I hope people finally stop doing this now.....
 

In predicting today's AFC Championship game, I heard several say "it's hard to bet against Brady and Belicheck" so they just pick the Patriots.

Well, after two SB losses and a AFC championship game loss at home, I hope some would start giving some solid football reasons for picking them from now on Instead of just taking the easy way out and giving them the W based on history.

Personally, I think the run is over. I'm not saying they are going 2-14 next season, but no more SB's. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

What say you?

it is hard to bet against Brady and Belichick.

what's wrong with that logic?

if someone put a gun to my head and told me I had to pick a team to win this past decade and if I'm wrong they blow my brains out...

this logic would have saved my life more often than not

Tom Brady is 32 years old?

John Elway and Jim Plunkett are the only QBs with wins in the SB over the age of 33.

The Patriot run is almost certainly over with Tom Brady at QB.

Head=Nail

I quite enjoy seeing them get to the playoffs and then fail miserably.

They'll probably win the division again next year. The AFC East is horrible.

Yes win the division. Plus, continue to fail in the playoffs.

The Bills are coming on to challenge though baby. Coach Marrone!

Probably?

They will. That's guaranteed.

My point exactly.

:clap: Nice stat.

I'm talking moving forward. Post season especially. Lots of teams can rack up wins in the regular season.

He's 35 and will be 36 by the time next season starts. He's still really good, but yeah, everyone gets old.

I wish we failed like that

Well 3 of their last 3 biggest games they lost. 2 SB's and an AFC Championship game.

I can't believe you forgot about Steve DeBerg. Remember when the refs didn't make a phantom holding call on Dave Szott at Miami, and the Chiefs went on that magical run to win the Super Bowl?

Well, so do I, until after the first season. Then I would want to start winning in the post season.

You could easily take "East" out of that sentence. The Pats probably aren't going away next year. I wasn't sure there was a single great team in the AFC... and there wasn't. The conference champ lost 4 of it's last 5 games during the season and limped into the playoffs. The Broncos basically beat up on maybe the worst division ever, the Patriots got their face punched in against physical teams, and Houston got whipped the last quarter of the season.

Though I agree the patriots are slowly becoming the soda that has lost all of its fizz. They will continue to be favored because they are consistently in the playoff run, and multi time super bowl contenders

Belichick needs to work on his defense somehow...

and they need to add a speedy receiver to stretch the defense.

Other than that, this team is as good as any and will contend again next year.

That was a fun game. Till the end. Remember Albert Lewis going for the int on either Duper or Clayton on the sideline pattern, missing and they turned it up field for a big gain?

I'm reading the Martyball book that just came out. I'm in 1986 right now. Gonna be some bad memories soon!

Brady is 35.

Unless they add bonafide playmakers on offense they'll be worse next year.

That has always been their hangup post-Moss.

Yep. It just seems most season lately, the Pats have a very easy regular season schedule, but are failing to achieve their ultimate goal in the post season.

I think it has been 8 seasons now since they have won a SB. Back to the Eagle TO game.

Yeah, but that said the NFC isn't going away. The Niners, Falcons, Seahawks, Packers are all dangerous. That doesn't even include the Skins, Giants, Saints, etc. who all have great QBs.

The Ravens won't have Lewis and maybe not Reed either next year. The only ascending QBs are probably Luck, Flacco, and probably Dalton.

I envy the Seahawks and the way that team was built.

Amnorix been around tonight??? LMAO

yeah apparently every time the Pats lose in the playoffs it is never Brady's fault

not once

Hard to win without cheating

Brady wasn't very good but Belicheat has provided him with almost 0 legit down field targets. Gronkowski helps alleviate that somewhat but not enough and without him they were screwed tonight.

they try to get a downfield target every year

last year they went with Ocho

this year they got Lloyd

I agree they need to find a 'Torrey Smith' but those don't grow on trees

they were 8 point favorites and lost, it was embarrassing, and Brady played poorly.

At least Manning gave himself an opportunity to choke. Brady couldn't even do that.

@SI_PeterKing: Playoff records since 2008: John Harbaugh 8-4, Belichick 3-4.

@ProFootballWkly: RT @SportsCenter: In his first 10 career postseason starts, Tom Brady won 3 Super Bowls (10-0). Since then, he's 7-7 (0-2 in Super Bowls).

Cheating must really help.

If you're consistent enough to get to those points in the season you're always going to be a major threat to win it all.

Funny how people all of a sudden think the Patriots suck just because they don't win the SB every year and have lost their last 2 SB's.

People obviously don't understand how hard it is to win in the NFL on a consistent basis.

Hate all you want. They are a dynasty! They have consistently picked low in the draft and coached the talent to the max. Tell me another team that has done the same without high draft picks! It is starting to catch up with them though. They are aging. They need a pass rusher and another playmaking WR on offense.

While you're in 1986, could you look up 1986 Bob Dole and tell him not to get married to that woman?

Brady could retire tomorrow and still be a top 3 QB of all-time; arguably the best.

I would laugh my balls of if Brady just says "you know what?...I'm going to go out on top. I'm retiring"...just to see the train wreck and the end of the Patriot Way.....er, I mean the Brady way.

How would retiring after that game be considered going out on top?

They haven't won a SB in 8 yrs it's not that hard.

I picked them because I thought (and still think) the Ravens are a mediocre over-the-hill (on D at least) team that I was shocked made it to the game in the first place. I underestimated Rice and Flacco, however.

How is the book?

Their defense is ascending, ever since the move to a 4-3. Needs some work, but the progress is there. Bellichick is still a terrific coach. He'll build a team that can win without Brady. However, the new realities of the league are that unless you have a clear franchise QB (more significantly, an elite QB), you're always going to have an outside chance at a Super Bowl. The answer to how Bellichick will do after Brady will depend on how stubborn he will be about the Parcells/Patriot Way of trying to find late round QB steals.

I actually think Bellichick is one of the only in that stupid Parcells tree who has been open to changing philosophy. So it'll be curious to see how they plan to replace Brady. Maybe it's possible Mallett is better than I would have pegged him to be.

Flacco has been really good in the playoffs the last few years after a shaky first 3 years or so. He would be going to the SB for the 2nd year in a row if not for Lee Evans. Hes just now entering his prime.

I thought the same thing. Either they were underachieving for a month or the AFC in general is not good. Or both.

The Patriots are still a very good organization but the Dynasty aspect is either over or in its final days. It will all be over once Brady retires. On top of that they haven't won a Super Bowl in 8 years. Again good franchise but they aren't the lead dog anymore imo.

It'll be interesting as the new crop of QBs take over for Manning and Brady. Guys like Kaepernick, Wilson, and even Matt Ryan are the new wave of SB winners IMO. Hopefully Geno Smith's Chiefs teams too. :)

Talk about overreacting you know youre great when losing in the afc title game is underachieving.

Thing is...the league likes their pretty-boys. Brady is a great face for the NFL and talks the part. Flacco might be ascending, but he will never be embraced as an NFL face. He can render all that irrelevant w/ multiple Brady-like seasons over the next 10 years...but he's yet to even make it to the big game before this year.

Thus...it made sense to pick the Patriots. I really don't see the problem with this. Maybe Flacco will make such predictions different next year. My guess is he'll get creamed in the SB and he'll lose his defensive blanket next year and have to stand on his own...and then, we'll see what he's got.

The SF defense wins this SB...the QB's won't be the story, either way. After all, this is the Harbaugh bowl.