boyah in my thread also same fugging ratings
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Patriots own it
Patriots Defense ranked #1 in points allowed 250 points or 15.6 ppg.
Patriots Defense ranked #8 in yards allowed 326 ypg.
Falcons Defense ranked #25 in yards allowed 371 ypg.
Patriots win by 17 points
new england opponents
opp................off rank
*=common opp
mia.................19
nyj..................30
den.................21*
balt.................20
la....................32*
nyj.................30
sf....................26*
sea.................17*
buf..................10
pit...................12
cin..................24
clv...................31
buf..................10
hou.................28
mia.................19
az.....................6*
avg off rank faced......20.9
atlanta opponents
no.....................2
car...................15
sf.....................26*
la.....................32*
kc....................13
az......................6*
phi...................16
tb.....................18
gb......................4
sd......................8
sea...................17*
den...................21*
car....................15
no......................2
oak....................9
tb......................18
avg off rank faced...14.5
if you throw out common opponents, and limit divisional to one entry
new england opponents
mia.................19
nyj..................30
balt.................20
buf..................10
pit...................12
cin..................24
clv...................31
hou.................28
avg off rank faced...21.7
atlanta opponents
no.....................2
car...................15
kc....................13
phi...................16
tb.....................18
gb......................4
sd......................8
oak....................9
avg off rank faced...10.6
all teams "play who the league puts on their schedule", so pats fans can stop lobbying that one around. surely the pats have a stouter defense - both statistically, and imo, by the eye test. they play sounder, more disciplined football, -in all phases- without a doubt. but the stats too, say that ATL has had by far tougher offensive squads to match up against, that could lead to the skewing of rankings being what they are.
that said, i'd actually venture my opinion that while the pats do have edges in a handful of SB trends... including, -as im told-, being the squad that wears white jersey - as 10 of last 11 teams to do so, have won, (--the last white jerseyed team to lose, --
pats v giants) i believe that the it will be the falcons, NOT the patriots who have better chance to win by double digits, though truly like the falcons by a TD at minimum
gla
