The Sports Random Thought Thread

[Burning Paradigm]

So guys, gimme your thoughts about playoffs about now. who do you see as for sure going to be there?

AFC

1. Steelers (bye)
2. Chiefs vs. 7. Ravens
3. Bills vs. 6. Colts
4. Titans vs. 5. Browns

NFC

1. Packers (bye)
2. Saints vs. 7. Cardinals
3. Seahawks vs. 6. Rams
4. Washington vs. 5. Buccaneers

5-7 could come down to tiebreakers in these predictions, so the precise order might not be correct. But, that's the general vicinity of my prediction.

Also, I think the Ravens could win out, but you could swap them out for the Dolphins if the Dolphins go 2-2 in their remaining games, if I'm calculating it correctly.

 

[Stigmata]

AFC

AFC West: Chiefs
AFC North: Steelers
AFC East: Buffalo
AFC South: Titans (they have a slightly easier schedule than the Colts)
5th Seed: Brown
6th Seed: Colts
7th Seed: Dolphins

NFC

NFC East: LOL WHO CARES?? (I'm actually torn between Washington and Giants but I see Washington edging them out down the stretch)
NFC West: Rams
NFC South: Saints (duh...)
NFC North: Packers
5th Seed: Seahawks
6th Seed: Buccaneers
7th Seed: Cardinals (They have a way softer schedule down the stretch than Minnesota)

EDIT: 2020 NFL Playoff Picture: Here are the projected postseason chances for all 32 teams heading into Week 14 - CBSSports.com I was off by one team! I hadn't even looked at this at the time. How are people sleeping on the Dolphins as a wildcard team, though?

 

[Burning Paradigm]

[MENTION=13112]Stigmata[/MENTION] You see the Rams edging out the Seahawks in the NFC West? I think there's a chance of it happening, considering Seattle and LA play each other in 2 weeks' time. But, my impression is the Seahawks have a marginally easier schedule than the Rams in the closing weeks of the season.

As for the Dolphins, the Ravens have a strong chance of winning out with the exception of Cleveland, while Miami has to face Kansas City tomorrow and Buffalo in Week 17. I think they win against New England, but the big X factor is their game against the Raiders. Speaking of which, the Raiders seem to have a somewhat favorable schedule as well except for Indy tomorrow (we'll see how that ages). So, they have a shot at the 7th seed as well.

 

[Stigmata]

[MENTION=13112]Stigmata[/MENTION] You see the Rams edging out the Seahawks in the NFC West? I think there's a chance of it happening, considering Seattle and LA play each other in 2 weeks' time. But, my impression is the Seahawks have a marginally easier schedule than the Rams in the closing weeks of the season.

As for the Dolphins, the Ravens have a strong chance of winning out with the exception of Cleveland, while Miami has to face Kansas City tomorrow and Buffalo in Week 17. I think they win against New England, but the big X factor is their game against the Raiders. Speaking of which, the Raiders seem to have a somewhat favorable schedule as well except for Indy tomorrow (we'll see how that ages). So, they have a shot at the 7th seed as well.

Seattle seems to be looking steam down the stretch whereas the Rams seem red hot. The Seahawks face a free win for showing up against the Jets, 2 tough division games (anything can happen in a division game...), and Washington team which is better than their record indicates. Rams have the Jets and Arizona, as well as Seattle, but they should easily win those two games against the jets and cardinals. I just don't believe in the Ravens this season -- Baltimore has bengals and jaguars, which should be easy wins, but I don't see them steamrolling a hot Cleveland team like they did earlier this season, and I could see the giants game going either way. I think the Ravens are in for a challenge if they don't diversify their offense a bit -- the league is starting to figure out Lamar Jackson, and you can't always rely on purely running the football.

 

[Burning Paradigm]

Seattle seems to be looking steam down the stretch whereas the Rams seem red hot. The Seahawks face a free win for showing up against the Jets, 2 tough division games (anything can happen in a division game...), and Washington team which is better than their record indicates. Rams have the Jets and Arizona, as well as Seattle, but they should easily win those two games against the jets and cardinals. I just don't believe in the Ravens this season -- Baltimore has bengals and jaguars, which should be easy wins, but I don't see them steamrolling a hot Cleveland team like they did earlier this season, and I could see the giants game going either way. I think the Ravens are in for a challenge if they don't diversify their offense a bit -- the league is starting to figure out Lamar Jackson, and you can't always rely on purely running the football.

I agree with the part about the Ravens. I do think the Ravens benefited from a very easy schedule last year; their receivers seem to fold in critical moments as they did against Tennessee last year. With Mark Ingram largely injured this season, their running game weakened a little bit, and their WRs just couldn't catch their targets.

On the other side, though, I think the Cardinals could beat the Rams in this division game. Kyler threw for 3 TDs in their last matchup IIRC (as opposed to Goff's 1); they just got outscored because the Rams are good at...well, ramming through defenses XD (this is where smash-mouth offense works). Cardinals' defense isn't exactly stellar, but I could see them at least plugging up some holes from last time.

 

[Burning Paradigm]

Also, I don't know if you guys saw that LSU-Florida game, but LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO. FLORIDA LITERALLY THREW THEIR PLAYOFF CHANCES AWAY, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The one time in recent memory I rooted for LSU, so...GEAUX TIGAHS!

(I don't actually hate Florida, I just need Texas A&M to have a chance at making the playoffs.)

 

[Tomb1]

I want to see Chiefs beat Dolphins and Bills beat Steelers. I like the under in the latter.

 

[Stigmata]

Whoa. 17-0 Eagles right now versus the Saints. The eagle's offense looks dare I say....competent..with Jalen Hurts at the helm.

 

[Tomb1]

9-7 first half bills/steelers...great defensive game so far both lines smutherin' the hell out of the qbs.

 

[Burning Paradigm]

Bills have been looking nice thus far.

Also, good to see Houston native Jalen Hurts beat the Saints as a starting QB.

 

[Tomb1]

Allen-Diggs killed it second half. Allen played good under all that pressure...definitely no choke-artist there

 

[Stigmata]

Allen-Diggs killed it second half. Allen played good under all that pressure...definitely no choke-artist there

Buffalo has turned a huge corner this season from last year, attributed mostly to some of their offseason free agency acquisitions coupled with Josh Allen improving as a passer. They're legit this year as opposed to last year.

 

[Tomb1]

Buffalo has turned a huge corner this season from last year, attributed mostly to some of their offseason free agency acquisitions coupled with Josh Allen improving as a passer. They're legit this year as opposed to last year.

he improved for sure. no easy chore closing against a monster defense...heyward's a wrecking ball. easy way to find out what a QB is made of toss 'em into Blitzburg

 

[ceecee]

Though as a Catholic I want to convert people's conscience, I don't tell to them convert to Catholicism formally.

Because everyone who distrusts Catholicism as a religion will eventually reinvent some Chistian-ish faith, as long as they have a good conscience.

Theologians agree the most important is not to be in the Church formally, is to be in the Church at heart, and they mean "heartly Catholic" as "anyone who's have a good conscience, regardless of his formal religion". Catholic theologians say it, I don't, I just agree with it. They may call a Muslim a "Catholic in the soul".

Maybe formal Muslims are more likely to go to Heaven, than formal Catholics, because Muslims look like they take faith more seriously. Theologians distinguish "Church's body" and "Church's soul".

I mean, for a Catholic it's not required to a human to know God itself in an exact way. It's required to know God as they're able to know.

Well, ok then.

Circling back to the Steelers being a fraud...

The Steelers’ Problems Aren’t New. They’ve Simply Gotten Worse. - The Ringer

 

[Stigmata]

Well, ok then.

Circling back to the Steelers being a fraud...

The Steelers’ Problems Aren’t New. They’ve Simply Gotten Worse. - The Ringer

Without even reading it: they have no answer at QB outside of what remains of Ben Roethlisberger, and Ben is showing massive signs of physical decline. Outside of that they have a pretty good football team.

 

[ceecee]

Without even reading it: they have no answer at QB outside of what remains of Ben Roethlisberger, and Ben is showing massive signs of physical decline. Outside of that they have a pretty good football team.

*nods*

 

[Burning Paradigm]

Those were two lucky as shit drives for Lamar lol

 

[Tomb1]

this was priceless. nelson falls flat on his face when diggs cuts a quick cross-route out of the shotgun against the 4-2-5 nickel...

 

[Stigmata]

I feel distraught for Browns fans. If it was ever possible for a loss to feel like a win, that was it. I don't think Balitmore is better than Cleveland, that team just has some mental complex about divisional games. I don't get it -- perhaps decades of being abused by Pittsburgh and Baltimore has left some sort of psychotic barrier about playing them. I still don't believe in Baltimore down the stretch -- their offense is extremely limited and one-dimensional, with Lamar unable to be a consistent threat in the pocket. I was really hoping this would be Baker's signature win. This is almost exactly how I felt when Brady beat Mahomes in the AFC championship 2 years back, but we all know what happened that next year...

Easily the game of the year; very reminiscent feeling to the Rams vs Chiefs game on Monday Night Football a few years back.

 

[Jaguar]

Now that was a game.