Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

CSKreager wrote: ↑Sun Jan 25, 2026 7:47 pm Easiest schedule in decades

I know you were kind of exaggerating here, but from a Seahawks fan, the 2021 Seahawks schedule is easier by opposing win percentage, and the easiest this century so far.

JohnBowen wrote: ↑Sun Jan 25, 2026 10:32 am I think that Stidham will be ok, not great but good enough for Denver being able to win if they contain Maye to Diggs a bit and can force "must pass" downs so their pass rush can get after it. That being said, I'm picking New England to get by at 27-21.
In the NFC, it is wild that these two teams split with Rams at like +7 TO in the two games. I look for the TO battle margin to level out a bit and the home crowd to help push Seahawks through. Seattle 28. LAR 27.

Stidham looked pretty solid for a backup I thought. That game belonged to the defenses.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Sun Jan 25, 2026 10:49 pm Haha ... after helping the Rams stay in the game, now the referees are helping the Hawks keep this last minute drive going. I dont believe Kupp got the first down. Will the Seahawks cut Woolen tomorrow, or keep him on the team?

Had the Rams kicked the FG, maybe these last seconds could have been different?

I'd say there were a handful of questionable calls (to put it lightly) in this game, but I remember seeing a bad call for one team, then the other, and it seemed like the officials balanced it out. Not well called, but not the most unbalanced officiating I've seen or read about.

SeahawkFever wrote: ↑Mon Jan 26, 2026 12:47 am

CSKreager wrote: ↑Sun Jan 25, 2026 9:18 pm I don’t know any to hear about what a great coach Vrabel is and “culture”

IT’S. THE. SCHEDULE!

This is like when Barry Switzer made a SB with Dallas

Not exactly.

True, it is his first season in New England, and he is working with players that he himself didn’t not draft.

Their schedule definitely is easier as well (the adjustment down my formula gave them still puts them fourth this year though)

But unlike Switzer where the core of players in 1994 for Dallas had won Super Bowls the two seasons before he got there, the Patriots were not good the last couple of seasons before Vrabel got there (8-9 in 2022, and back to back 4-13 seasons).

The knock on Switzer was anybody could have won a SB with that roster.

Any competent coach could have made a SB with that schedule and this good fortune in January.

CSKreager wrote: ↑Mon Jan 26, 2026 3:48 am

SeahawkFever wrote: ↑Mon Jan 26, 2026 12:47 am

CSKreager wrote: ↑Sun Jan 25, 2026 9:18 pm I don’t know any to hear about what a great coach Vrabel is and “culture”

IT’S. THE. SCHEDULE!

This is like when Barry Switzer made a SB with Dallas

Not exactly.

True, it is his first season in New England, and he is working with players that he himself didn’t not draft.

Their schedule definitely is easier as well (the adjustment down my formula gave them still puts them fourth this year though)

But unlike Switzer where the core of players in 1994 for Dallas had won Super Bowls the two seasons before he got there, the Patriots were not good the last couple of seasons before Vrabel got there (8-9 in 2022, and back to back 4-13 seasons).

The knock on Switzer was anybody could have won a SB with that roster.

Any competent coach could have made a SB with that schedule and this good fortune in January.

I thought the knock on Switzer was that the bulk of the roster was put together by Jimmy Johnson before him and was already great?

Not saying you can't argue that Vrabel is overrated, or gets too much credit, but if it was the same situation then I would expect to have seen New England do a lot better the prior couple years under Mayo and Belichick in his last two seasons.

The Pats have a very easy schedule no doubt. That said there have been teams that were handed easier schedules by opposing win percentage that didn't get this far (1975 Vikings, 1975 Rams, 2021 Seahawks, 1970 Dolphins, 1983 Broncos, and 1999 Jaguars to name a few).

For the record, last season their opposing win percentage was .470 which is far higher than .391, but still ranked only 26th, so also on the easier side.

At least at a cursory glance, it appears that some of the skill position players for the Patriots for 2025 were already there the prior year (Maye, Henry, Stevenson, etc.), but most of the offensive linemen who are listed as starters for last season weren't there for the bulk of this season.

The Patriots certainly added talent before this season, but I don't know if I'd call this the same situation.

ChrisBabcock wrote: ↑Sun Jan 25, 2026 10:43 pm I'm scratching my head why the Rams didn't go for 2 after their last TD.

They probably should have. The downside is you miss, still need a TD, miss the second 2 pointer and now a FG beats you instead of ties you. That is better than what they got. Wouldn't figure the final quarter would be scoreless but it was.

Not nearly as big a blunder as Payton passing on the FG. With a backup QB you play for points I think, get the points on the board and hope the defense does the job.

Denver did its job on defense but Maye ran well. When was the last time a team lost giving up less than 100 yards passing in a championship game?

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Mon Jan 26, 2026 3:19 pm Denver did its job on defense but Maye ran well. When was the last time a team lost giving up less than 100 yards passing in a championship game?

Maybe the Bengals vs. the Bills in 1988 when Esiason only passed for 94 yards. Simms also only had 90 yards vs. Washington in 1986. I haven't found any others since then but maybe I am missing one?