Broncos Post Game Thread

[CharVike]

The Patriots have had one of the easiest schedules I can remember and play in what has to be one of the worst overall divisions. They're good, but the lack of substantial challenge is making them look a lot better than they are, and I think in the rare games they've played against good competition that has been obvious.

Except they've won those six Super Bowl and made 10 Super Bowl appearances under B&B. There IS that. But where you ARE right is that their easy division gives them a leg up on gaining home-field advantage in the playoffs, and it's nearly impossible to beat New England in Foxboro in December and January.

Still, they have to beat good competition in the playoffs and Super Bowls, and there can be no denying they've done that. No matter what their roster looks like, they always seem to be in either the AFC Championship Game (8 straight years) or the Super Bowl (10 times in 19 years).

Getting home field is just a piece of it. They are a rested team when they hit the playoffs. They will have that wrapped up weeks before the playoffs. If they had to play balls to the wall just to get in like us that changes many things. They can rest the wounded. That's a huge advantage. Put yea they need to play two good teams to make the show.

[Pondering Her Percy]

The Patriots have had one of the easiest schedules I can remember and play in what has to be one of the worst overall divisions. They're good, but the lack of substantial challenge is making them look a lot better than they are, and I think in the rare games they've played against good competition that has been obvious.

Except they've won those six Super Bowl and made 10 Super Bowl appearances under B&B. There IS that. But where you ARE right is that their easy division gives them a leg up on gaining home-field advantage in the playoffs, and it's nearly impossible to beat New England in Foxboro in December and January.

Still, they have to beat good competition in the playoffs and Super Bowls, and there can be no denying they've done that. No matter what their roster looks like, they always seem to be in either the AFC Championship Game (8 straight years) or the Super Bowl (10 times in 19 years).

The AFC in general has been poor for quite some time. Some of the teams that squeak into the playoffs in the AFC would get stomped in the NFC. There are going to be teams in the NFC like the Rams, Eagles, Panthers, etc. that could easily win a game or more if they were in the AFC but wont make the playoffs in the NFC.

I mean after the Pats, Ravens and Chiefs (even though they havent looked great by any means), it's Houston, Indy and Buffalo. NFC bottom 3 seeds are the Vikes, Seattle and Dallas. The team comparison is drastically lopsided IMO

[VikingLord]

Except they've won those six Super Bowl and made 10 Super Bowl appearances under B&B. There IS that. But where you ARE right is that their easy division gives them a leg up on gaining home-field advantage in the playoffs, and it's nearly impossible to beat New England in Foxboro in December and January.

Still, they have to beat good competition in the playoffs and Super Bowls, and there can be no denying they've done that. No matter what their roster looks like, they always seem to be in either the AFC Championship Game (8 straight years) or the Super Bowl (10 times in 19 years).

I'm not trying to discredit their dominance over the last what, 2 decades. They've accomplished a lot, cupcake division or not, and deserve credit for that.

But, what I meant by my response to CharVike was about their opponents this year, which have been historically bad for the most part, at least to this point in the season, and that has inflated their stats. The one really good team they played so far this season cleaned their clock.

[CharVike]

Except they've won those six Super Bowl and made 10 Super Bowl appearances under B&B. There IS that. But where you ARE right is that their easy division gives them a leg up on gaining home-field advantage in the playoffs, and it's nearly impossible to beat New England in Foxboro in December and January.

Still, they have to beat good competition in the playoffs and Super Bowls, and there can be no denying they've done that. No matter what their roster looks like, they always seem to be in either the AFC Championship Game (8 straight years) or the Super Bowl (10 times in 19 years).

I'm not trying to discredit their dominance over the last what, 2 decades. They've accomplished a lot, cupcake division or not, and deserve credit for that.

But, what I meant by my response to CharVike was about their opponents this year, which have been historically bad for the most part, at least to this point in the season, and that has inflated their stats. The one really good team they played so far this season cleaned their clock.

This isn't the first time that this has been mentioned. The NFL as an entity would rather not talk about it. There's no benefit to them. Everyone knows they have a cakewalk. That's a tremendous advantage. To there credit they have taken full advantage of this. That's what Joe is pointing out. The thing I hate is these teams don't even try. They are glad to take the beating. I'm no coach but you need to get after Brady. A stiff team like the Jets need to sell out. Send all 11. He'll have two seconds and then be smashed. They might get a TD but who cares. They will score anyway. You laid the wood to Brady. Now he will start thinking "I don't like this".I seen it this week against the Eagles who did a good job on D. He was hit and not even hard and he didn't like it. The announcers even said he's getting hit. 3 times in the half. Big deal. Guys get that in one series. And the announcers were crying. Shut up. He needs a blindside smash. Our guy gets plenty of those. Brady will get zero for the season. The teams he plays against won't or can't do it. Send more people. There's only so many blockers. Sorry for the rant my bad.

[J. Kapp 11]

Except they've won those six Super Bowl and made 10 Super Bowl appearances under B&B. There IS that. But where you ARE right is that their easy division gives them a leg up on gaining home-field advantage in the playoffs, and it's nearly impossible to beat New England in Foxboro in December and January.

Still, they have to beat good competition in the playoffs and Super Bowls, and there can be no denying they've done that. No matter what their roster looks like, they always seem to be in either the AFC Championship Game (8 straight years) or the Super Bowl (10 times in 19 years).

The AFC in general has been poor for quite some time. Some of the teams that squeak into the playoffs in the AFC would get stomped in the NFC. There are going to be teams in the NFC like the Rams, Eagles, Panthers, etc. that could easily win a game or more if they were in the AFC but wont make the playoffs in the NFC.

I mean after the Pats, Ravens and Chiefs (even though they havent looked great by any means), it's Houston, Indy and Buffalo. NFC bottom 3 seeds are the Vikes, Seattle and Dallas. The team comparison is drastically lopsided IMO

I disagree on one point, PHP. While the AFC is definitely weaker, it hasn't been weaker for all that long.

As recently as 2016, the AFC East's other 2-3-4 teams won more games than the NFC North's 2-3-4 teams, and the NFC West's 2-3-4 teams had 10 fewer wins than their respective AFC East teams. That year, just 3 years ago, the NFC East was the best division in football, and the 9-7 Lions made the playoffs. Meanwhile, the AFC West had two 12-4 teams (as they also did last year). In 2014, the Panthers won the NFC South with a losing record. Prior to 2017, the AFC had the better conference. It's only been the past couple of years that the script has flipped ... this year the gap is very wide, no doubt.

The issue for me is a comparison of how the franchises in that division are run. The Patriots are a well-oiled machine. Meanwhile, the Jets and Dolphins franchises are annually a dumpster fire, while Buffalo went 20 years without making the playoffs. The Patriots routinely have an advantage in their own division, which virtually assures them of a 5-1 division record minimum. That usually leads to home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, even when the AFC is tough.

How hard is it to win at Gillette Stadium in January? Of the 12 AFC Championship games in the Brady/Belichick era, they've played 7 at home, winning 6. In AFC Championship games on the road, they're 2-3. That's where the Patriots have been very lucky. None of the other teams in the AFC East is ever is a consistent threat. They've won 16 division titles in 19 years because they've been virtually guaranteed 5-6 division wins per year. It's ridiculous.

[Pondering Her Percy]

The AFC in general has been poor for quite some time. Some of the teams that squeak into the playoffs in the AFC would get stomped in the NFC. There are going to be teams in the NFC like the Rams, Eagles, Panthers, etc. that could easily win a game or more if they were in the AFC but wont make the playoffs in the NFC.

I mean after the Pats, Ravens and Chiefs (even though they havent looked great by any means), it's Houston, Indy and Buffalo. NFC bottom 3 seeds are the Vikes, Seattle and Dallas. The team comparison is drastically lopsided IMO

I disagree on one point, PHP. While the AFC is definitely weaker, it hasn't been weaker for all that long.

As recently as 2016, the AFC East's other 2-3-4 teams won more games than the NFC North's 2-3-4 teams, and the NFC West's 2-3-4 teams had 10 fewer wins than their respective AFC East teams. That year, just 3 years ago, the NFC East was the best division in football, and the 9-7 Lions made the playoffs. Meanwhile, the AFC West had two 12-4 teams (as they also did last year). In 2014, the Panthers won the NFC South with a losing record. Prior to 2017, the AFC had the better conference. It's only been the past couple of years that the script has flipped ... this year the gap is very wide, no doubt.

The issue for me is a comparison of how the franchises in that division are run. The Patriots are a well-oiled machine. Meanwhile, the Jets and Dolphins franchises are annually a dumpster fire, while Buffalo went 20 years without making the playoffs. The Patriots routinely have an advantage in their own division, which virtually assures them of a 5-1 division record minimum. That usually leads to home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, even when the AFC is tough.

How hard is it to win at Gillette Stadium in January? Of the 12 AFC Championship games in the Brady/Belichick era, they've played 7 at home, winning 6. In AFC Championship games on the road, they're 2-3. That's where the Patriots have been very lucky. None of the other teams in the AFC East is ever is a consistent threat. They've won 16 division titles in 19 years because they've been virtually guaranteed 5-6 division wins per year. It's ridiculous.

I'm not saying it's been forever, but as you pointed out, it's a solid 3 years running now where the AFC has been brutal. With Peyton Manning and now Andrew Luck gone, it's gotten much worse.

And yes agreed on the Patriots. They have 6 cupcake games every year within their own division alone. Then you add in the 1-2 teams from each division they cross over with and now they are up to 10 wins, then add in the few tough teams. So for the most part, they are getting 10 cupcake games a year, possibly more. It drives me insane. Like how can the Bills, Dolphins and Jets be that bad for that long?! How can you NEVER find a QB? How do you just always suck?! I will say, when BB and Brady retire, that division is going to be downright pathetic. Because the Pats without Brady and BB, are a below average team IMO. Maybe like a Detroit? Can beat a good team here and there but consistently miss the playoffs. That's the Patriots without Brady and BB. Add that in along with the already pathetic franchises in that division now and the winner of the division might go 5-11 lol

[J. Kapp 11]

I disagree on one point, PHP. While the AFC is definitely weaker, it hasn't been weaker for all that long.

As recently as 2016, the AFC East's other 2-3-4 teams won more games than the NFC North's 2-3-4 teams, and the NFC West's 2-3-4 teams had 10 fewer wins than their respective AFC East teams. That year, just 3 years ago, the NFC East was the best division in football, and the 9-7 Lions made the playoffs. Meanwhile, the AFC West had two 12-4 teams (as they also did last year). In 2014, the Panthers won the NFC South with a losing record. Prior to 2017, the AFC had the better conference. It's only been the past couple of years that the script has flipped ... this year the gap is very wide, no doubt.

The issue for me is a comparison of how the franchises in that division are run. The Patriots are a well-oiled machine. Meanwhile, the Jets and Dolphins franchises are annually a dumpster fire, while Buffalo went 20 years without making the playoffs. The Patriots routinely have an advantage in their own division, which virtually assures them of a 5-1 division record minimum. That usually leads to home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, even when the AFC is tough.

How hard is it to win at Gillette Stadium in January? Of the 12 AFC Championship games in the Brady/Belichick era, they've played 7 at home, winning 6. In AFC Championship games on the road, they're 2-3. That's where the Patriots have been very lucky. None of the other teams in the AFC East is ever is a consistent threat. They've won 16 division titles in 19 years because they've been virtually guaranteed 5-6 division wins per year. It's ridiculous.

I'm not saying it's been forever, but as you pointed out, it's a solid 3 years running now where the AFC has been brutal. With Peyton Manning and now Andrew Luck gone, it's gotten much worse.

And yes agreed on the Patriots. They have 6 cupcake games every year within their own division alone. Then you add in the 1-2 teams from each division they cross over with and now they are up to 10 wins, then add in the few tough teams. So for the most part, they are getting 10 cupcake games a year, possibly more. It drives me insane. Like how can the Bills, Dolphins and Jets be that bad for that long?! How can you NEVER find a QB? How do you just always suck?! I will say, when BB and Brady retire, that division is going to be downright pathetic. Because the Pats without Brady and BB, are a below average team IMO. Maybe like a Detroit? Can beat a good team here and there but consistently miss the playoffs. That's the Patriots without Brady and BB. Add that in along with the already pathetic franchises in that division now and the winner of the division might go 5-11 lol

It's ownership. That's what I mean by "the way the franchises are run." Every other team in that division has bad ownership and bad front office management. Your chances of winning with that kind of ownership are very slim.

Detroit is a great example. I don't know if you have read the story about Calvin Johnson that came out this past September in Sports Illustrated, but he paints a pretty bleak picture of how that team is run. Here's an excerpt.

He excelled at [his] job, but his employer kept failing. The Lions did not win a playoff game in his nine years. Their ineptitude was comical, unless you cared. One coach hired his son-in-law to be defensive coordinator. A general manager decided on draft night to use a first-round pick on a player he didn’t even want. Veterans would join Detroit and tell Johnson about everything the team did wrong. Eventually he started to notice himself. The front office and coaching staff were rarely aligned. The massage therapist who was there on Fridays and Mondays would be gone the next year. Stuff like that.

Here is a story. In Johnson’s second year, quarterback Jon Kitna said—well, take it away, Calvin: “He left the meeting room one day, and he told the coaches and the whole team that we’re not gonna win a game if we go into the season with [this] system. Somebody should have listened. Because we were 0–16 after that.”

That year, Johnson says, “plenty of guys on the team [said], ‘I don’t know if I want to play football anymore.’ ”

Link to the article. It's worth the read.

Is it any wonder Megatron retired in his prime?

I have a strong feeling this excerpt could describe the management of every team in the AFC East other than New England. That's why they've won the division 16 times in 19 years.

[ERIK the PURPLE]

Watching the Sounds of the Game on Vikings.com it was interesting to see play click go to zero before Denver’s last snap.

[Pondering Her Percy]

I'm not saying it's been forever, but as you pointed out, it's a solid 3 years running now where the AFC has been brutal. With Peyton Manning and now Andrew Luck gone, it's gotten much worse.

And yes agreed on the Patriots. They have 6 cupcake games every year within their own division alone. Then you add in the 1-2 teams from each division they cross over with and now they are up to 10 wins, then add in the few tough teams. So for the most part, they are getting 10 cupcake games a year, possibly more. It drives me insane. Like how can the Bills, Dolphins and Jets be that bad for that long?! How can you NEVER find a QB? How do you just always suck?! I will say, when BB and Brady retire, that division is going to be downright pathetic. Because the Pats without Brady and BB, are a below average team IMO. Maybe like a Detroit? Can beat a good team here and there but consistently miss the playoffs. That's the Patriots without Brady and BB. Add that in along with the already pathetic franchises in that division now and the winner of the division might go 5-11 lol

It's ownership. That's what I mean by "the way the franchises are run." Every other team in that division has bad ownership and bad front office management. Your chances of winning with that kind of ownership are very slim.

Detroit is a great example. I don't know if you have read the story about Calvin Johnson that came out this past September in Sports Illustrated, but he paints a pretty bleak picture of how that team is run. Here's an excerpt.

He excelled at [his] job, but his employer kept failing. The Lions did not win a playoff game in his nine years. Their ineptitude was comical, unless you cared. One coach hired his son-in-law to be defensive coordinator. A general manager decided on draft night to use a first-round pick on a player he didn’t even want. Veterans would join Detroit and tell Johnson about everything the team did wrong. Eventually he started to notice himself. The front office and coaching staff were rarely aligned. The massage therapist who was there on Fridays and Mondays would be gone the next year. Stuff like that.

Here is a story. In Johnson’s second year, quarterback Jon Kitna said—well, take it away, Calvin: “He left the meeting room one day, and he told the coaches and the whole team that we’re not gonna win a game if we go into the season with [this] system. Somebody should have listened. Because we were 0–16 after that.”

That year, Johnson says, “plenty of guys on the team [said], ‘I don’t know if I want to play football anymore.’ ”

Link to the article. It's worth the read.

Is it any wonder Megatron retired in his prime?

I have a strong feeling this excerpt could describe the management of every team in the AFC East other than New England. That's why they've won the division 16 times in 19 years.

Oh yeah ownership is a big one. Guys have ragged on the Wilfs before but seeing how horribly ran some of these teams are, the Wilfs have done great. Washington is another train wreck. Terrible ownership, GM was a drunk, horrible coaching, etc. I still think the Browns are ran horribly. They've finally brought some talent in but still cant become an above average team.

[Bowhunting Viking]

It's ownership. That's what I mean by "the way the franchises are run." Every other team in that division has bad ownership and bad front office management. Your chances of winning with that kind of ownership are very slim.

Detroit is a great example. I don't know if you have read the story about Calvin Johnson that came out this past September in Sports Illustrated, but he paints a pretty bleak picture of how that team is run. Here's an excerpt.


Link to the article. It's worth the read.

Is it any wonder Megatron retired in his prime?

I have a strong feeling this excerpt could describe the management of every team in the AFC East other than New England. That's why they've won the division 16 times in 19 years.

Oh yeah ownership is a big one. Guys have ragged on the Wilfs before but seeing how horribly ran some of these teams are, the Wilfs have done great. Washington is another train wreck. Terrible ownership, GM was a drunk, horrible coaching, etc. I still think the Browns are ran horribly. They've finally brought some talent in but still cant become an above average team.

I would say having to Dan Snyder's GM would force u into becoming an alcoholic. Or a full blown drug addict

[Pondering Her Percy]

Oh yeah ownership is a big one. Guys have ragged on the Wilfs before but seeing how horribly ran some of these teams are, the Wilfs have done great. Washington is another train wreck. Terrible ownership, GM was a drunk, horrible coaching, etc. I still think the Browns are ran horribly. They've finally brought some talent in but still cant become an above average team.

I would say having to Dan Snyder's GM would force u into becoming an alcoholic. Or a full blown drug addict

[CharVike]

I would say having to Dan Snyder's GM would force u into becoming an alcoholic. Or a full blown drug addict

I don't know who the GM is but whoever picked that QB in round 1 should be fired. Yes he had a great year in college. One year. He needed to ride the pine for a few years. Now they throw him to the wolves and he's struggling. That's expected but 40% completion pct is beyond bad. And then taking a selfie with a fan before the game is over. Don't do that BS. We are a joke. If I was the GM I would have told him to clean your locker out and get out. Then the team knows your serious about winning. It's a party for that team. Snyder forced RG III down the teams throat for the ticket sales and promotional stuff. You can't blame him for that. Money is money.