# NFL Playoffs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 6, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477 "2017-01-06T19:52:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/121 "2017-01-17T17:05:38Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > New England is giving 5.5 to Pittsburgh and I’d say that’s about right. It’s entirely possible that Pitt’s defense won’t be able to get off the field and this one could be a route. A route to where? 😕😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/122 "2017-01-17T17:29:56Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Just to add to the misery, they lost Morgan Burnett in the Cowboy game too. It’s possible they’ll be without their top 2 CB’s and #1 free safety, and instead relying on a couple street free agents. Gunter was tasked with covering Dez, and he did not play well at all against Dallas (he gave up 6 receptions for 85 yards on 9 targets and 2 td’s) and Randall didn’t fare much better on the other side. But Gunter played pretty well against Julio last time, but there is no way I feel confident relying on him. The Packers have to hope someone steps up, like Micah Hyde did against the Cowboys, and makes plays, because they simply cannot go toe to toe against the Falcons with that secondary. > > Still, with Aaron Rodgers, there is always hope. Falcons favored by 4 at this point. Dez only got 132 yards on 12 targets, and 2 of those happened to be touchdowns, in a game where the entire game plan had to have been about stopping the run, missing a top safety, and he got little safety help. Personally, Gunter held up fine. Would I rather they held him down further than that? Yes, but I can’t see a way to do it without opening up the defense to the offensive line and Elliott even more. Green Bay was without Shields, Randall, Rollins, and Matthews the first time around. Randall and Matthews are back, and Hyde and Brice both filled in rather admirably. In other context, Cobb, Montgomery, and Cook, arguably the three most important offensive weapons for Rodgers with Nelson out, all missed that game as well, and Green Bay lost by 1 in the Georgia Dome. Giving Green Bay 4.5 seems like a poor decision, even ignoring the results last week. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/123 "2017-01-17T17:59:08Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Vegas sportsbooks lost pretty huge over the weekend with the Sunday upsets. I imagine the Packers especially killed them. Dallas giving Aaron Rodgers 4.5 was insanity. Aren’t the lines based around getting about half the bets on each side? I don’t thin the Packers winning has any more effect than them beating the spread. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/124 "2017-01-17T18:19:53Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Dez only got 132 yards on 12 targets, and 2 of those happened to be touchdowns, in a game where the entire game plan had to have been about stopping the run, missing a top safety, and he got little safety help. How does that stat line deserve an “only”? > [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Personally, Gunter held up fine. He had a defensive holding call, got beat for 21 yards on a back shoulder throw, got toasted on a 40 yard touchdown pass, gave up a 10 yard pass on a 3rd down, was beat by Butler (who luckily couldn’t make the catch), got called for DPI, and got beat on the game tying TD. Pro Football Focus had him as their lowest graded CB for the week. (Randall was second worst) > [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Would I rather they held him down further than that? Yes, but I can’t see a way to do it without opening up the defense to the offensive line and Elliott even more. The defensive plan certainly put a fair amount of pressure on Gunter to handle Dez. But the fact remains that he didn’t. > [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Green Bay was without Shields, Randall, Rollins, and Matthews the first time around. Randall and Matthews are back, and Hyde and Brice both filled in rather admirably. In other context, Cobb, Montgomery, and Cook, arguably the three most important offensive weapons for Rodgers with Nelson out, all missed that game as well, and Green Bay lost by 1 in the Georgia Dome. Giving Green Bay 4.5 seems like a poor decision, even ignoring the results last week. I’d certainly take Green Bay and 4.5. But unless someone in the defensive secondary steps up like Micah Hyde did against the Cowboys or they get a massive pass rush, the Falcons will run and pass all over them. The offense may certainly be able to keep up with them, but after watching the Packers defense collapse late in playoff games before, I’m still quite nervous. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/125 "2017-01-17T18:23:55Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > A route to where? 😕😃 To Super Bowl 51, a rematch of Super Bowl 31 with the immediate successors of the two quarterbacks who played that game, with at least three of those 4 being in the Hall of Fame. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/126 "2017-01-17T18:39:52Z")
It’s worth mentioning too that Clay Matthews has been absolutely nonexistent during this playoff run/season/couple seasons. Yes, he had the cool strip sack thingy during an already-decided Giants game, but other than that he has absolutely disappeared on the defensive end of the field. I say it every game, but if he wants to consider himself the major leaguer the thinks he is, he needs to show up in these games. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/127 "2017-01-17T18:48:33Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Aren’t the lines based around getting about half the bets on each side? I don’t thin the Packers winning has any more effect than them beating the spread. Yes, if Green Bay had lost by 3, Vegas still would have got killed. And yes, the initial line is set with the idea that you’ll split bettors. And it moves as bets comes in. But giving the Packers 4.5 (apparently 5.5 at some places) was just begging bettors to put money on them. That one in particular was a poorly set line. [http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/gambling-bookmakers-lose-big-packers-steelers-upsets/kps60bfkr8p11iq6b6lxdkohw](http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/gambling-bookmakers-lose-big-packers-steelers-upsets/kps60bfkr8p11iq6b6lxdkohw) ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/128 "2017-01-17T19:52:34Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > To Super Bowl 51, a rematch of Super Bowl 31 with the immediate successors of the two quarterbacks who played that game, with at least three of those 4 being in the Hall of Fame. He was goofing on misspelling “rout” as “route.” ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/129 "2017-01-17T22:31:00Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > He was goofing on misspelling “rout” as “route.” Don’t harsh my mellow by pointing out the obvious answer. I like mine better. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/130 "2017-01-17T22:47:21Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > It’s worth mentioning too that Clay Matthews has been absolutely nonexistent during this playoff run/season/couple seasons. Yes, he had the cool strip sack thingy during an already-decided Giants game, but other than that he has absolutely disappeared on the defensive end of the field. Not true, here’s a play where he was very prominent: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfNw0HSqOdY) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/131 "2017-01-18T07:39:50Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > It’s worth mentioning too that Clay Matthews has been absolutely nonexistent during this playoff run/season/couple seasons. Yes, he had the cool strip sack thingy during an already-decided Giants game, but other than that he has absolutely disappeared on the defensive end of the field. > > I say it every game, but if he wants to consider himself the major leaguer the thinks he is, he needs to show up in these games. He’s suffered a number of injuries over the past few years; I worry that his body is breaking down on him. (I have the same worry about J.J. Watt.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/132 "2017-01-18T09:10:25Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > He’s suffered a number of injuries over the past few years; I worry that his body is breaking down on him. (I have the same worry about J.J. Watt.) Watt had such a stellar year the previous season that I’d expect him to have trouble matching it anyway; aside from Deion Sanders, I can’t think of anyone else in the modern era who was a top defensive player _and_ catching TD passes. Of course, with the great overrated Osweiler at QB… ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/133 "2017-01-19T19:06:40Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > It’s true, the Packers are the NFC’s Steelers. There was a big helmet-to-helmet hit on Cole Beasley that wasn’t flagged. That is _quite_ a stretch. The Steelers have far and away been the dirtiest, head hunting-est team in the NFL for a long time, with the baton currently being born by Shazier, Dupree, Antonio Brown, the Professor and Maryann. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/134 "2017-01-19T19:13:03Z")
[quote=“TonySinclair, post:130, topic:776477”] Not true, here’s a play where he was very prominent: [/QUOTE] That’s pretty much Clay’s effectiveness in a nutshell right now. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > He’s suffered a number of injuries over the past few years; I worry that his body is breaking down on him. (I have the same worry about J.J. Watt.) Yeah, but it seems like it’s just one excuse after another. “He’s injured”; “He’s playing out of position”; “His supporting cast isn’t great.” At one point do you just say “He’s lost it?” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/135 "2017-01-19T19:37:03Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Yeah, but it seems like it’s just one excuse after another. “He’s injured”; “He’s playing out of position”; “His supporting cast isn’t great.” > > At one point do you just say “He’s lost it?” I think that the injuries he’s suffered have cost him some of his quickness. As in the Giants game, he’s still capable of making the occasional amazing play, but his days of being able to take over a game seem to be over. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/136 "2017-01-22T21:52:11Z")
Don’t panic Packers fans! Remember Chargers-Broncos 2012! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/137 "2017-01-22T22:06:57Z")
> [@borschevsky](#): > > Don’t panic Packers fans! Remember Chargers-Broncos 2012! No, I think panicking is a perfectly legit response at this point. I’m opting for morose resignation, though. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/138 "2017-01-22T22:08:40Z")
Yeah, looks like the Pack’s season is over. Even if they were able to fix their offensive problems, I don’t see their D stopping the Falcon juggernaut enough to win. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/139 "2017-01-22T22:31:09Z")
Maybe you’re right. These Falcons don’t seem like the 2012 Chargers at all! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477/140 "2017-01-22T23:37:41Z")
I’m glad that’s finally over. The constant ‘technical difficulties’ were hurting my eyes. On to CBS and a hopefully more consistent connection. ETA: Terrific. Watching for one minute and it’s already happening. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-playoffs/776477.md?page=8)