Skins 1 1/2 pt dogs to the Boyz at home?

[JoeRedskin]

Best thing that could happen. The team has got to know that their last nationally televised game left people doubting them. I think this is a group of men who have a lot of pride and something like this will only help focus them. Being an underdog at home, on national television, against their biggest rival (who BTW has a worse record then them and who they have previously beaten) is the perfect thing to "get them back in the game" after the bye week.

Yes, their pros and shouldn't need something like this BUT they are also human. If they perceive this as a lack of respect, then it does nothing but help them as a team.

Blache was quoted as saying this is a special team. I said earlier that it's the Nov.- Dec. games that matter. I am betting that, during the bye, this group took a collective deep breath, recovered mentally and is now ready to roll through the back end of the schedule.

Watch - now they tank and, once again, all my optimism comes back to haunt me.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

Best thing that could happen. The team has got to know that their last nationally televised game left people doubting them. I think this is a group of men who have a lot of pride and something like this will only help focus them. Being an underdog at home, on national television, against their biggest rival (who BTW has a worse record then them and who they have previously beaten) is the perfect thing to "get them back in the game" after the bye week.

Yes, their pros and shouldn't need something like this BUT they are also human. If they perceive this as a lack of respect, then it does nothing but help them as a team.

Blache was quoted as saying this is a special team. I said earlier that it's the Nov.- Dec. games that matter. I am betting that, during the bye, this group took a collective deep breath, recovered mentally and is now ready to roll through the back end of the schedule.

Watch - now they tank and, once again, all my optimism comes back to haunt me.

Just remember how badly we've perfromed during the 3rd quarter of the season the past 4 or 5 years. Add that the injury situation, and well, I for one have tempered optimism.

This game is so massive. I'm gonna be going ape shit Sunday night.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Just remember how badly we've perfromed during the 3rd quarter of the season the past 4 or 5 years.

As you note, we have gone 1-3 in the 3rd quarter every year since 2003. I went back (thank you profootballreference.com) and broke down the 3rd quarter "swoons".

In 2003 (5-11), 2004 (6-10) and 2006 (5-11), we had losing teams that won either two (2003, 2006) or three (2004) games over the of the last half of the season. So the third quarter losses were not so much a let-down as they were indicative of the team's play over the entire season. In each of these seasons, our bye week was either week 7 (2004) or week 8 (2003, 2006).

In 2005 and 2007, came into the 3rd quarter at 5-3 each time and the third quarter records (1-3 in 2005 and 0-4 in 2007), were clear let downs that almost wrecked the seasons. In each case, the team rallied back to finish strong with strings of 4 (2005) and 5 (2007) consecutive wins to make the playoffs.

HOWEVER - The bye weeks in the two winning seasons were very early (week 3 in 2005, week 4 in 2007). Perhaps those teams, much like this one, entered the third quarter somewhat worn down and needed a mental break and only started winning again by finding something to focus on (In 2005, CP saying "put it on me" and dragging the team in; In 2007, the death of ST and the team's determination to win in his memory).

Unlike those two years, the bye week came late enough in the season this year to allow for the mental rest needed. This team was showing signs of mental exhaustion in Detroit and just simply ran out of gas against Pittsburg. The timing, again, is similar to the prior 3rd quarter swoons BUT this time the team gets a break in the midst of their 3rd quarter (which started with Pitt) AND has a nationally televised game against their historic rivals to (to paraphrase Mick Jagger) "start them up".

Third time's a charm guys. Get the bandwagon out - we are riding this wave to Tampa.

(and yes... I am probably reading wayyyyyy too much into this)