NFL Playoffs Prediction Contest - Super Bowl Week!

[Pokerbrat2000]

We'll see what the all mighty commissioner of this pick'em league does in 2022!

Well for starters, he should consider giving out 100 bonus points for every 0 (zero) that a person has in their name. Right @buggybill2003 ?

 

[lambeaulambo]

We know but we still like you

Don't look now but I interloped my way into the top 6...a dead clock is correct twice a day! As for you Bill - it might be time to start telling fortunes..

 

[Packerbacker1996]

Bengals fans deserve this so badly after so many decades of putting up with bang holes. And that team knows that. They are all as hungry as it gets.

Bengals 23 Rams 13

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

How the heck did they do and get away with that?

At the time, I don't think anyone thought a game that went an extra quarter and a half would add what 4 hrs to it....crazy. I think some used that as a "we have to avoid this in the future and prevent games going past 1 OT."

I also remember conversation about a "Heidi game" , will link the info below. But games normally took only 2 1/2 hrs back then and the Jets-Raider game went past 3 hrs! Now games are lasting close to 3 1/2 hrs! I don't think that is because of the game itself taking longer, I think it is by design so that the Networks can run more commercials to pay for the huge fee they pay the NFL to carry them. Some day, the games will be at Noon and 4, allowing more commercial time.

Heidi Game - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Poppa San]

Rams 31-23

 

[Half Empty]

At least the NFL hasn't resorted to an NHL shoot-out scenario, where each team's QB and a WR square off against one CB and one DL.

Recognizing how exhausting OT games are to the players, I would be happy with a scenario where each team gets one possession in OT. If the score is still tied after each team gets a possession, they each get another possession until a winner emerges. It keeps games shorter but allows each team an opportunity instead of just a coin toss.

So, the college procedure?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

So, the college procedure?

That would have been great for The Packers, besides the FG/XP unit, they could have kept the rest of the special teams units off the field.

The current college OT procedures are far better than what the NFL currently does. For me though, it is only separated by the fact that there is no guarantee in the NFL that the team losing the coin toss ever gets possession of the ball. Fixing that is super easy and I have no clue why they haven't. Then again, it took them how long to decide that the team to win the coin toss, just had to kick a FG on the first possession, wasn't actually fair either.

 

[Mondio]

I don't think college is better, it's just different. It's never going to be equitable, it's never going to be "fair" I really don't need to see teams trading FG's for 5 possessions. the 2nd team always has an advantage because it's 4 downs and they know what they need. Oh, so you're going to flop possessions one team goes first then the next team goes 1st if they both score FG's? Now you have a team who's defense has to be on the field 2 possessions in a row.

It's football, you played for 60 minutes. It's special teams, offense, defense. Stop them on defense. Score TD's on offense. Give yourself or limit their field possession with special teams. Find a winner and be done with it.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It's football, you played for 60 minutes. It's special teams, offense, defense. Stop them on defense. Score TD's on offense. Give yourself or limit their field possession with special teams. Find a winner and be done with it.

So you would be in favor of returning to a FG wins it in OT, even if it is on the first possession?

Or are you saying; "win it in regulation or you don't deserve the win and let it end in a tie with no OT"? That would be fine with me, but you still have to have equitable OT rules for the playoffs, since they can't end in a tie.

I just don't see why giving the kicking team a possession if the first team scores a TD, is asking too much. It helps to negate the coin toss creating an advantage.

Data since the new OT rules were put in place supports this advantage:

According to the Stathead database, there have been a little over 160 overtime games under the current rules for winning in overtime (including the postseason). The team that got the ball first has won 52% of the time. The team that kicked off has won 42% of the time. The rest were ties, which happens in regular season games when no one scores during the now 10-minute overtime period.

 

[Canadian Cheddar]

This reminds me of Wisconsin-native Matt Kenseth's Winston Cup championship in 2003. He was so far ahead that the last race of the season was irrelevant. Roger Penske and others were so mad that they got NASCAR to change the entire way that points and championships played out by creating the "Chase For The Cup" format. Winston Cigarettes left NASCAR, was replaced by Nextel, and the NASCAR playoffs were born.

Now, the difference is that Kenseth was consistently excellent all season while only taking the checkered flag once. NASCAR's Chase format changed the system to reward drivers with bonuses for winning, not just being good (i.e. boring). They pushed drivers back to the old mantra of the checkers or the wreckers. I suppose that I was the opposite of Kenseth. I wasn't at all consistently good at picking winners, but picked up a lot of bonuses by always using the most common scores in football. It was a winning strategy for me this season, but I think that Roger Penske would be upset.

We'll see what the all mighty commissioner of this pick'em league does in 2022!

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What El Guapo needs. Unfortunately, this is what he's doing to his competition.

 

[Mondio]

I honestly don't care at this point, make all sudden death, it's better than many of the other proposals that will just lengthen games and once teams adjust we'll all be complaining that they aren't "fair" or equitable again.

To put it simply, I am completely fine with sudden death games. I don't care if each team is given a possession. The only time it is "fair" is if both teams kick a FG. After that it is not. One team is likely 1 less offensive possession, one more defensive.


I don't want to see a bunch of possessions from a predetermined spot, Football is special teams, offense defense, use them and win.

Nobody has given me a better scenario for OT. So both teams get a possession and both kick a fg or score TD's, you're right back where we started. It's made fair how? You still have to stop them, you still have to set yourself up with field position and you still have to score points some how.

and ETA: the stats may or may not support it. I'd be fine limiting all the rules that promote offense making 13 second drives a possibility in this game. But more to the point if the team with the ball first is winning 52% of the time, that's not very significant and unless that is winning with the ball on the first drive, it's not even relevant.

if they're winning it on their 2nd possession all it means is one team only had to put their defense out their to protect against points 1x less and the losing team had to put their defense out and defend against points 1x more than the team with the ball first. I'd say that's an advantage.

How is it fair one team only has to play defense 1x. vs my 2?

 

[Forget Favre]

At the time, I don't think anyone thought a game that went an extra quarter and a half would add what 4 hrs to it....crazy. I think some used that as a "we have to avoid this in the future and prevent games going past 1 OT."

I also remember conversation about a "Heidi game" , will link the info below. But games normally took only 2 1/2 hrs back then and the Jets-Raider game went past 3 hrs! Now games are lasting close to 3 1/2 hrs! I don't think that is because of the game itself taking longer, I think it is by design so that the Networks can run more commercials to pay for the huge fee they pay the NFL to carry them. Some day, the games will be at Noon and 4, allowing more commercial time.

Heidi Game - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ya know, the Heidi game actually came to mind when I first saw the longest game since we are talking about the odd TV games.

Yeah, you are right about why what should be an hour game goes for another 2-2 1/2 hrs longer is because of the ads of which they will have TV timeouts just for that.
And what makes it even more interesting is that the action itself for both sides, from the snap of the ball to the whistle, lasts about 15 minutes.
I have timed it a couple of times with my stopwatch.
Crazy at how they stretch that into three hours!

 

[G0P4ckG0]

If the first team scores a TD, they must go for 2. If they convert, game over. If they don't convert, other team gets a chance at possession and can elect to kick an extra point to win if they score a TD

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

One team is likely 1 less offensive possession, one more defensive.

Isn't that the nature of each quarter, each half, each full game? Those things probably never even out.

For me it isn't "evening up possessions", more than it is allowing each teach a chance to at least possess the ball once in OT. For some reason the NFL went halfway on this by saying a first possession FG doesn't win the game, unless the other team fails to score on their possession. Fine, just add two words to that rule "or touchdown" and I think you have solved the problem.

I agree with you on not liking the college system of OT. Which shows you how much I dislike the current NFL OT, since I would prefer switching to the college OT rules VS sticking with the current format in the NFL.

 

[OldSchool101]

Did Joe Burrow ask Patrick Mahomes to make his comeback easier?

There are five of you who are mathematically able to tie or beat me assuming that the Rams win and you guess the final score correctly. It's not that far-fetched of a scenario!

I’ve finally figured out that betting the opposite of @El Guapo wasn’t the best choice after all
It was a risky endeavor. I knew I’d either get hammered or I’d be lifted onto a Packer pedestal and enshrined along being included with Packer lore. Now? Im just the forgotten David Whitehurst of fans

Packers 13 (I can still get correct score without the winner .. it’s the rules)
Bengals 12

 

[OldSchool101]

Go ahead. Laugh all you want!
I’m not going anywhere! I’ll be your Freddie Krueger

 

[Mondio]

The possessions likely don't even out, which is why I don't care about it in OT. I always view it as, the game has been played, the rules dictate a winner be declared. Now go win. teams are always stronger in some areas than others. I hate putting teams in scoring positions if they haven't earned it. switching to college, the team going 2nd has a decided advantage in strategy than those going first when they know they have 4 downs or if they need 3 or 6. I think it's more of an advantage than winning a coin flip in the NFL, unless of course your defense just gave up points in 13 seconds that led to the flip in the first place, in which case, I don't care if they lose, they deserved to.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

And what makes it even more interesting is that the action itself for both sides, from the snap of the ball to the whistle, lasts about 15 minutes.
I have timed it a couple of times with my stopwatch.

That doesn't surprise me, there is a lot of standing around in between plays and obviously during timeouts.

I can guarantee you that the NFL and Networks both spend lots of money on determining just how many commercials can be squeezed into the broadcast of each game, before it becomes a negative effect. One of the reasons I enjoyed watching Pro Hockey before the invention of DVR's and VCR's, was that the amount of commercials were minimal and predictable (between periods). Today, my DVR cloud allows me to skip all the commercials that I want.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

switching to college, the team going 2nd has a decided advantage in strategy than those going first when they know they have 4 downs or if they need 3 or 6. I think it's more of an advantage than winning a coin flip in the NFL,

LOL...you do realize that they flip a coin in college, to determine who wants to either go first or second to start OT. Which then flips after each OT.

 

[Forget Favre]

That doesn't surprise me, there is a lot of standing around in between plays and obviously during timeouts.

I can guarantee you that the NFL and Networks both spend lots of money on determining just how many commercials can be squeezed into the broadcast of each game, before it becomes a negative effect. One of the reasons I enjoyed watching Pro Hockey before the invention of DVR's and VCR's, was that the amount of commercials were minimal and predictable (between periods). Today, my DVR cloud allows me to skip all the commercials that I want.

I don't watch the games live or in real time anymore.
Either on delay by 30-45 min. or recorded an hr or so later.
I may watch our first drive, pause it then come back to it.

You and I are so on the same page with commercials bro.
F 'em.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I don't watch the games live or in real time anymore.
Either on delay by 30-45 min. or recorded an hr or so later.
I may watch our first drive, pause it then come back to it.

You and I are so on the same page with commercials bro.
F 'em.

Agreed. I do enjoy watching live, with a bunch of friends. But then just like you do at a game, you chat, go to the bathroom or whatever, during timeouts. But yes, if I watch alone, I do the same as you...avoid all news sources, don't look at phone and start watching from the beginning, an hour or so after it started. If I am really short on time, hit my 15 second skip button 3 times between plays and I am watching a tackle and the next snap in seconds.

 

[Forget Favre]

Agreed. I do enjoy watching live, with a bunch of friends. But then just like you do at a game, you chat, go to the bathroom or whatever, during timeouts. But yes, if I watch alone, I do the same as you...avoid all news sources, don't look at phone and start watching from the beginning, an hour or so after it started. If I am really short on time, hit my 15 second skip button 3 times between plays and I am watching a tackle and the next snap in seconds.

When you are alone do you bother with the half time shows?
I usually don't.
Maybe the highlights or scores from other games sometimes.
Maybe.
I really don't care that much for the talk of, "They should do this or that in the second half."

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

When you are alone do you bother with the half time shows?
I usually don't.
Maybe the highlights or scores from other games sometimes.
Maybe.
I really don't care that much for the talk of, "They should do this or that in the second half."

I'm the same. I might watch them if I am live, but if I am still an hour behind the game, I just FF through halftime.

I have a friend that is a huge Packer and Badger fan, invited him over several years ago for the first time to watch a game. He called as the game was starting "Going to be 1/2 hour late, start without me if you want." When he arrived we sat on the couch and I started up the game. He was like "WTF are you doing, Packers are up 7 zip, I was listening to it on the radio." I told him I hadn't watched any and started the game. By about the time we caught up to live, he was beside himself. He said he would never watch a game with me again, that commercials are a part of the experience and me FF through them was dumb. LOL

 

[Forget Favre]

I'm the same. I might watch them if I am live, but if I am still an hour behind the game, I just FF through halftime.

I have a friend that is a huge Packer and Badger fan, invited him over several years ago for the first time to watch a game. He called as the game was starting "Going to be 1/2 hour late, start without me if you want." When he arrived we sat on the couch and I started up the game. He was like "WTF are you doing, Packers are up 7 zip, I was listening to it on the radio." I told him I hadn't watched any and started the game. By about the time we caught up to live, he was beside himself. He said he would never watch a game with me again, that commercials are a part of the experience and me FF through them was dumb. LOL

LOL indeed.

Was A-Rod doing the State Farm or the Ford Truck ones at that time?
If so he must have flipped when you zipped through those!
LOL

 

[Mondio]

LOL...you do realize that they flip a coin in college, to determine who wants to either go first or second to start OT. Which then flips after each OT.

I do, and getting the ball 2nd is a decided advantage. But I’m not claiming that college is better in any capacity. I thought it was fairly obvious I was comparing college to nfl and that was the flow before hand.