The Chiefs are simply built to beat the Patriots’ in playoffs, says Fox Sports writer

[Trivers]

"If the Chiefs have home field advantage in playoffs, they are going to Super Bowl"

Sweet words to the Homer in me. But, alas, they are just words.


http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...115627688.html

BY PETE GRATHOFF

If you’re wondering if the 7-2 Chiefs might be flying under the radar with national media, that’s not the case.

Among AFC teams, the Chiefs have the second-best chance to win the Super Bowl, according to fivethirtyeight.com. That 15 percent chance is just behind the Patriots (17 percent). The Chiefs are the top AFC team in Sports Illustrated’s power rankings. They are the second-best AFC team behind the Patriots, according to CBS Sports.

On Thursday, Peter Schrager, Senior National Football Writer for Fox Sports, said only one team in the AFC could beat out the Patriots for a spot in the Super Bowl: the Chiefs.

Schrager noted that the Chiefs have won 17 of their last 19 regular-season games and their home-field advantage is huge.

“The Chiefs do not lose at home,” he said. “They are on a 10-game winning streak in Arrowhead, which is the longest active streak in the entire league.”

Schrager says if the Chiefs win home-field advantage through the playoffs, they will make the Super Bowl.

“The Chiefs are simply built to beat the Patriots,” Schrager said.

Here is more on what Schrager said.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...#storylink=cpy

[Saccopoo]

[JD10367]

Considering losing to the Bucs at home, I'd now worry less about being built to beat the Patriots in the playoffs and more about getting INTO the playoffs. Two of the best teams in the AFC are Oakland and Denver, who are right in your way. 7-3 could become 8-8 pretty quickly if the Chiefs don't get their shit together.

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by JD10367

Considering losing to the Bucs at home, I'd now worry less about being built to beat the Patriots in the playoffs and more about getting INTO the playoffs. Two of the best teams in the AFC are Oakland and Denver, who are right in your way. 7-3 could become 8-8 pretty quickly if the Chiefs don't get their shit together.

Thanks for the news flash. None of us have considered that at all.

[oaklandhater]

http://patriotswire.usatoday.com/201...y-new-england/

Raiders are built to beat Patriots which should terrify New England

The Oakland Raiders are equipped with everything they need to beat the New England Patriots. It’s a little alarming.

Smart, accurate quarterback? Check.

Two big-bodied, dangerous receivers? Check.

Strong offensive line? Check.

Elite pass-rushers on a disciplined defense? Check.

The Raiders are the Harry Potter to New England’s Voldemort. They’re the Luke Skywalker to New England’s Darth Vader. The Frodo to New England’s Sauron.

Malcolm Butler, Eric Rowe, Logan Ryan and whoever else the Patriots throw in at cornerback have not showed the ability to contain receivers of lesser talent than Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Cooper and Crabtree could have a field day. Those two players have size, speed and skill levels that surpass the Patriots cornerback on a consistent level. Butler, Rowe and Ryan have each had outstanding performances. But Rowe and Ryan have also gotten benched after bad performances. Bill Belichick went so far as to compare the cornerback rotation to a game of roulette. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is smart enough to recognize when one of those players is having a bad day, and he can hammer them with targets. The Raiders receivers appear able to accumulate yards and touchdowns at the flick of Carr’s wrist — quite literally.

But that’s not the only way the Raiders have racked up yards. Tight end Clive Walford has begun to find his rhythm in the offense. He’s not contributing the yardage Rob Gronkowski brings, but Walford is a reliable player who nabs somewhere between one and six catches a game. And running back Jalen Richard is also getting targets, one of which he turned into a touchdown on Monday Night Football. The rookie is a nice complement to Latavius Murray, even if Murray is also a strong pass-catcher. Richard’s development could spell bad news for the Patriots, as they have struggled to match up with running backs in the passing game — especially since the departure of Jamie Collins.

So what do we have so far in terms of matchups? Rowe and Devin McCourty on Amari Cooper. Butler on Crabtree. Elandon Roberts or Dont’a Hightower on Murray and Richard. Patrick Chung on Walford. And Carr is there to make everything worse for the Patriots.

Then there’s the Raiders offensive line, in which Oakland has made smart investments over the last few offseasons. The Raiders realized they have something special in the passing game, and it’s worth investing in an offensive line that will allow Carr to find his receivers (and running backs and tight ends). The rebuild started when Raiders drafted guard Gabe Jackson at third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. They then signed center Rodney Hudson away from the Chiefs in 2015. They made a big splash in 2016 free agency to get Kelechi Osemele for $60 million. To keep the band together, they resigned left tackle Donald Penn last offseason, and snatched him away from the open market before he met with other teams. The Patriots’ pass rushers struggled mightily to get after the quarterback (until the saw the NFL’s JV team, the 49ers), and they’d likely struggle further if they saw this Raiders offense. Carr isn’t a quick passer like Tom Brady — but you’d think he was with the protection he gets. Oakland has allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL with 11.

Put the offensive line and the strong passing personnel together, and this Raiders team can put up points. They’re fifth in the NFL with 27.2 points per game. For reference, the Patriots offense is sixth with 27.1 points per game.

Yup, we’re looking at a shootout, an elder wand-level duel, a light saber battle for the ages, a battle of the two towers.

Brady would have to navigate a defense comprised of studs in Bruce Irvin, Khalil Mack, Karl Joseph and Malcolm Smith. Mack and Irvin, in particular, are excellent at pressuring quarterbacks, and Brady’s supposed mobility may be tested in a way it hasn’t been this season.

The good news for the Patriots is that the Raiders are ready to beat the Patriots right now. Why is that good news? Because they don’t play right now. The two teams may not even see each other this season. If they do, they’ll likely square off in the AFC Championship Game (and what a game that would be). So the Patriots have time to adjust, to learn from their mistakes, to improve their communication in the secondary and to develop a stronger pass-rush. If the Patriots are looking for a standard of offense they’d like to be able defend, they should look at the Raiders. Because if New England hopes to make it to the Super Bowl, they may just have to defend the Raiders offensive attack. Belichick and Brady’s fifth Super Bowl ring may depend on it.

The Raiders look more than ready for the Patriots — but will the Patriots be ready for the Raiders?

[oaklandhater]

See what a joke of an article it was Trivers it didn't mean jack now people are saying raiders