RonnieTheBear 0 Report post Posted January 5, 2009 I don't know why everyone is talking about how tough it is to beat a team twice in a season. I feel like, in the past at least, experts only talk about how it's tough to beat a team three times in a season - that is, when division rivals play in the playoffs. This season, good teams have happened to split most of their games against tough division opponents (Giants-Eagles-Cowboys, Panthers-Bucs-Falcons, Pats-Dolphins-Jets), but that's not what usually happens. Even this year, PIT swept BAL, ARI swept their division, and SD would have swept DEN if not for Hochuli's blunder. But in 2007, NE obviously swept their division PIT swept 2nd best 10-6 CLE IND swept 2nd best 11-5 JAC and only lost to playoff-bound TEN in a meaningless Week 17 game SD swept 2nd best 7-9 DEN DAL swept 2nd best NYG (and then lost to them in the playoffs, because it's tough to beat a team THREE times in a season) and only lost to playoff bound WAS in a meaningless Week 17 game GB swept 2nd best 8-8 MIN TB swept tied for 2nd best 7-9 NO and only lost to 7-9 CAR in a meaningless Week 17 game In those playoffs, NE beat SD a second time JAC beat PIT a second time SD beat TEN a second time SD beat IND a second time GB & NE failed to beat NYG a second time In 2006, BAL swept t-2nd best PIT, but not CIN SD swept t-2nd best DEN, but not KC PHI swept 2nd best playoff bound DAL SEA swept 2nd best STL In those playoffs, IND beat NE a second time CHI beat SEA a second time NO beat PHI a second time In 2005, NE swept their division except 9-7 MIA in a meaningless Week 17 game IND swept their division including 12-4 playoff bound JAC DEN swept 9-7 SD but not 10-6 KC SEA swept their division In those playoffs, DEN beat NE a second time TB failed to beat WAS a second time WAS failed to beat SEA a second time CHI failed to beat CAR a second time IND failed to beat PIT a second time So, of the past 24 division winners, only the '07 Seahawks, '06 Pats, '06 Colts, '06 Bears, '06 Saints, '05 Bengals, '05 Broncos, '05 Giants, '05 Bears, and the '05 Bucs (10/24) didn't sweep their toughest division rival. In the playoffs, the previous winners lost only 6 of 14 (less than 50%) rematches. And three of those revenge wins were by teams that went on to win the Super Bowl. Point is, good teams can beat a team twice. The old adage is that it's the third time that's tough. If we're a good team, we're going to beat Arizona. They don't play us often and it's certainly not a disadvantage that we happened to beat them way back in week 8. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thunderraiden 881 Report post Posted January 5, 2009 its not just this season were talking about... its for like the past 8 season or some sh*t. Its just scary because of all the venues for them to right their "carolina losing streak" ship it would just be a very plausible scenario for them to balance out the law of averages in the game that mattered the most out of all those games they lost. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites