Shula's Sleepless Nights- Shula finally can sleep

dbn · Oct 28, 2015

I can't decide who to vote for the first to fall, but I know it won't be GB or DEN. Oh, wait.

(edit, unless the tiebreaker is which day/time of the given week.)

mauf · Oct 28, 2015

Unless the Sunday night game ends in a tie, Carolina can't be the first of the remaining unbeatens to lose.

Cincy was my pick to lose first -- I think they'll lose @PIT on Sunday. I took NE to be the last unbeaten team standing, but CAR is an intriguing dark horse -- not hard at all to envision them beating Dallas on Thanksgiving to improve to 11-0:

vs. IND (-7)
vs. GB (+3)
@ TEN (-4)
vs. WAS (-8)
@ DAL (-3.5)

(Odds from survivorgrid.com.)

ipol · Oct 28, 2015

Other than Denver, a three point dog at home, the Bengals are the "least" favored this week. Tough to see Landry beating Andy, though, so @ Arizona is probably the most likely first loss for them, you're right.

Carolina is a seven point favorite at home and should be. And, besides, fuck the colts. Can Green Bay knock off two unbeatens on the road in two weeks? That would be quite a feat but I'm gonna continue shorting the Panthers and say it happens.

Can the Vikings handle the Packers at their dome? I doubt it. Even considering as vulnerable as the Packers have looked the last couple weeks, they'll still have the division wrapped up by Thanksgiving evening. Them being in cruise control is why they'll suffer an unfathomable loss in Detroit the next week.

Was there any doubt I'd predict the Patriots to be the last unbeaten standing? No, there wasn't.

AbbyNoho · Oct 28, 2015

I want to know who is voting for Carolina and how they know the GB/DEN game will be a tie.

McDrew · Oct 28, 2015

I'm done trying to get charts to work.

Pats: 3 games left against opponents with winning records: DEN at home, and the Jets/Giants on the road. .507 opp winning percentage. 1 game against a fellow 6-0 team. no games vs winning teams back to back.
Bengals: 4 games left against opponents with winning records: @PIT, @ARI, PIT, and @DEN .456 opp winning percentage. 1 game against a fellow 6-0 team. no games vs winning teams back to back
Denver: 4 games left against opponents with winning records: GB, NE, @PIT, CIN .567 opp winning percentage. 3 games against fellow 6-0 teams, all at home. @PIT, CIN are back to back
Green Bay: 5 games left against opponents with winning records: @DEN, @CAR, @MIN, @ARI, MIN .540 opp winning percentage. 2 games against a fellow 6-0 team, the next 2 weeks.
Carolina: 4 games left against opponents with winning records: GB, ATL, @NYG, @ATL .571 opp winning percentage. 1 game against a fellow 6-0 team, 2 games against the same 6-1 team. ATL, @NYG, @ATL is week 14-16.

I don't think Green Bay makes it out of the next 2 weeks. I think Carolina won't make it through their week 14-16 stretch. Denver has home field advantage for the marquee matchups, but also the 2nd hardest remaining schedule overall. Manning isn't manning though, and so I'm pessimistic about their chances.

Of the 5, I think the Pats and Bengals are the two with the best shot.

Papelbon's Poutine · Oct 28, 2015

Andrew said:
I want to know who is voting for Carolina and how they know the GB/DEN game will be a tie.

I'm one of them, I didn't look the schedules as closely as I should have. Ignore it.

RIrooter09 · Oct 28, 2015

ipol said:
Other than Denver, a three point dog at home, the Bengals are the "least" favored this week. Tough to see Landry beating Andy, though, so @ Arizona is probably the most likely first loss for them, you're right.

Roethlisberger is most likely back this week.

mt8thsw9th · Oct 28, 2015

ipol said:
Can the Vikings handle the Packers at their dome?

Guh?

dynomite · Oct 28, 2015

AMcGhie said:
Pats: 3 games left against opponents with winning records: DEN at home, and the Jets/Giants on the road. .507 opp winning percentage. 1 game against a fellow 6-0 team. no games vs winning teams back to back.
...

Of the 5, I think the Pats and Bengals are the two with the best shot.

I sort of do feel like I'm content writing one game at a time, especially because things change so quickly in the NFL -- three weeks ago the Dolphins looked like the worst team in football.

Anyway, all 3 of those games you mention are on the road for the Pats. It's hard for me to imagine they'll win all of those games. Still, there's a decent chance the Pats are 10-0 headed into Denver the Sunday after Thanksgiving, which would probably make some executives at NBC faint with to excitement..

j-man · Oct 28, 2015

Ciny will lose @ pitt and if they get by that game will lose week 9

denver loses to GB or INDY

Car Loses to Dal

GB will lose @ den or @ car

NE loses to NYG

ne goes 14-2 or 13-3
Ciny 12-4 or 11-5
Den 12-4 or 11-5
GB 13-3 or 12-4
Car 13-3 or 12-4

GeorgeCostanza · Oct 28, 2015

Since I was never able to make good on the last bet I lost (our fellow poster with the Aaron Rogers avatar, mentaldisabled, is now missing in action from SoSH since June) I'm offering a $50 to the charity of your choice to the first person who wants to take me up on it. I'm willing to bet the Pats go undefeated in the regular season. Who wants some of my sweet action?

Spelunker · Oct 29, 2015

I picture Shula on his deathbed like Longshanks in Braveheart: mute from sickness, choked with rage, sputtering fruitlessly as he hears about another team finishing off a perfect season, a more perfect season than his, struck by the realization of his fear of falling into obscurity.

Rudy's Curve · Oct 29, 2015

j-man said:
Ciny will lose @ pitt and if they get by that game will lose week 9

I'd hardly be shocked if they lose Sunday, but I'd be fairly shocked if they lost at home to the Browns next Thursday, even in primetime on a short week.

Van Everyman · Oct 29, 2015

Spelunker said:
I picture Shula on his deathbed like Longshanks in Braveheart: mute from sickness, choked with rage, sputtering fruitlessly as he hears about another team finishing off a perfect season, a more perfect season than his, struck by the realization of his fear of falling into obscurity.

There is a scene in the Shula "A Football Life" (I don't recommend watching it) where one of his offensive players says they had to use, for some reason, the Oakland locker room and he found the Raiders playbook in there. He turned it over to an assistant coach and the Fins promptly got killed the next day anyway. The next week he asks the coach why he didn't give it to Shula and the coach replied, "I did. He told me to throw it in the trash. Something something cheating integrity."

A Longshanks death would be more than deserving for that old bag of bones.

Lose Remerswaal · Oct 29, 2015

Love the thread title. No question I'm rooting for any of the 5 to go 19-0 this year. It will be through gritted teeth if I have to root for Peyton (respect him, don't like him), but I can't wait for Shula's tears and the tears of his players

bsj · Oct 29, 2015

Ever since it was decided that somehow 17-0 was better than 18-0 i stopped giving a shit about this stupid record and the 72 dolphins.

NortheasternPJ · Oct 29, 2015

Lose Remerswaal said:
Love the thread title. No question I'm rooting for any of the 5 to go 19-0 this year. It will be through gritted teeth if I have to root for Peyton (respect him, don't like him), but I can't wait for Shula's tears and the tears of his players

It'd be great to have two 18-0 teams in the Super Bowl just to crush the hopes of the 1972 Dolphins 2 weeks early. If it was Pats / GB I'm sure Mercury Morris and Shula and crew would be at the games in Packers gear since they do it the right way and aren't cheaters.

Jungleland · Oct 29, 2015

18-0 Pats vs. 18-0 Packers would set an untouchable ratings record, correct? That would have to be the biggest American sporting event of the last 30 years, right?

jackleary · Oct 29, 2015

Would make the Mash finale numbers look like Small Wonder rerun ratings. Imagine this happened, and you guys win. Do you just explode? I cannot imagine how I would react. Hope it happens, though. Eff it win em all. Create splodie heads along the way for those that hate your team.

johnmd20 · Oct 29, 2015

Jungleland said:
18-0 Pats vs. 18-0 Packers would set an untouchable ratings record, correct? That would have to be the biggest American sporting event of the last 30 years, right?

Definitely, as the Super Bowl usually smashes every record every year anyway. Two 18-0 teams like the Pack and the Pats would be quite the bonanza for the NFL. I would also put the chance of this at around .03%.

Hagios · Oct 29, 2015

bsj said:
Ever since it was decided that somehow 17-0 was better than 18-0 i stopped giving a shit about this stupid record and the 72 dolphins.

Be charitable. The argument is:

Undefeated regular season + Superbowl victory > 2 game longer undefeated season - Superbowl victory

I agree. Suppose there was a work stoppage and 13 game season that year. I'd take 13-0 with a Superbowl victory over 18-0.

Personally I'd love to see a team go 19-0 for no other reason than Mercury Morris is one my most hated athletes. But carrying that undefeated record is a burden, so I'd like to see some other team do it after Brady retires.

Superbowl victory >> undefeated season.

singaporesoxfan · Oct 29, 2015

Jungleland said:
18-0 Pats vs. 18-0 Packers would set an untouchable ratings record, correct? That would have to be the biggest American sporting event of the last 30 years, right?

Super unlikely to happen, but hoo boy would that be great.

Add the fact that two Northern California golden-boy QBs would be playing in Santa Clara for Super Bowl L… it would be nuts.

Ed Hillel · Oct 29, 2015

singaporesoxfan said:
Super unlikely to happen, but hoo boy would that be great.

Add the fact that two Northern California golden-boy QBs would be playing in Santa Clara for Super Bowl L… it would be nuts.

Not just that game, but look at what the Pats' last regular season game is...

Would Shula and his boys have the balls to show? Would they let him in the booth again? That game would set the regular season ratings record by a ton.

dynomite · Oct 29, 2015

Ed Hillel said:
Not just that game, but look at what the Pats' last regular season game is...

Would Shula and his boys have the balls to show? Would they let him in the booth again? That game would set the regular season ratings record by a ton.

A good point of comparison is the 2007 Week 17 Pats @ Giants game, which was broadcast on NFLN, CBS, and NBC:

In the end, 15.7 million viewers watched the game on CBS, 13.2 million on NBC, 4.5 million on the NFL Network, and 1.2 million on the aforementioned local stations in New York, Boston, and Manchester.[6] The game was the most watched program on television since the 2007 Academy Awards[7] and the most watched regular season NFL game in more than 12 years.[7] It marked the first time that an NFL game was simulcasted on two or more networks on a national level since Super Bowl I, which aired on CBS and NBC, the respective homes of the NFL and the American Football League at the time.

DGreenwood · Oct 29, 2015

Crap, I voted Carolina because I got my weeks messed up. I was thinking GB played Carolina this week and Denver next week for some reason. I was well aware that these undefeated teams were clashing over the next couple of weeks. That's what I get for not reading the thread before voting.

Clears Cleaver · Oct 29, 2015

gee, imagine the storylines if the Pats are `15-0 going to Miami for week 17...omg, can't you feel the excitement.

zzzzzzzzzzzz

A week of Shula calling coach Belicheat and reminiscing on the greatness of Csonka, Kiick and Griese. Dan Campbell saying the game is about honoring the tradition and greatness of the franchise. should be extra special

nighthob · Oct 29, 2015

Lose Remerswaal said:
Love the thread title. No question I'm rooting for any of the 5 to go 19-0 this year. It will be through gritted teeth if I have to root for Peyton (respect him, don't like him), but I can't wait for Shula's tears and the tears of his players

I always root for unbeaten teams for just this reason.

mwonow · Oct 29, 2015

NortheasternPJ said:
It'd be great to have two 18-0 teams in the Super Bowl just to crush the hopes of the 1972 Dolphins 2 weeks early. If it was Pats / GB I'm sure Mercury Morris and Shula and crew would be at the games in Packers gear since they do it the right way and aren't cheaters.

I'd definitely do a PPV that watched Shula reacting to two weeks of "The game to decide the greatest team of all time" Super Bowl

dynomite · Oct 29, 2015

Clears Cleaver said:
gee, imagine the storylines if the Pats are `15-0 going to Miami for week 17...omg, can't you feel the excitement.

zzzzzzzzzzzz

A week of Shula calling coach Belicheat and reminiscing on the greatness of Csonka, Kiick and Griese. Dan Campbell saying the game is about honoring the tradition and greatness of the franchise. should be extra special

Wait, as a Dolphins fan that wouldn't mean anything to you?

That's a little surprising -- wasn't the 1985 Bears @ Dolphins MNF game a big deal for similar reasons?

dcmissle · Oct 29, 2015

What would be awesome is an undefeated team from each conference to meet in the SB.

Shula would petition for the Rapture.

mandro ramtinez · Oct 29, 2015

dcmissle said:
What would be awesome is an undefeated team from each conference to meet in the SB.

Shula would petition for the Rapture.

I think Tony Soprano's mother would say it best to Shula, poor you. A Pats-Packers matchup of two 18-0 teams would be such a bonanza for the NFL but I do not think I would survive watching that, win or lose for the Pats. A not insubstantial number of Pats fans would spontaneously combust at some point in the 4th quarter from the tension.

j-man · Oct 29, 2015

hey i wouild love to see someone at 19-0 i rooted hard for the pats in 2007 i wanted that moment badly i rem in 2007 i told my dad uncles ne would win 41-10 because i wanted to see history so badly

Clears Cleaver · Oct 29, 2015

dynomite said:
Wait, as a Dolphins fan that wouldn't mean anything to you?

That's a little surprising -- wasn't the 1985 Bears @ Dolphins MNF game a big deal for similar reasons?

I was three when they won the 17th game. I could care less. The Dolphins-Bears game was epic because it was a quarterback who had set al time records in his second year and a HOF coach against an all time great defense and likely the only team that could beat that Bears team, just so happened to be the Dolphins. But that was a great game, on a Monday night, back when that mattered.

nowadays? So many teams are mediocre. Look at these "unbeaten" teams, are any of them really good besides the Pats? the cap and other factors makes the league so watered down...A good coach and good QB means u are automatically 10-6 or 11-5.

is there a game that the Pats would play that be that kind of matchup? Green Bay in the Super Bowl I suppose. Denver? Again? ehhhh.

axx · Oct 29, 2015

The Pats are usually good for one WTF loss. I'd say next week against the Skins would be the best chance for that. 10 days off after a blowout win.

j-man · Oct 29, 2015

they are 6 games in your way to 19-0

W 10 @ NYG
W 12 @ DEN
W 16 @ NYJ

and any playoff super bowl game

this is why i am much more focus on ciny denver is not beating u for home field but if denver can get the 2 seed and get the bengals at home who had never won in denver that is denver only shot against u

but what i saw tonight only GB or CAR can give u guys a game

Al Zarilla · Oct 30, 2015

mandro ramtinez said:
I think Tony Soprano's mother would say it best to Shula, poor you. A Pats-Packers matchup of two 18-0 teams would be such a bonanza for the NFL but I do not think I would survive watching that, win or lose for the Pats. A not insubstantial number of Pats fans would spontaneously combust at some point in the 4th quarter from the tension.

Every Pats Super Bowl is 100.00% tension for me anyway, so bring it on. For some reason, I was even really nervous about last night, maybe because of the isolated, nobody else playing aspect of Thursday night FB. And, don't want the undefeated run to end. So spoiled. Also, if there were ever a team that would bother me about losing to less than any other, it's these Packers. How can you not admire Aaron Rodgers? OK, losing to a team with that coach would be the downer part.

joeflah · Nov 4, 2015

If Pats are 14-0 going into final two games at Bills followed by at Jets will they really be motivated to go all out to win those games? Playoff home field would most likely be wrapped up, which would be much more important than undefeated regular season. They always claim to have no interest in "records" only Lombardi trophies. Resting starters and preserving health of same for the playoff run should be then top priority. Jets and Bills will be highly motivated to pin that 1st loss on them and one or both could possibly be vying for a playoff berth and desperate for a win. Had my picture taken at Gillette with 3 Super Bowl trophies a few years back. What if the added pressure of going for 19-0 against the NYG that year hadn't existed. Maybe I would have 4 trophies in that picture and Pats 5th Lombardi would have come last year. That being said I would be elated to see that 5th come this season tied to a 19-0 record. But I'd be okay with 18-1 or 17-2 etc.

Papelbon's Poutine · Nov 4, 2015

Tough question to answer, since their last two games are at Jets and then at Dolphins.

djbayko · Nov 4, 2015

I have no doubt that they would be playing to win. It certainly seems like losing wasn't an option against the Giants in 2007. Players at this level are far too competitive to take their foot off the gas if presented with the opportunity to achieve greatness. And this year...with how they obviously feel about having their integrity and accomplishments questioned again? Forget about it. They will not look at it as possibly trading 2 wins for a Super Bowl - their expectation will be to win out.

And as much as some have said the added pressure of being undefeated affected them in the Super Bowl, I could see a loss in Week 16 or 17 ending m the steak possibly damaging their psyche.

Now...knock on wood and back to reality.

Old Fart Tree · Nov 5, 2015

Pressure meant fuck all in 2007. Having Brady limo around like a baby deer on a bad ankle behind a thoroughly outplayed offensive line: yeah, that and a dropped interception and a motherfucker catching a ridiculous pass off his helmet while every giants o lineman tackled his counterpart... That mattered. Pressure? No so much.

djbayko · Nov 5, 2015

I was referring to players on the 2007 team who said that. Maybe true, maybe not.

Leather · Nov 5, 2015

OMG all Rodney had to do was look at the ball and flick it with his pinkie.

semsox · Nov 5, 2015

joeflah said:
If Pats are 14-0 going into final two games at Bills followed by at Jets will they really be motivated to go all out to win those games? Playoff home field would most likely be wrapped up, which would be much more important than undefeated regular season.

Interestingly, given the way the AFC has gone this year, rolling into Week 16 with a 14-0 record might not have clinched anything by that point. While that would assume a W @Den, that would also be the week of the Cincy @ Denver game, and it's possibly both of those teams have either 1 or 0 losses (maybe just as likely as the Pats being 14-0). They might not have the option to rest even if they wanted to.

DJnVa · Nov 5, 2015

joeflah said:
If Pats are 14-0 going into final two games at Bills followed by at Jets will they really be motivated to go all out to win those games?

Pats last 2 games are not Bills and Jets.

nighthob · Nov 5, 2015

bsj said:
Ever since it was decided that somehow 17-0 was better than 18-0 i stopped giving a shit about this stupid record and the 72 dolphins.

Especially as the pre-parity scheduling of '72 meant that the Dolphins didn't face a team with a winning record until the playoffs.

Al Zarilla · Nov 5, 2015

bankshot1 said:
Perhaps instead of champagne Shula's and boys should be toasting the fallen with ginger-ale?

Speaking of which is the Ginger first to 8-0?

Who is the other undefeated Ginger?

Shula's Sleepless Nights- Shula finally can sleep

Who is first of the unvanquished to fall?

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