Ravens beating Pitt

[Jules]

Uh......the Ravens have to play the Redskins/Broncos/Giants/Bengals to end the year.

OUCH.

[chad72]

Uh......the Ravens have to play the Redskins/Broncos/Giants/Bengals to end the year.

OUCH.

Looking like the Broncos/Pats battle for #2/#3 hinges on the Broncos-Ravens and Pats dual matchups vs Texans and SF.

Do you think Belichick, if he loses to the Texans, will rest someone knowing that a #4 seeding to get the #5 Colts as opposed to a #6 Bengals or Steelers might be better than a #3 seeding since the Colts are not playoff tested? Just curious what you thought.

[Synthetic]

Looking like the Broncos/Pats battle for #2/#3 hinges on the Broncos-Ravens and Pats dual matchups vs Texans and SF.

Do you think Belichick, if he loses to the Texans, will rest someone knowing that a #4 seeding to get the #5 Colts as opposed to a #6 Bengals or Steelers might be better than a #3 seeding since the Colts are not playoff tested? Just curious what you thought.

I don't see that happening. They had everything wrapped up in 2010 and 2011 and didn't rest going into the final game, they waited till the score was out of reach to bench the starters.

[Jules]

Looking like the Broncos/Pats battle for #2/#3 hinges on the Broncos-Ravens and Pats dual matchups vs Texans and SF.

Do you think Belichick, if he loses to the Texans, will rest someone knowing that a #4 seeding to get the #5 Colts as opposed to a #6 Bengals or Steelers might be better than a #3 seeding since the Colts are not playoff tested? Just curious what you thought.

I hope not.

I think we have to take this one week at a time though here. Ask me next weekend lol. But, I am not sure you want to play a fearless Colts team more then you would an old Steelers team with a hurting QB and a Bengals team who has not won a playoff game since 1990? Yes I know what happened in Foxboro this year but we did make a ton of mistakes we can clean up. Not saying we beat them, but we could make it closer.

Then again maybe we are the ones everyone wants to play due to youth but be careful what you wish for. We really have no pressure on us compared to our opponents if we of course make it in since it's like you often said a house money year.....

Still in the playoffs who the heck knows. The ball can bounce funny ways.

Of course I have made it no secret that NE is the last place I want to go of the 4 division leaders (I don't think anyone really likes going there regardless, heck maybe just Eli would like it.).

Not that I know who is hurt or what not which could effect the game, but right now I would favor NE over Houston/SF simply based on the games being in Foxboro and it's the time of year the Pats often go on streaks.

[Jules]

I am not even sure who I would want in between Cincy/Pitts. Part of me always seems to expect the Steelers to find a way in but I would prefer to see Cincy develop as a yearly playoff threat over the other two in the division who always bug me.

Another thought, the schedule makers did noooooooo favors for the Broncos this year. They front loaded the schedule early when the team was not in sync. I know they wanted to display the Peyton comeback but they should have spread the big games out more IMO.

I can see Baltimore losing a few more but the margin of error is so thin between the division leaders and WC contenders it's crazy. We cannot lose to KC/TN but the Lions game gave us a cushion vs. a potential must win vs. Houston which we should no longer need.

[chad72]

Another thought, the schedule makers did noooooooo favors for the Broncos this year. They front loaded the schedule early when the team was not in sync. I know they wanted to display the Peyton comeback but they should have spread the big games out more IMO.

You can say that again. I bet either the Texans home game or the Falcons road game may have a different outcome for the Broncos, if not the Pats road game, and they probably would have just 2 losses now if the games were more spread out.

Besides, I hate Peyton playing the Pats in the 4:15 time slot.

Peyton playing the Pats:

2005 - MNF, 2006 - SNF, 2007 - 4:15 p.m. ET, 2008 (without Brady) - SNF, 2009 - SNF, 2010 - 4:15 p.m. ET, 2012 - 4:15 p.m. ET

He has lost all of the 4:15 p.m. ET time slot games vs the Pats and won all the night games vs the Pats since 2005. CBS protecting their 4:15 p.m. time slot is the worst thing that can happen to Peyton playing the Pats and the best thing for Pats fans.

If they did not front load the games and had the Pats game smack dab in the middle of the year, it probably would have been a night game for ratings and the outcome could have possibly been different. Just a hunch.

I bet Pats fans will become Colts fans for their 2 head-to-head games vs the Texans.

[oldunclemark]

Pittsburgh is done. I really don't want them in the playoffs this year, the Bengals are a young team of hope and promise.

wow..