RustyPS%20should%20be%20working said

[orig][quote]

dreadkill said	[orig][quote]
the pats might actually win their first playoff game this year. if pittsburgh manages to beat baltimore, they'll beat the pats too, but if not, i think the pats can beat baltimore by limiting ray rice. it will be tough though. i don't have much faith in this defense. seeing the pats in a super bowl shootout with green bay or new orleans would be fun.

You make it sound like they have no shot. Here are some facts that prove otherwise:

- http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tab...role=OPP&season=2011&seasonType=REG - The Pats are 15th in the NFL in Points Allowed, ahead of fellow playoff teams like the Falcons, Packers (Yes, the fucking Packers, AKA: God's Gift to the NFL), Lions, Broncos, and Giants. Who cares how many yards the defense gives up as long as they can hold the score low enough for the offense to score more?
- http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/s...ivetake/position/defense/league/afc - The Pats are 1st in the AFC, and 3rd in the NFL, in turnover differential with a +14. The only teams ahead of them in the NFL are the Niners with +26 and the Packers with +24. This may be the one stat that shows a direct correlations on how wins more often than not.
- To stay in the turnover realm, the Pats are 1st in the AFC in takeaways with 30 (4th in the NFL, behind the Niners, Packers, and Lions), and 1st in the AFC in giveaways with 16 (3rd in the NFL, behind the Niners and Packers, seeing a pattern?). Again, the more takeaways and less giveways your team has usually dictates wins and losses.
- BTW, do you know who has the least takeaways in the AFC and NFC respectively and are tied for the least in the NFL? The Steelers and Saints with 14 takeaways a piece.
- After the Pats lost to the Giants on November 6th, the Pats have given up an average of exactly a touchdown per game in the 2nd halves of the last 8 games. It breaks down like this (got these numbers from looking at each game's box score: http://www.nfl.com/teams/newenglandpatriots/schedule?team=NE):

Jets - 7
Chiefs - 0
Eagles - 7
Colts - 21 (which was all in garbage time when the Pats D figured the game was well in hand)
Redskins - 7
Broncos - 7
Dolphins - 7
Bills - 0

While the competition in those games is rather weak, it still shows that the Pats make the adjustments and make the stops. It also shows that they don't throw in the towel after falling behind, showing mental toughness.

The one thing that scares me is the habit the Pats have made of spotting teams big leads in the beginning of games. If they fall behind to the Steelers or Ravens (or the Packers, Niners, Lions, or Saints in the Super Bowl) like they have been lately, I don't think they can survive.

I'm not saying they're definitely going to win the Super Bowl, but they have as good of a chance as anyone.