PatsPropaganda

An Independent Patriots Blog

AFC Championship Scouting Report: Pittsburgh Steelers

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The playoffs finally feel real. The Patriots are one game away from the Super Bowl and the pressure is on. This is the part of the season we all live for, to face stiff competition and crush old rivals. The Patriots and Steelers haven’t held as intense a rivalry since they last faced off in the playoffs in 2004. Now, the teams are largely different than they were then, but both teams are still top organizations. Let’s break it down.

Here’s everything you need to know about The Pittsburgh Steelers, aka “Bumble Ben and the Yellow Jackets”

Week 7 at Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday January 22nd

6:40 pm EST, CBS

High 30’s, 10% chance of precipitation, 5 mph winds

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Patriots Tuesday 10 Pack: AFCCG Edition

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After reflecting upon this year’s AFC Championship game — the matchups, the history, etc — I can’t help but feel like it’s a throwback game to the early 2000’s playoffs. That both intrigues and frightens me. During those 2003 and 2004 playoff runs you knew the Pats would have to play their best games and somehow they always did.

It’s also somewhat reminiscent of the 2011 and 2012 AFC Championships against the Ravens. You knew those would be wars and both games lived up to the hype. I can’t help but feel like this game is going to be the same way. Back and forth the entire game, coming right down to the very end where whoever makes the last play will win.

So yeah, exciting, but terrifying.

Here’s a bunch of thoughts on all things Pats as I get back into the flow of the week…

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Patriots Will Face Steelers In the AFC Championship

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The Patriots will host the Steelers in the AFC Championship next Sunday, after Pittsburgh unleashed LeVeon Bell (170 yards rushing) and Antonio Brown (108 yards receiving) on the Chiefs, winning 18-16.

It will be the third time the two teams have met in AFCCG (2001, 2004), both of which saw the Pats win both on the road. This will be the Steelers first chance to return the favor, travelling to Gillette Stadium where they’ve won just once with Ben Roethlisberger, in 2008 against Matt Cassell. USA betting sites have the Pats as early favorites.

The Steelers with Big Ben are 3-7 against the Pats, but they’ve got two of the best weapons in the NFL. No lead is safe, they can score quick. And they’re just the kind of physical team, with a healthy hate of the Patriots, that will

These are the two best teams in the AFC and they’ve been on a collision course for another playoff meeting for a while. They still haven’t met in the playoffs since the 2004 AFC Championship.

They’re due for another classic and we’re going to get it. This will be a sixty minute game, if it doesn’t go to overtime. So start preparing yourself for the stress of it all now.

My early thoughts on the keys for the Patriots:

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Pats Posits: We’re Back in the AFCCG!

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The Patriots overcame three giveaways, pulling away late to close out the Houston Texans 34-16 in the AFC Divisional round, just as american football betting thought they would. The Pats now await the winner of the Steelers and Chiefs as they head to their record sixth-straight AFC Championship game.

The Patriots struggled to find a rhythm on offense, but Dion Lewis was a standout, setting an NFL Playoff record by scoring touchdowns rushing, receiving and on a kickoff return. The Patriots have been managing Lewis since the summer with this moment in mind. Now, when it all counted most, Lewis was the go-to playmaker out of the backfield.

The defense was every bit as suffocating as we expected it to be against an impotent Houston offense, holding the slim Patriots lead throughout the game and coming up with three interceptions of Brock Osweiler. Logan Ryan had the game of his career, recording three passes defensed, an interception, a sack, a QB hit, a tackle-for-loss and seven tackles.

There’s plenty to dissect, but most importantly, the Patriots are one game away from the Super Bowl.

More on it all in the Posits…

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Best/Worst in Weekly Patriots Links -1/14 (Divisional Playoffs Edition)

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“You come to Foxboro, it’s gonna be snowing, it’s gonna be cold. Come on in here. We still play, and we win. That’s what we do.”- Teddy Bruschi

The road to Houston starts with the Texans and goes through route 1 tonight. Brockstar and the band are in town looking for an encore after beating up on the bruised and battered Raiders last weekend. With a comical and outlandish 16 point spread, it’s clear who Vegas likes in this one. Matt Dolloff (CBS Boston Contributor) sides with the house, stating:

There are more than enough former Patriots on the Texans staff to understand how tough of a game Saturday will be, but way too many for them to foster the kind distaste for New England that’s needed to have a chance at pulling the upset at Gillette. The same reason that O’Brien won’t get enough out of his team on Saturday is the same reason Belichick will be calling off the dogs by the end of the third quarter.

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Patriots Gameplan: AFCDG vs. Houston Texans

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The playoffs are here. Finally. Yes, it feels like most of what occurred in between watching the Patriots walk off the field in Denver after squandering a golden chance at another Super Bowl appearance to now was a bit of an annoying, meaningless blur. Brady’s suspension, Garoppolo, Brissett, a bunch of forgettable games, one or two good ones, losing Gronk, finishing strong and boom, January is here.

This is when things matter. This is when the legacies of Brady and Belichick can take a step forward. This is what we the fans live for. And here come the 9-7 Houston Texans, the biggest underdogs in an NFL playoff game since the turn of the century. Super Bowl betting is very much in the Patriots favor and this one isn’t all that scary.

Which is kinda scary.

It’s a far cry from the Colts in 2004 or even these same Texans in 2012. We kinda like these guys. Vrabel, Wilfork, RAC, BOB…But the Texans are standing in the Patriots’ way of a record sixth-straight conference championship game appearance, so throttle them we must.

Here’s the gameplan to survive and advance at the expense of some old pals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mN9f7oXM-U

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Coffin Corner: Spoilers Alert!

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Every NFL season during the Roger Goodell reign has become an absurdist melodrama that would shame the writing staffs of Downton Abbey, Days of Our Lives and WWE. This year’s episodes included:

The Suspension. The Jimmy G Tour. The Thumb. Goodell’s Pathological Addiction to Protecting Pathological Abusers. I have no idea how he screwed this up, but I’m glad the Giants have correctly identified Odell Beckham as the Giant most in need of chiding. “The Belichick Letter,” which reminded me of the great “Cheevers letters” Seinfeld episode. The “Tomato Can” tour, a Dan Shaughnessy tradition unlike any other. (“Heads, I win”; “Tails, I win” argument.  Shaughnessy’s such a talented writer who relies on hackery in an effort to be “right”. As if that matters.) Deflategate 2: Science And Procedure And Whatever. Walkie-Talkie thingee. (I understand the hypocrisy of the NFL, but I still don’t understand why I’m supposed to care about this. This is how the league should punish people for things that don’t affect the 22 players on the field.)

Deeeeeep breath…

The Year-Long Ratings Decline. The Cynical Touchback rule. LeGarrette Blount’s predictable 1,000-yard season. Patriots get too cute trying to bleed clock and end up losing to Seattle. Jeff Fisher’s paid vacation. Rex Ryan’s truck. Aaron Rodgers being treated like a God for correctly identifying the Packers upcoming soft schedule. (Where is Shaughnessy on this one?!) Jason Garrett following in a long line of mediocre coaches winning Coach of the Year. (In a decade this will look really bad, but he had a back-up QB win 13 games. I get it.) John Harbaugh complained a bunch. (Google “John Harbaugh complains.” It’s absolutely remarkable. He once complained at a player’s funeral to DeMaurice Smith talking about practice!)

But something about this season didn’t feel quite right. Almost like a network comedy that’s in a 5th or 6th season rut. The cast and writing staffs have become a bit hemmed in by their cast, each now slowly becoming more caricature than character. This season felt like that. Maybe that’s why most of the stories we got were like the third season of the O.C.’s Chrismukkah episode: Deflategate 2, Goodell goes Soft on Wife beaters, John Harbaugh complains about something that happened to him in grade school. Even Goodell never really seemed invested in this year’s tangential storylines, barely defending his atrocious handling of the league. Afraid to show his face as ratings declined. He barely lodged a single illogical pronunciations that went unchallenged by writers propped up by the league. No science to disprove. No tyrannical over-reliance on the word “Integrity.”

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