Patriots will have a much harder time this week as Brady stops being a vag and starts throwing the ball downfield only. NO ONE likes to be called out on just dumping down to wide open receivers or throwing short routes for 8-11 yards a pop.

Our high school team wasn't that great, but my junior year we beat an awful team by like 40. One of their linebackers said postgame, "Yeah, its easy to win when all you do is run through big holes for touchdowns."

He had a point....and I'll admit it stung bad.

I don't think this will be a factor. Not against this Patriots team.

Uh...lol?

I can't tell if this is an attempt at humor...

lol.

The Chargers O-line is pretty good. Not as good as NE at pass protection, but pretty good.

The Charger's weakness (apart from injuries) is Rivers, as CDS has pointed out. Rivers is far more prone than Gerrard to mistakes -- even when healthy -- and the Chargers really can't afford to make any on the road against the best team ever assembled.

[QUOTE=jah7_fsu1;2235297]Patriots will have a much harder time this week as Brady stops being a vag and starts throwing the ball downfield only. NO ONE likes to be called out on just dumping down to wide open receivers or throwing short routes for 8-11 yards a pop.[QUOTE]

ummmm no. It strikes me that one of the biggest strengths of this team is its humility and doing whatever it takes to win. You really think Brady and Belichick give a **** whether dumb sports fans say 'lol Brady only threw it short, what a vag'? No, I thought not.

guess this is why Clark has a no leveling policy.

lol nice headline. stuff like this makes me wonder if there isn't going to be a upset just based on karma.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/f...icleid=1066602

I don't believe in karma, but articles like that annoy me.

i have thought all year that karma and hubris would be their undoing but they arent going to lose

Jeff W, admit it. This is you isn't it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2zrJja30zw

lol that's awesome. Especially including the paragraph about how the Pats have "plenty of bulletin-board material" including fallout from Camera-gate.

On a more serious note, Chiefs QB Damon Huard does a little breakdown here that looks pretty solid to me.

[QUOTE=Jay Riall;2240974][QUOTE=jah7_fsu1;2235297]Patriots will have a much harder time this week as Brady stops being a vag and starts throwing the ball downfield only. NO ONE likes to be called out on just dumping down to wide open receivers or throwing short routes for 8-11 yards a pop. Ughh, I thought it was obvious I was only kidding...that's why I added the fictional quote at the bottom to make it even more obvious that I was joking. No sports fans feel that way, the only person in the world who feels that way is that Jaguars guy...I was poking fun at what I think is one of the most ridiculous quotes ever.

my bad, jah. I think SE has made me dumb.

Random dumb question

For essentially a warm weather team like SD...how much of an effect if any will the very cold weather have?

This is right on. Rivers was not very accurate this year. Even against the Titans in the first playoff game. His stats were deceiving. Even on those passes where guys were all alone, WRs had to adjust to make the catch such that they couldn't get any yac, whereas an accurate throw would have led to a much bigger gain.

The rest of the team is good enough to overcome against most teams in the league. But it took Rivers' best game as a pro to beat Indy. It's possible he plays that well again, but as you said it's much more likely that he doesn't.

We know the Pats will move the ball up and down. Chargers defensive stats as far as yards are very mediocre this year. But they were 5th in points against. They find a way to keep teams from scoring as much as they should. So I really think it's as simple as whether or not Rivers can keep them within striking distance until the D or one of the O playmakers can make something happen. Chances are: he won't.

does anyone else think it's more likely that Rivers gets in a fight with some drunk Irish guy in the first row than be the reason SD wins/stays close?

Rivers was one of the most accurate passers in the history of college football. He continued this in his first year with his pro bowl season. He looked like a different QB this year. I thought maybe his shoulder was hurt, but his recent good play makes me doubt that. I don't know really. Against the Titans, he did underthrow some on the highlight plays, but he made some good passes that game. Indy was a nice game.

Its clear that without good protection he struggles. This is true for everyone, but some QB can stand in an zing it or make a quick read, like Brady, Favre, Manning. Rivers may be getting used to whatever Norv is having them do, getting used to Chambers, Jackson. He looks more comfortable, even when he is spazzing out with his audibles, which I always would think, "oh no here it comes" but now he seems to not do too much stupid after that.

Drayton Florence.

34-21 pats

speaking as an athlete (although not, you know, an elite behemoth stud football player), the colder it is, the worse it sucks to be banged up. harder to get loose, easier for injured joints to stiffen up, easier to pull a muscle while overcompensating, etc. i doubt that's a huge factor by any stretch but who knows.

as far as how good their players are at handling the cold, i don't know. i went back through 2005 and the coldest weather road game i could find was probably buffalo at the start of december in 05. they also beat cleveland 21-0 in 2004 in late december. not much of a sample size as far as history goes, but i wouldn't count on it having a big impact aside from the injury issue, which may not matter either.

Re cold weather:

1981 Playoffs. Chargers in Miami = 41pts. Chargers in Cincinnati w/ -50 deg. wind chil = 7 points.

the history of dome/warm weather teams in the cold is not good.

Patriots win, and I'll say by around 10 points.

I think Brady might go deep a little too often trying to exploit Moss in the few times he gets 1 on 1 coverage, but overall moves back to the much more effective strategy he used vs. the Jags.

Reason being, I expect the Chargers to keep the clock moving and take the pressure off a banged up Rivers. The Jags did the same thing and did not try to put Garrard into many "make a play" situations" but with a banged up LT they will be put into too many 3rd and long situations resulting in one of two things... 1) mistakes potentially resulting in turnovers, 2) giving up too much field position to one of the best offenses ever.

The Pats will milk this and move the ball down the field with ease and not put up as many points as they potentially could, but enough to keep a steady lead over the Chargers.

Actually, if you think about it, there is no reason to think the Chargers won't win. This isn't the same team that the Patriots beat early in the season. In fact, since Thanksgiving, the Chargers have a better record than the Patriots.