Oh, by the way - Oakland Raiders Forum | Message Board

SoCalRaider · #1 (**permalink**) 01-07-2003, 03:05 PM

[size=18:eab2f4037f][b:eab2f4037f]Odds favor the rested in playoffs' second round [/b:eab2f4037f][/size:eab2f4037f]

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
POSTED: Jan. 6, 2003 10:22 p.m.

Something for the wild-card winners to keep in mind as they celebrate: Since the current playoff format started in 1990, teams that had first-round byes are 39-9 in the second round.

In other words, the odds are against the Jets, Falcons, Steelers and 49ers as they go to Oakland, Philadelphia, Nashville and Tampa next weekend.

They can take some consolation, though, knowing that this truly has been the wackiest of seasons, capped by Sunday's twin comebacks. San Francisco erased a 24-point deficit to beat the New York Giants, and Pittsburgh climbed out of a 17-point hole against the Cleveland Browns to advance to the second round.

The Titans, like all the home teams (the bye teams), are favored - by four points. The Eagles are 71/2-point favorites, the Raiders 51/2, and the Bucs five.

The odds - and the pertinent numbers are 39-9, not whatever Vegas might think - say they'll win.

---

ODD YEAR, ODD PLAYOFFS: Although running and defense are supposed to win playoff games, that didn't happen this weekend, especially in Sunday's two games.

A total of 221 points were scored in the wild-card round, the second most since the NFL went to the 12-team playoff format in 1990. The most came in 1995, when there were 266 points scored in the first round, which included a 58-37 win by Philadelphia over Detroit (that was the Eagles over the Lions, not the 76ers over the Pistons at halftime.)

Rushing?

In Sunday's games, Kelly Holcomb passed for 429 yards, Tommy Maddox for 367, Kerry Collins for 342, and Jeff Garcia for 331. And that doesn't count Terrell Owens' 25-yard completion on an option pass.

Rushing and defense indeed.

SoCalRaider · #2 (**permalink**) 01-07-2003, 03:08 PM

[size=18:0d4d3705a2][b:0d4d3705a2]There should be no surprises in AFC matchups[/b:0d4d3705a2][/size:0d4d3705a2]

By CARLTON THOMPSON
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

The loneliest people at the coliseums in Nashville and Oakland this weekend could be the ones who sell game programs. There is such a sense of familiarity in both AFC divisional playoff games, fans won't need to waste their time or money trying to match names and numbers.

On Sunday, the New York Jets will play at Oakland for the fourth time in the last 12 months. The Jets beat Oakland in the final game of the regular season last year, earning the right to play at Oakland the following week in a wild-card playoff game, which Oakland won 38-24. The Jets also lost at Oakland earlier this season, and believe it or not, the Raiders are scheduled to host the Jets during the 2003 regular season.

"It's kind of laughable when you think about it," said Jets coach Herman Edwards. Of course, there is nothing laughable about the challenge that awaits the Jets, who have every right to consider themselves a hot team with victories in seven of their last nine games, including last week's 41-0 wild-card victory against Indianapolis.

The Raiders won seven of their last eight to finish as the top seed in the AFC, and they have the league's No. 1 passing offense. Furthermore, playing the Jets brings out the best in Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon, who has completed 70 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions in his last three games against Edwards' team.

The Titans and Raiders are favored to win their games this weekend and meet in Oakland for the AFC Championship Game. But Raiders receiver Tim Brown said his team is feeling a bit like the underdog considering all the hype surrounding the Jets, who have outscored their opponents 113-34 in their last three games, all must-win situations.

"It's funny," Brown said. "We went 7-1 over the second half and they went 6-2, but nobody is giving us credit for what we did.

"But that's fine. We want to be the underdog."

TommyGreen · #3 (**permalink**) 01-07-2003, 06:27 PM

Yeah... the Pack also haven't lost at home in the playoffs EVER. Oh wait, they did lose.. Oops. Sportswriters don't play the game... the players do. We'll see.. We'll see.

daraydaz · #4 (**permalink**) 01-07-2003, 10:05 PM

The Packers and Brett Favre were one of the most overrated and over-hyped teams in the NFL this season. It's got to be tough to clinch your division when the second place team is 3-9. Give me a freaking break. Their weak schedule exposed them as frauds.

Raiderrooter · #5 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 05:18 AM

TommyG while I admire your bcking for your team the YETS. You can't really think that this is going to be an easy game for them. I even heard Herm Edwards say the YETS will have to play a nearly flawless game to win. The Raiders who have been sitting this past week are chomping at the bit to hit someone and all this talk about Chad is this and Chad is that only makes the Raiders all the more fired up. This game is comming down to who can be more physical and from that perspective the Raiders have the edge. I'm never one to predict scores and I won't start now but as things go everything is stacked to the Raiders side. Can the YETS win? Of course but to think it's going to be easy against A solid veteran team like the Raiders is insane.

DarthRaider · #6 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 10:43 AM

[quote:fa1ab2b95d="Raiderrooter"]TommyG while I admire your bcking for your team the YETS. You can't really think that this is going to be an easy game for them. I even heard Herm Edwards say the YETS will have to play a nearly flawless game to win. The Raiders who have been sitting this past week are chomping at the bit to hit someone and all this talk about Chad is this and Chad is that only makes the Raiders all the more fired up. This game is comming down to who can be more physical and from that perspective the Raiders have the edge. I'm never one to predict scores and I won't start now but as things go everything is stacked to the Raiders side. Can the YETS win? Of course but to think it's going to be easy against A solid veteran team like the Raiders is insane.[/quote:fa1ab2b95d]

Nice post. Not much else to add to that. The YETS fans actually believe they'll lose this game. They just can't bring themselves to say it. The YETS are good, just not good enough. We are more hungry for this game.

ShadeTree#55 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 11:08 AM

No way more hungry...the upstart Jets don't have alot to prove after the Bears game?...
While the countryclub over here compared "rings" and Pro-Bowl app. we were blowing out playoff teams.
What will they say about Rice if they don't win?..Romo...Brown..Woodson... Its an oldtimers game against young talented and hungry upstarts..

DarthRaider · #8 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 11:17 AM

[quote:7fc8acf52a="ShadeTree#55"]No way more hungry...the upstart Jets don't have alot to prove after the Bears game?...
While the countryclub over here compared "rings" and Pro-Bowl app. we were blowing out playoff teams.
What will they say about Rice if they don't win?..Romo...Brown..Woodson... Its an oldtimers game against young talented and hungry upstarts..[/quote:7fc8acf52a]

Didn't these same "old" guys already beat you once along with every other AFC playoff team still alive? You trying to tell me you still have no idea who your playing? Guess we'll have to pound it into you again.

Raiderrooter · #9 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 11:55 AM

If the Jets against the Bears proved anything is that if a team gets phsyical with the Jets they can be stopped. Jets maybe hungry but the Raiders who have been close the last three years have also upped it one notch in the hunger dept. And we've blown out plenty of playoff teams and teams that were on the verge of the playoffs untill they ran into the Raiders. I'm not saying the Jets are awful but I don't think they compare to the Raiders and they maybe talking a good game about coming out to Oakland but you can already see that it's playing on their minds because they keep bringing up the fact that they've played there 4 times in the last 53 weeks and have to travel there again next year.

SoCalRaider · #10 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 12:00 PM

The Jets hungrier than the Raiders? Who are we kidding?

This entire Raider team was built for this season. Tim Brown has been waiting for this season ever since he won the Heisman. Rich Gannon won the MVP, but the only thing he gives a **** about is winning this game. C-Wood wouldn't play on a ****ing broken leg if he wasn't hungry. ROMO- enough said. Come on, the Jets don't even know what it means to be hungry.

...Losing to the Bears isn't motivation, it's just reality.

ShadeTree#55 · #11 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 12:07 PM

We'll see how hungry they are when we smack them in the mouth. Th Jets are hungry then Tim Browns mother at an all you can eat Denny's.
Do you think Mo Lewis and Marvin Jones did not wait for this moment? What about Coles? droping to the second round, he has something to prove and he lit your secondary up for 158 the last time out.

Raiderrooter · #12 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 12:13 PM

Yes he did and the YETS still lost. How many TD's did he have? How many has Rice had against you in the last 3 games? I'd like to see you call out Tim's mother in front of him. Of course since you have nothing knowledgeable to bring to the table you have to resort to mother jokes.

ShadeTree#55 · #13 (**permalink**) 01-08-2003, 12:18 PM

The Raiders themselves started the mother ****, he is 3rd best...wow. Bronze Medal Brown, lets stop the game and bring out a golfcart..Did the league know about it?