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Sunday Divisional Games Thread


Hoenheim

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4 minutes ago, JARROD said:

Yep Belicheck puts on a clinic—

i wish Tepper would sit in class,.. 

hopefully he wont be fkin with Appaloosa anymore ... and will direct his attention to winning a ***** Bowl... but, never know with a money man and his intentions...i'll give that btchazz 2 years before i give him my money...

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10 minutes ago, NanuqoftheNorth said:

Chargers lack of ability to adjust their game plan prior to/during games based on opponents strengths/weaknesses should be a theme Panthers fans are all too familiar with. 

We are.  I've been thinking that since the Pats second or third drive, it looks like our adjustments.  Sit in the zone, get no pressure on the QB, and watch the zone get picked apart. 

The Chargers really should have gotten Rivera on the phone at the end of the first quarter and let him take over calling their defensive plays.  It would have probably helped them some.

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Just now, NanuqoftheNorth said:

Yeah Belichick puts other coaches to shame.

Brady does the same, making the most of his talents.

They raise the bar/expectations/performance of everyone on the Patriots.

It just really baffles me— I’m sure it baffles people who get paid to do this—-

They aren’t just a little better than everyone, they are lightyears.

this is an “off” year for the Patriots, much the same as it was against Atlanta— but they adjust, make changes,.

and boom, look like they are ready for another Super Bowl.

if I were an NFL coach making millions I would go pay Bill millions for a clinic—

The weird thing is Bill does— not the millions part but I remember a few years back when he spent the off-season with Chip Kelly, learning his system, watching tape with him etc.

a student of the game, relentless.

everyone else should be ashamed of themselves.

maybe Lombardi is the only other to put teams in constant clinics year in and out like this.

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4 minutes ago, t96 said:

Chiefs are gonna run over the Pats at Arrowhead. Pats suck on the road 

We will see. Part of it is that Bill had 2 weeks to prepare at home. He will only have a week and away for the Chiefs who have a lot more offensive power than the Chargers— and Mahomes which is a bigger better faster version of Russell Wilson(anyone disagree with that?)

plus the chiefs defense arrived finally.

the chiefs have all the right positives. It will be up to Andy Reid though to change up some things because is he doesn’t you had better believe Bill has game planned what they do.

it will be interesting for sure

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1 minute ago, JARROD said:

if I were an NFL coach making millions I would go pay Bill millions for a clinic—

The weird thing is Bill does— not the millions part but I remember a few years back when he spent the off-season with Chip Kelly, learning his system, watching tape with him etc.

a student of the game, relentless.

everyone else should be ashamed of themselves.

maybe Lombardi is the only other to put teams in constant clinics year in and out like this.

Patriots are relentless and seem to always be trying to improve themselves, never resting on their laurels.

I was pretty much done with Ron when he failed to show any adjustments to what the Broncos had been doing all season.

Payton had a noodle arm and Cam was in his prime, but that still wasn't enough to overcome Ron and his passive approach to football coaching.

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    • The referee assigned to this game is Shawn Smith. This is a critical data point for betting purposes because his crew has one of the most distinct, long-term statistical biases in the NFL. "Road Team" Bias: Historically, Shawn Smith is known as the "Road Team Referee." In a league where home teams usually win ~55% of the time, home teams in Smith's games have historically won at a rate far below league average (often hovering around 40-42%). Against The Spread (ATS): The trend is even starker here. Home teams have covered the spread at a rate of roughly 37-40% in his career. The Mechanism: Analysis shows his crew tends to call a higher rate of False Start and Unnecessary Roughness penalties on the Home Team. This negates the traditional home-field advantage (crowd noise causing false starts for the visitors). Impact on This Game: This specific assignment heavily favors the Buccaneers (Road Team). If you believe the referee influences the game, Smith's presence suggests the Panthers will struggle to get "home cooking" calls and may face untimely procedural flags that stall drives. The Panthers have only had Shawn Smith officiate four home games since he became a head referee in 2018, and they are all losses. Date Opponent Result Score Nov 24, 2024 vs. Kansas City Chiefs Loss 27–30 Oct 9, 2022 vs. San Francisco 49ers Loss 15–37 Dec 12, 2021 vs. Atlanta Falcons Loss 21–29 Nov 25, 2018 vs. Seattle Seahawks Loss 27–30 Considering the how rare it is for Shawn Smith to officiate a Panthers game at all, this seems like an odd time to assign him to a Panthers game, unless the NFL wants to kill the Panthers season once and for all.  The Panthers' offensive line situation creates a "perfect storm" for referee Shawn Smith's specific tendency to call False Starts on the home team. The "Carousel" Factor (Communication Vulnerability) The most damning stat for the Panthers' offensive line in 2025 is their lack of continuity. The Stat: By Week 13, the Panthers had already fielded their 10th different offensive line combination. The Impact: False starts are often "communication penalties"—they happen when a guard doesn't hear the center's snap count or a tackle anticipates the wrong cadence. A unit that hasn't played together struggles with non-verbal communication. The Shawn Smith Multiplier: Shawn Smith’s crew calls False Starts at a high rate on home teams. He will likely look for flinches on the exterior of the line. A disjointed line that is constantly rotating players (due to the injuries of starters like Cade Mays and the illness issues with Robert Hunt earlier this season) is "fresh meat" for this specific referee bias. The Specific Culprits (2025 Penalties) Ikem Ekwonu (LT): Leads the team with 4 False Start penalties this season. He is the most frequent violator on the line. Taylor Moton (RT): Has been flagged for 3 False Starts. The Trap: Smith’s crew often focuses on the tackles (the players furthest from the ball) jumping early to get an edge on speed rushers. Since Ekwonu struggles with this discipline naturally, having a referee who hunts for it is a massive disadvantage. The "Managed Outcome" Synthesis The "Bucs Cover" Script: If the desired outcome is a Buccaneers win to solidify their playoff standing, the officials simply have to apply the letter of the law. Calling strict False Starts on a confused, banged-up Panthers O-line will consistently put them in "3rd and Long" situations, killing their drives and allowing the Bucs (-3.5) to cover easily. The "Close Game" Script: If the desired outcome is "Week 18 Drama" (keeping the division tied), look for the officials to ignore the Panthers' twitchy tackles. If Ekwonu jumps a split-second early and no flag is thrown, it effectively neutralizes the Bucs' pass rush, allowing the Panthers to keep the score close. Summary of the Edge Vulnerability: Extreme. The Panthers are playing backup interior linemen (like Jake Curhan or practice squad call-ups) next to jumpy tackles. Betting Implication: This strongly reinforces the Bucs -3 or -3.5 play. The combination of a "Road Team Referee" and a "Home Team O-Line in chaos" suggests the Panthers will beat themselves with procedural penalties. Based on the collision of the hard data (Referee bias + Offensive Line injuries) and the soft narratives ("Managed Outcomes"), here is the definitive recommendation. If you have to place a single Moneyline bet to win this game straight up: The Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-165) While the "Entertainment Script" hints at a Panthers upset to keep the division messy, the structural disadvantage the Panthers face in this specific matchup is too massive to ignore. Here is why the Buccaneers are the stong moneyline play: 1. The "Shawn Smith" Road-Field Advantage This is the decisive factor. In the NFL, Home Field Advantage usually accounts for about 1.5 to 2 points of value. The Reality: Referee Shawn Smith negates that advantage entirely. His crew calls penalties in a way that historically suppresses home crowd momentum (False Starts, holding). The Result: You are essentially getting the Buccaneers on a neutral field (or even a "pseudo-home" field) against a team with a worse roster. 2. The "Drive-Killer" Synergy To win as an underdog, the Panthers need to play a clean, mistake-free game to keep drives alive. The combination of Panthers' 10th O-Line combo + Jump-prone Tackles (Ekwonu) + A Referee who hunts False Starts is a recipe for disaster. The Scenario: Expect the Panthers to face multiple "1st and 15" or "3rd and 12" situations due to procedural flags. These drive-killers will force them to punt or settle for field goals, while the Bucs' offense (led by Mayfield) stays on schedule. 3. The "TV Product" Counter-Argument You asked about the "Managed Outcome." While a Panthers win creates "chaos," the NFL also values Star Power in the playoffs. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers are a proven national TV draw with recent playoff history. If the league has to choose between "Chaos" (Panthers) and "Ratings/Legitimacy" (Bucs), the "Script" likely leans toward ensuring the Buccaneers—the more marketable team—secure the division lead. They won't "fix" the game against the Panthers, but they won't intervene to save them from their own penalties. Final Verdict Betting on the Panthers requires you to hope for a miracle 4th-quarter collapse. Betting on the Buccaneers requires you to trust that a superior roster—aided by a favorable officiating crew—will control the game for the first 45 minutes. Take the Buccaneers Moneyline. The "Safe" money is on the Ref. The Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win and Cover Projected Score: Buccaneers 27, Panthers 17 The Bet: Buccaneers -3 (or Moneyline -165) Confidence Level: High on the Winner; Moderate on the Spread (due to potential "garbage time" variance).
    • He isn't a good HC. I think he has proved that conclusively.
    • The missed tackle percentage is on that screen cap.
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