Rams at Packers Divisional Thread - Your pick?

[Peon Awesome]

1 minute ago, t96 said:

Not necessarily... 2018 Pats got a bye at 11-5, while Chargers got a road game at 12-4... Falcons in 2016 really were not that good and got a bye at 11-5 and made it to the Super Bowl.  I think byes are definitely a huge advantage and the main reason why so many 1 and 2 seeds over the years have made the SB. 

Giving a couple examples of teams you don't think are the best getting a bye and making the super bowl isn't proof that the bye was important. You can come up with as many examples of even worse teams making it (and even winning) as a wild card team, like the Giants with Eli.

I'm fully willing to say that the bye might make a huge difference. I'm sure it helps; it has to. But until now there's been no way to know for sure how much of a benefit it actually adds. Let's revisit in at least 5 years and compare the 2 seeds like I suggested. That's the best way to control the variables of team strength and home field advantage.

[Scott12345]

This is a bit surprising....thought Rams def would hold up better

[Shotgun]

Best offense vs best defense...let's see if defense really wins championships. 

[Scott12345]

Lots of fans there

[ladypanther]

1 minute ago, Scott12345 said:

Lots of fans there

9000 they said

[ladypanther]

Have the Rams at +7...love the missed xtra point.

[LinvilleGorge]

19 minutes ago, Peon Awesome said:

Playing one less game undoubtedly has to help but it's hard to tease out how much of those numbers can be attributed to the fact that the best teams are the ones that get byes, plus get home field advantage. We can actually control for those variables moving forward. You just compare the number of 2 seeds to make the super bowl in the next 10 years compared to the 2 seeds to make it in the last 10 years. In 10 years from now, I'd definitely be curious to see that data.

It's all of it. Not having to win an extra game. Easier path via the seeding model. Home field advantage. The answer is "yes".

[ladypanther]

Boy wonder HC getting his team back in it.  D got a rest too.

[Zod]

We got a ballgame

[t96]

6 minutes ago, Peon Awesome said:

Giving a couple examples of teams you don't think are the best getting a bye and making the super bowl isn't proof that the bye was important. You can come up with as many examples of even worse teams making it (and even winning) as a wild card team, like the Giants with Eli.

I'm fully willing to say that the bye might make a huge difference. I'm sure it helps; it has to. But until now there's been no way to know for sure how much of a benefit it actually adds. Let's revisit in at least 5 years and compare the 2 seeds like I suggested. That's the best way to control the variables of team strength and home field advantage.

Use some common sense man. I don't care how good the teams are that get the byes, in a league like this where any team can win any game, needing to win 3 games to win it all instead of 4 is a HUGE advantage. You can wait 5+ years to look at the stats if you want, I don't need to do that. It's fairly obvious.

[Varking]

Bad throw, great catch. 

[Mr. Scot]

Rodgers...damn.

[Varking]

Just now, Varking said:

Bad throw, great catch. 

Followed up by an outstanding throw 

[OldhamA]

12 minutes ago, Shotgun said:

Best offense vs best defense...let's see if defense really wins championships. 

Best defensive player is playing injured.