 times in the 2nd half. That inclides the wide open late pass missed to Jones that helped stop the clock. I blame atlanta more than give the Patriots all that credit. Atlanta's coaching, coached not to lose instead of to win.
The bye was definitely huge for the Patriots. That was one of the maim reasons I thought the Patriots would win. They were able to rest and get healthy. We will see if it can carry over, they didnt have to play for all intents and purposes in the 2nd half yesterday.

Of course Atlanta made some mistakes in the 2nd half, most combacks of that magnitude dont happen without the other team making some mistakes, but the Patriots had to be flawless in the 2nd half and they were.
 

c9777666

Registered User
Aug 31, 2016
19,892
5,875
New England's AFC-CG road track record in this dynasty: 2-0 at Pittsburgh, 0-3 in other NFL cities
 

Fish on The Sand

Untouchable
Feb 28, 2002
60,203
1,904
Canada
The spotlight will be on Bob Sutton and that Kansas City defense.
They need to be on their game.

...also, Mahomes needs to break this awful jinx with him in prime time games.
The lights are on ya big fella.
You mean where he puts up godly numbers and loses because they are all against the top teams in the league on the road?
 

c9777666

Registered User
Aug 31, 2016
19,892
5,875
I'm somewhat worried, but this is a completely different defence at home than it is on the road. Last time Brady played at Arrowhead things didn't go so pretty. We'll see how they go this time.

KC has not given up 30 points in any game at home since 2015
 

Duke33

Registered User
Oct 9, 2009
3,584
500
Houston, TX
If New England was at home I'd go Patriots but since it's at KC, the Chiefs defense is much better at home and the Patriots are used to being at home in a conference title game. Chiefs 31-20.
 

Harry22

Registered User
Mar 28, 2005
20,534
2,304
Montreal
New England's AFC-CG road track record in this dynasty: 2-0 at Pittsburgh, 0-3 in other NFL cities

0-3 against Manning on the road in the AFC CG lets make that clear.

- The first loss was a fantastic game and comeback by the Colts. Brady was great in that game in the loss.

- The second loss was arguably the best Broncos team of all time.

- The third loss was more the Pats gifting them the game by those missed 4th downs in the fourth quarter and they needed a missed Gostkowski extra point to move on EVEN after having on the best defenses ever.

Also, Andy Reid in the playoffs always has those head scratcher calls so I wonder if it will return this weekend. If the game is close in the second half, like within a single score, I can see this game going to the Pats.

I still think this is the Chiefs game to lose but I can see Belichick and McDaniels coming up with a game plan against that KC defense.
 

Therick67

Registered User
Apr 6, 2009
12,473
7,047
South of Boston
Will be interesting to see how the cold will play into things. At this point, it's going to be about 11 degrees on Sunday. It's been cold in Foxborough this week and I'm sure Belichick is
taking full advantage of it...
 

DangleCity

Registered User
Jun 23, 2016
7,174
3,363
New England's AFC-CG road track record in this dynasty: 2-0 at Pittsburgh, 0-3 in other NFL cities
40% on the road in the playoff is actually above the league average. Not to mention two of the three were in Denver which is one of the tougheat places to play and all three where against Manning who is pretty good

You could say the Patriots have a better than average shot to win this game ;)
 

Troy McClure

Suter will never be scratched
Mar 12, 2002
47,604
15,488
South of Heaven
I'm going with the Chiefs. The Chiefs securing home field over the Patriots was huge.

Thanks to the leg up gained from being able to go 6-0, 5-1, or 4-2 in their division every season because they enjoy the benefits of having three perpetually inept teams in their division, the Patriots benefited from a lot of bye week and home field advantage in the playoffs over the years. From the time Belichick drafted Brady, the Patriots have only had to play seven road games in the playoffs. In those seven road games, the Patriots are 3-4, and one of those wins featured Bledsoe as the QB. Brady is 2-4 on the road in the playoffs.
 

Harry22

Registered User
Mar 28, 2005
20,534
2,304
Montreal
40% on the road in the playoff is actually above the league average. Not to mention two of the three were in Denver which is one of the tougheat places to play and all three where against Manning who is pretty good

You could say the Patriots have a better than average shot to win this game ;)

They haven't lost on the road in the AFC CG when the opposing QB isn't Peyton Manning. ;)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Dr Quincy

Therick67

Registered User
Apr 6, 2009
12,473
7,047
South of Boston
I'm going with the Chiefs. The Chiefs securing home field over the Patriots was huge.

Thanks to the leg up gained from being able to go 6-0, 5-1, or 4-2 in their division every season because they enjoy the benefits of having three perpetually inept teams in their division, the Patriots benefited from a lot of bye week and home field advantage in the playoffs over the years. From the time Belichick drafted Brady, the Patriots have only had to play seven road games in the playoffs. In those seven road games, the Patriots are 3-4, and one of those wins featured Bledsoe as the QB. Brady is 2-4 on the road in the playoffs.

You do realize they play a first place schedule every year, right?
 

BigBadBruins7708

Registered User
Dec 11, 2017
13,579
18,347
Las Vegas
Which is only 2 games, as opposed to 6 games against the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins.

since the division realignement after 2002, the Patriots are:

79% win % against AFC East (76-20)
78% win % against everyone else (124-36)

The difference in win % over those 17 seasons is 2 wins. The AFC East only gave them the equivalent of 2 extra wins vs playing the rest of the league
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->