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brbuttons · 2 months
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A quick lineup of the currently (mostly) designed Personifications. I'm not the most content with the individuality of each, but it's getting somewhere slowly.
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homelilys · 4 years
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31 unique gifts for grandfather who has everything
Is your grandfather very rich? Do you ever feel like he has everything and you have no clue on what to buy for him on his birthday or Christmas? Are you looking forward to surprise your grandpa with an exciting gift in the upcoming Christmas season? Then, you are provided with plenty of gift ideas for grandfather to think about. Going through these gift ideas can be considered as an overwhelming process. That’s where I thought of doing all the hard work to provide you with a list of 28 exciting and unique gift ideas, which you can give to your grandpa in any occasions.
Update (18 Jan 2020): since its first publishing date back to Dec 2017, i find more and more cool gadget are made available in the market. As your grandpa has everything, these cool and newly invented gifts could be the next best thing you are getting for him for this upcoming valentines day (for valentine’s day ideas for girlfriend, click newhome.gifts instead). Hence the title of this post has been update from “28 unique gifts for grandfather who has everything” to its current state.
airPod Pro by Apple
I have a chance to test this myself when my wife bought a pair for me. I love it! Apple makes this beautiful and yet very professional device that fits nicely to my ears. It has a noise cancellation capability as well as sensors to know when the airpods are removed from my ears. I am pretty sure these apple airpods pro will be an ideal gifts for your grandpa. I am a strong believer for aipod pro but i’m sure the normal airpod would do just fine. However, the newer version of this Bluetooth device looks so much nicer!
Sculpted hand-painted figure
If you do not know what to get grandpa that has everything, consider this unique hand painted figure. It is afforable and yet very memorable! With this personal touch, you create a good sentiment and lovely feeling toward your grandpa. He sure will remember you as grand daughter for a very long time.
Get Instantly on Amazon
Schnauzer Dog Shaped Succulent Vase
Does your grandpa love dog? Especially the Schnauzer dog? If yes, then get this vase for him in the shape of a Schnauzer dog. The vase is ideal to be placed in his home office or his bedroom. They are cute, these Schnauzer dog vase.
Click newhome.gifts for more gift ideas for grandpa this valentines day.
Don’t be the last minute thing to get gifts for your grandpa as it may be too late. Always plan ahead of the time and you will get the best thoughtful gifts and personalized gifts for the man that raised your father. Be thankful, folks!
Go-anywhere grill
When you present something to your grand dad, he should feel it in his heart that you have thought well in advance. It is not the value of the gift at all that is count, especially from a grandad who is very rich. One best gift ideas for grandpa from granddaughter in this case is a weber Go-anywhere grill.
This Weber 121020 is a Charcoal Grill that your grandfather can bring anywhere. As a granddaughter, you will want to bring happiness to your father. Therefore this is one of a great gift idea. This is a made in USA product. so guarantee a solidly build grill ever.
Grandpa picture frame
This is something he will always cherish because he will be with you on the mantelpiece or near his side of the bed on the side table to remind him of you. Photo frame is an ideal gift for grandpa who has everything and this would elate him during this festive season.
For sale on Amazon now, for less than 14USD. This is a great memory you could give to your grand father. Remember? He has everything and hence what he needs is a sweet memory from you. It is not the value of the gift but something memorable is what count.
One remote to rule them all
Grandpas love to have control and this is just one area where they love to have it that is controlling the television and everything else. This is a good gift from granddaughter to grand father just to make him happy.
James Bond cologne
The manly look and posture is what most grandpas have and try to project when moving with friends and peers not necessarily when at home and this is just what would help him as it is one of the unique gifts for grandpa that you could give.
Did you know? for a rich grand father, high end gift does not mean much to him. What he needs is a thoughtful gift. As such, the cologne james bond is an ideal gift for Christmas and for welcoming new year for him >> click here to buy James bond cologne for grandpa.
  The Civil War’s DVD by Ken Burns
If reading is not your grandpa’s forte, then get him occupied in this DVD series of Ken Burns.  This Emmy’s Award-winning nine-part series from Ken Burns will keep your grandad entertained during evening time.
This six-disc collector’s set also features over two hours of new bonus video. Hailed as a film masterpiece and landmark in historical storytelling, Ken Burns’s epic documentary brings to life America’s most destructive and defining conflict. Here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one.
Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB Portable Hard Drive
This is just the gift for grandpa who doesn’t want anything because when you present it to him he would be so elated because he wouldn’t have thought of this. When given, it will bring joy on his face which you could instantly see.
Leatherman multi tool
Is your grandpa a handy man, perhaps? Then get this Leatherman’s multi tool for him. This would be a perfect gift for hands on grandpa. While he may have everything he ever wanted, this all in one tool box will help him to remember you. A small yet practical gift for any old man.
Why Leatherman Multi Tool? This is a small go to tool for an outdoor activities. It is an ideal present for grandpa who like camping. A great, lightweight, pocket-sized, stainless steel tool; the Leatherman features an outside-accessible, one-hand opening blade and newly-designed spring-action jaws>> click here to buy one for grandpa.
Via: gear
Sphere ice ball maker
This is going to really rock him as he could now entertain his friends and others with “on the rocks”. What makes this unique is the ability to produce a spherical ice cube which grandpa can use to impress his friend. Who knows, he may not have this one in his arsenal, right?
16 pieces Bar tool set
Everything there is for your grandpa this Christmas 2017 when he opens his bar out to his friends and relatives visiting him. This is an excellent gift ideas for grandpa from granddaughter this year.
Portable Jacuzzi – gift ideas for grandfather
Yes, they are growing old each day. Time cannot be bought. They need someone to pamper them but sadly you are not there due to your other commitment. Hence, the best gift during winter season is to shower your grandpa a big expensive gift: a portable hot spa. While this isnt the cheapest gift this Christmas, your grandpa may need something to help him relax in a cold evening.
Fingertips pulse oximeter
If you concern about your grandpa’s health, consider getting one of these fingertips pulse oximeter. If you do not know what this product is, Pulse Oximeter for home use is a small device that will measure mainly two things: the amount of oxygen carried in the body and the heart rate. How can you read the oximeter? Well, if the oxygen level is above 95% it can be considered as normal (see here for detail). Besides the usual adult’s heart rate is 60-80 beats per minute. Therefore, getting one of these pulse oximeters for home is the best gift for your old grandpa.
Wooden watch
Yes, I hear you. your grandpa is a super rich man and he has everything. So, you asked what can you buy for him in the special occasion? Well, while he has everything, he may not be aware of the fact that there is such a thing called “wooden watch“. So why dont you try to give him a surprise for his special occasion?
It does not need to be an expensive: He has everything i hear you. So you do not need to buy an expensive gift, instead getting these cheap wooden watch will surprise him since he may not even be aware that such watches exist. By the way, remember to read both positive and negative reviews before buying!
One of the cheapest wooden watch is Jord wooden watch. The Jord watch is elegant and one of a kind that most senior wants to show to impress their friends. Currently, this is wooden watch for sale on Amazon for just 139USD.
Retirement Mug
Face it, he's been there and done that. He is a happy retired veteran, perhaps. So why dont you give him some fun and get him one of these funny retirement mug for his morning coffee? It is on sale now on Amazon for just less than 14USD.
This retirement mug has two imprint side by side next to the C-handle. This is a microwave and dishwasher safe product. Which mean, it would last for a very long time.
Custom Family Tree Artwork
Unlike any other artwork from Amazon, this etsy's gift is very unique and meaningful for any grandparents. While your old grandfather may have experience lots of things in his life, this family tree in a form of circle wooden ring. It can be custom made with family names woven into detailed tree rings on a linen textured fine paper up to five generations. Well, it is a bit too late for xmas 2017 as the masterpiece (by TheMakeshiftGallery) cannot guarantee if you order now. But still, it is a great gift for your grand papa.
Where to buy this gift for grandparents? Click here to Etsy's store
Custom keychain for grandparents who has everything
It is elegant when you get a custom gift for your grandparent. That is why, i find etsy's store to be valuable resource for any custom made product. Like the gift ideas for grandfather number 14, this is a custom key chain made by LustrousElements from etsy.
As Grandpa says
As Grandpa says: Timeless words to live by is authored by Nick Harrison and illustrated by Audrey Jeanne Roberts. It is a cool book for any grandfather. This book contains an endearing collection of stories, spun with bits of wisdom, to bless and guide the next generation. It is a good present for any elderly as it reminds them of their own words. You can purchase this book on Amazon by clicking here.
Medcenter 31 day pill organizer
As I mentioned earlier, money should not be a problem for your granddad, hopefully. It is therefore, the thought that matters most for them. For me, I note that my grand father is mostly forgetful of his medicine. It is my mom who takes care of his medicine. For that reason, I like the ideas of having something to take care and remind my grand father of his medicine. Which is why, I thought you may like this gift ideas too. Check them out on Amazon for a good deal, without the need to leave the comfort of your home.
This MedCenter Pill Organizer is a thoughtful gift for any elderly. You can set up the pills once a month. Besides, this version of MedCenter's tool has a built in reminder system to help remind your grandpa or grandma to take their pills on time.
Better Sleep Sound Machine
I admit, the best gift for my grandfather is in fact a better sleep sound machine. I, myserlf, need one of these machines. It could help one to have a deeper and better sleep by introducing a non-looping nature and white noise sound. As you know, quality sleep plays an important role in better health and well-being of people. In fact, sleep is as essential as food, and creating healthy sleeping patterns is just as important as eating right. Unfortunately, some of the most common problems the older generation experience are insomnia and sleep issues. An excellent gift that can help them deal with sleep disorders is a Sleep Sound Machine.
shiatsu pillow massager with heat
Elderly suffers from age related diseases such as arthritis. As a result, they have poorer blood circulation and limited physical movement. If your grandpa is suffering from backache and neck pains, consider getting this Shiatsu pillow massager with heat. In my review of massager machine, I have identified Zyllion ZMA13BK which receives an astonishing 4.5 stars on Amazon with more than 6,000 happy customer.
This Zyllion Shiatsu Pillow massager uses 4 rotating balls to provide deep-kneading motion, and heating elements to relax the muscles even further. The rotating balls serves like the kneading fingers of a professional massage therapist
iRobot Roomba 980 Robot Vacuum
You may still remember, my post on iRobot 880 that i blogged 3 years ago.  Fast forward three years later, I still in love with iRobot Roomba. Now in late 2017, iRobot has introduced a newer version called Roomba 980. It has all the good stuff in iRobot 880 with an added wifi connectivity. This is an ideal gift for your grand father who does not need to do much hard work to keep the house neat.
Foldable led light in a Book shape
This must be one unique gift for any elderly people including my grandpa who has everything. This foldable led light in a shape of a book will turn on when you open the book and it will turn off when you close the book. Amazing, isnt it? The LED lamp built into this hardcover is very flexible. It can be used as nightlight, desk lamp, unique decoration or outdoor light. The usage is endless and you will help your grandpa to remember the great grandson who gets him this.
Beautiful blessings wall calendar
Nothing is more beautiful than the wall calendar with beautiful painting. It relives the old days and it is great gift ideas for grandfather who have everything. The calendar features month by month beautiful outdoor sanctuary from an English garden beckons with frilly pink roses to a canopy of fiery red Japanese maple leaves is reflected in the still waters of the pond below. This beautiful blessing calendar is a masterpiece by Susan Winget and contains 12 full-color images across the 12 month period. It features high-quality paper with matching linen-embossed gift jacket. After all, an uplifting wall calendar is better than any gifts that money can buy. Oh ya, remember to add your own quotes in each of the month to have a powerful impact on them when they open each month of the year.
Custom Birthday Board
This is a DIY project and similar to a keyholder for wall project, this gift requires some real love and effort into it. In fact, besides the end result which look like below, you can definitely do something similar to that effect. For detailed tutorial, please consult http://eatpraycreate.com/2012/05/birthday-board.html.
Wooden beer caddy
Does your grand father likes beer? Then I suggest you consider getting one of these wooden beer tote for his birthday. They are not an expensive gift and yet a memorable and unique for any grandpa who loves his home made brew.
via: Joy2journal
  Heart shape light bulb
As you can see from this heart shape light bulb diy, it can be a fun project from a granddaughter to her grandfather. It does not cost much but the end result can be very pleasing for any grand parent. The step by step video will definitely helps to make this heart shape light bulb gift a breeze.
Wooden nose eyeglasses holder
Another gift ideas for grandpa is a eyeglasses holder. Well, not just any holder but a sturdy wooden made holder serve very well for a rich grandparent. For this, I suggest check out the promotional offer by housedecorsale here.
Twin rattan outdoor rocking chair
We wish to grow old with out loved one i.e. your spouse. Likewise, if your grandparents are still around and live together, no gift can beat this twin outdoor rocking chair. It does help to remind them of the past sweet memory together. Just like this pink heart mug for your loved one, the twin rattan rocking chair is ideal for old couple.
Love you Grandpa - Fisherman gift
I hear you! Need to keep small budget for a grandpa who has everything. Alright, so this is an ideal gift for a grandpa who loves fishing. I find it very cute and who knows, your grandfather would be interested to go fishing with your son, one day. This is a good reminder for him - on sale at amazon gift store for just less than 16$.
Conclusion
Our Grandpas are very special to us. This would remain so even after they pass away and as we are aging. They are the father of our parents. They are the one who give life to our parents and thus us. Therefore, there is a special bond among us. So we need to treat the most special person in our lives by finding the best gift ideas for them. To show them the quantum of love we have and make them happy despite your grandpas may already have everything.
It is generally we, who would outlive them. If we have not treated them well we would always regret later. So during this xmas, make sure you select the best gift for grandpa who has everything and yet still needs love from you.
Errrr.. STILL WANTS IDEAS? how about go to Amazon gift ideas here (Affl. link) you will then see additional resources for your next gifts for grand papa.
  The post 31 unique gifts for grandfather who has everything appeared first on Homelilys Decor.
Source: https://homelilys.com/ideas/gift-for-grandfather/
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apsbicepstraining · 7 years
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Paolo Bandini: New Englands stout defense will make the difference in a mouth-watering matchup between the two best quarterbacks in the league this season
Success is supposed to be fleeting in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons are a case study in how its meant to be in a league whose structure is designed to promote parity. After going 14-2 and reaching their first Super Bowl in 1998, they failed to even get back into the postseason for another four years. The exact same thing happened after they went 13-3 and reached the NFC title game in 2012.
And now, all of a sudden, they are back in the big dance.
The New England Patriots, of course, do things differently. This will be their seventh Super Bowl appearance since hiring Bill Belichick as head coach in 2000. No other team has played in more than three over the same span.
Does that mean they will win on Sunday? Not necessarily: we have seen Belichick lose on this stage before. Admittedly, only against the New York Giants, but six games probably isnt a large enough sample size to deduce that no other opponent could upset them.
So, lets try and break this one down through the matchups instead. But first, a quick update on our Pick The Playoffs contest, where three readers have called all 10 games correctly so far.
Can mmmbop86, nbcnfl or ShadowWarrior make it a clean sweep? Or will they fall at the final hurdle? Ill post the full standings in the comments section shortly, but if youre within a point of the lead, do include a score prediction for Sundays game – this will be used as a tie-breaker, if required, to determine our winner.
For now, I can announce that castigers is our overall champion for the combined regular season and postseason contests, having built a two-point lead over the rest of the field with only the one game left to play. Do join me in congratulating them on an impressive 72 correct picks out of a possible 112 so far (and lets not forget that two of those games ended in ties ).
Falcons offense v Patriots defense
Atlanta led the NFL in scoring during the regular season, with Ryan averaging a ridiculous 9.3 yards per passing attempt and generally performing at a level above anything he had produced in his (already solid) career. Meanwhile, no team gave up fewer points than the Patriots.
Its worth noting that the Falcons have not just been running up the scores against bad teams. According to Football Outsiderss advanced DVOA metrics, they faced the second-most efficient group of defenses of any team in the NFL this season. Atlanta put 38 points on Arizona, 29 on Kansas City, 23 on Denver and then 36 on Seattle last month in the playoffs.
The Patriots have barely faced a team all season with anything close to this offensive potential. They did restrict the Steelers to a combined 33 points in two meetings, but Pittsburgh were missing Ben Roethlisberger in week seven, and lost LeVeon Bell early in the AFC championship game.
What makes the Falcons so dangerous is the range of weapons at Ryans disposal. Julio Jones is an extraordinary talent quite possibly the best wide receiver in the league but if it was just a question of keeping him in check then I would have no hesitation backing the Patriots to do so, especially after seeing how they contained Antonio Brown using constant double-teams.
Repeating that strategy against Atlanta, however, would appear riskier. The Falcons do not have a standout No2 option in the receiving game, but what they do have is a whole cast of reliable pass catchers and playmakers, from Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel at receiver to Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman coming out of the backfield. Assign two defenders to Jones, and will you still have enough left over?
Julio Jones, perhaps the NFLs best wide receiver, will offer New Englands defense a stiff challenge. Photograph: USA Today Sports / Reuters/USA Today Sports
The obvious alternative would be to let Malcolm Butler track Jones everywhere. He is one of few players in the NFL who might be capable of holding his own in such a duel. But we have not often seen Belichick make such rigid use of his No1 corner.
More likely, I suspect, is that the Patriots will flood the field with defensive backs, leaving as few as six men in the box and challenging Atlanta to stay patient and run the ball. The Falcons are quite capable of doing so, but would they stay patient enough in that scenario?
And there is at least a possibility that such an approach could play right into Atlantas hands. They have used the play-action more often, (on 27.6% of Ryans passing plays, according to ProFootballFocus) and more effectively, than any other team in the league. Establish the run early on with a couple of scoring drives, and suddenly it gets that little bit harder for defenders to resist the fake.
Otherwise, the one big concern I have for Atlanta on this side of the ball revolves around the fitness of center Alex Mack, who injured his ankle during the NFC championship game. The single most important player on an offensive line that has benefited hugely from being able to start the same five players in every game, he has practiced this week and is expected to start on Sunday, but will he be at 100%?
That ankle is sure to be tested by an encounter with New Englands 350lb defensive tackle, Alan Branch. If it fails, Atlanta might be in big trouble.
Patriots offense v Falcons defense
As brilliant as Ryan has been this season and I have already made my case for why I think he should win the MVP there is at least an argument to be made that Brady, after returning from his suspension, was even better. How do you combat a guy who completes more than 67% of his passes, and who has a preposterous 132.8 quarterback rating on third down?
The obvious answer is to hit him before he gets the chance to throw. Obvious, but incredibly difficult to achieve. Brady took a mere 19 sacks in 14 starts (playoffs included) this season and has excelled against the blitz for years.
Almost every team that has toppled New England in a playoff game in the past decade has been able to generate consistent pressure without sending extra men after him. In theory, Atlanta have the personnel to do the same. Vic Beasley led the league with 15.5 sacks in the regular season, whilst Dwight Freeney remains a highly effective situational edge rusher as well.
In practice, though, I have some doubts. Beasley is yet to record a sack in the playoffs, and you could make a case that his regular season numbers in that department overstate his effectiveness. His 56 total quarterback pressures only ranked 18th in the NFL, and he is likely to spend a significant part of Sundays game lining up opposite New Englands right tackle, Marcus Cannon a man who has not allowed a sack since week one.
Whether Atlantas blitz can fluster Tom Brady will prove crucial to the Falcons chances. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP
Brady should be content to get the ball out quickly, too. The Falcons missed 136 tackles this season, according to ProFootballFocus, and allowed opposing ball-carriers to gain an average of 2.89 yards after initial contact. Those were, respectively, the second-worst and worst such numbers of any team in the league.
A reasonable conclusion for Belichick and his coaching staff would be that it makes more sense to focus on plays that get the ball into receivers hands close to the line of scrimmage rather than taking shots downfield. Nobody executes the simple slant-flats passing concepts better than Brady, who, like Ryan, has a wealth of different targets to aim at.
Chris Hogan has been the star of New Englands playoff show so far, and his size cam be an asset against a defense that prizes speed over power. Belichick might be tempted to soften Atlanta up early, using heavy formations with a heavy dose of LeGarrette Blount and Martellus Bennett. But if not then, hey, Julian Edelman, Dion Lewis and James White all know how to do damage, too.
Special teams
The Falcons might have a slight edge in the third phase, though I dont think its a huge one. Kicker Matt Bryant has put together the best season of his career at 41 years old, the coverage units have been solid and Eric Weems ranked sixth in the league with an 11.4 yard punt return average. The Falcons own punter, Matt Bosher, should be feeling fresh-legged, given hes only had to boot the ball 44 times all season.
New Englands Ryan Allen is solid, as are the coverage units. There have been a few return mishaps over the course of the season, but Dion Lewis ran a kickoff return back 98 yards for a score against the Houston Texans in the divisional round. The only faint red mark is attached to kicker Stephen Gostkowski whose usually high standards have slipped somewhat, with three extra points and four field goals missed over the course of the season.
Pick
What makes this such a fascinating matchup is the fact that, on the surface, you can find so much about these teams that look similar. Brady and Ryan have been the two best quarterbacks in the league in 2016-17, both have benefited from strong pass protection and each has a vast arsenal of varied weapons at their disposal. I expect this to be a high-scoring game.
In the end, though, I do think the Patriots will have an edge on defense. I dont think either team is going to have a great deal of joy rushing the passer unless Mack really does struggle for Atlanta but I do expect Belichick to do a better job of scheming to slow Ryan down, take away the deep ball and test the Falcons willingness to play patiently and chip away.
Perhaps they will rise to that challenge. But Im more inclined to trust the team Ive seen do it before.
Prediction: Patriots 34-28 Falcons
The post appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.
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apsbicepstraining · 7 years
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Paolo Bandini: New Englands stout defense will make the difference in a mouth-watering matchup between the two best quarterbacks in the league this season
Success is supposed to be fleeting in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons are a case study in how its meant to be in a league whose structure is designed to promote parity. After going 14-2 and reaching their first Super Bowl in 1998, they failed to even get back into the postseason for another four years. The exact same thing happened after they went 13-3 and reached the NFC title game in 2012.
And now, all of a sudden, they are back in the big dance.
The New England Patriots, of course, do things differently. This will be their seventh Super Bowl appearance since hiring Bill Belichick as head coach in 2000. No other team has played in more than three over the same span.
Does that mean they will win on Sunday? Not necessarily: we have seen Belichick lose on this stage before. Admittedly, only against the New York Giants, but six games probably isnt a large enough sample size to deduce that no other opponent could upset them.
So, lets try and break this one down through the matchups instead. But first, a quick update on our Pick The Playoffs contest, where three readers have called all 10 games correctly so far.
Can mmmbop86, nbcnfl or ShadowWarrior make it a clean sweep? Or will they fall at the final hurdle? Ill post the full standings in the comments section shortly, but if youre within a point of the lead, do include a score prediction for Sundays game – this will be used as a tie-breaker, if required, to determine our winner.
For now, I can announce that castigers is our overall champion for the combined regular season and postseason contests, having built a two-point lead over the rest of the field with only the one game left to play. Do join me in congratulating them on an impressive 72 correct picks out of a possible 112 so far (and lets not forget that two of those games ended in ties ).
Falcons offense v Patriots defense
Atlanta led the NFL in scoring during the regular season, with Ryan averaging a ridiculous 9.3 yards per passing attempt and generally performing at a level above anything he had produced in his (already solid) career. Meanwhile, no team gave up fewer points than the Patriots.
Its worth noting that the Falcons have not just been running up the scores against bad teams. According to Football Outsiderss advanced DVOA metrics, they faced the second-most efficient group of defenses of any team in the NFL this season. Atlanta put 38 points on Arizona, 29 on Kansas City, 23 on Denver and then 36 on Seattle last month in the playoffs.
The Patriots have barely faced a team all season with anything close to this offensive potential. They did restrict the Steelers to a combined 33 points in two meetings, but Pittsburgh were missing Ben Roethlisberger in week seven, and lost LeVeon Bell early in the AFC championship game.
What makes the Falcons so dangerous is the range of weapons at Ryans disposal. Julio Jones is an extraordinary talent quite possibly the best wide receiver in the league but if it was just a question of keeping him in check then I would have no hesitation backing the Patriots to do so, especially after seeing how they contained Antonio Brown using constant double-teams.
Repeating that strategy against Atlanta, however, would appear riskier. The Falcons do not have a standout No2 option in the receiving game, but what they do have is a whole cast of reliable pass catchers and playmakers, from Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel at receiver to Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman coming out of the backfield. Assign two defenders to Jones, and will you still have enough left over?
Julio Jones, perhaps the NFLs best wide receiver, will offer New Englands defense a stiff challenge. Photograph: USA Today Sports / Reuters/USA Today Sports
The obvious alternative would be to let Malcolm Butler track Jones everywhere. He is one of few players in the NFL who might be capable of holding his own in such a duel. But we have not often seen Belichick make such rigid use of his No1 corner.
More likely, I suspect, is that the Patriots will flood the field with defensive backs, leaving as few as six men in the box and challenging Atlanta to stay patient and run the ball. The Falcons are quite capable of doing so, but would they stay patient enough in that scenario?
And there is at least a possibility that such an approach could play right into Atlantas hands. They have used the play-action more often, (on 27.6% of Ryans passing plays, according to ProFootballFocus) and more effectively, than any other team in the league. Establish the run early on with a couple of scoring drives, and suddenly it gets that little bit harder for defenders to resist the fake.
Otherwise, the one big concern I have for Atlanta on this side of the ball revolves around the fitness of center Alex Mack, who injured his ankle during the NFC championship game. The single most important player on an offensive line that has benefited hugely from being able to start the same five players in every game, he has practiced this week and is expected to start on Sunday, but will he be at 100%?
That ankle is sure to be tested by an encounter with New Englands 350lb defensive tackle, Alan Branch. If it fails, Atlanta might be in big trouble.
Patriots offense v Falcons defense
As brilliant as Ryan has been this season and I have already made my case for why I think he should win the MVP there is at least an argument to be made that Brady, after returning from his suspension, was even better. How do you combat a guy who completes more than 67% of his passes, and who has a preposterous 132.8 quarterback rating on third down?
The obvious answer is to hit him before he gets the chance to throw. Obvious, but incredibly difficult to achieve. Brady took a mere 19 sacks in 14 starts (playoffs included) this season and has excelled against the blitz for years.
Almost every team that has toppled New England in a playoff game in the past decade has been able to generate consistent pressure without sending extra men after him. In theory, Atlanta have the personnel to do the same. Vic Beasley led the league with 15.5 sacks in the regular season, whilst Dwight Freeney remains a highly effective situational edge rusher as well.
In practice, though, I have some doubts. Beasley is yet to record a sack in the playoffs, and you could make a case that his regular season numbers in that department overstate his effectiveness. His 56 total quarterback pressures only ranked 18th in the NFL, and he is likely to spend a significant part of Sundays game lining up opposite New Englands right tackle, Marcus Cannon a man who has not allowed a sack since week one.
Whether Atlantas blitz can fluster Tom Brady will prove crucial to the Falcons chances. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP
Brady should be content to get the ball out quickly, too. The Falcons missed 136 tackles this season, according to ProFootballFocus, and allowed opposing ball-carriers to gain an average of 2.89 yards after initial contact. Those were, respectively, the second-worst and worst such numbers of any team in the league.
A reasonable conclusion for Belichick and his coaching staff would be that it makes more sense to focus on plays that get the ball into receivers hands close to the line of scrimmage rather than taking shots downfield. Nobody executes the simple slant-flats passing concepts better than Brady, who, like Ryan, has a wealth of different targets to aim at.
Chris Hogan has been the star of New Englands playoff show so far, and his size cam be an asset against a defense that prizes speed over power. Belichick might be tempted to soften Atlanta up early, using heavy formations with a heavy dose of LeGarrette Blount and Martellus Bennett. But if not then, hey, Julian Edelman, Dion Lewis and James White all know how to do damage, too.
Special teams
The Falcons might have a slight edge in the third phase, though I dont think its a huge one. Kicker Matt Bryant has put together the best season of his career at 41 years old, the coverage units have been solid and Eric Weems ranked sixth in the league with an 11.4 yard punt return average. The Falcons own punter, Matt Bosher, should be feeling fresh-legged, given hes only had to boot the ball 44 times all season.
New Englands Ryan Allen is solid, as are the coverage units. There have been a few return mishaps over the course of the season, but Dion Lewis ran a kickoff return back 98 yards for a score against the Houston Texans in the divisional round. The only faint red mark is attached to kicker Stephen Gostkowski whose usually high standards have slipped somewhat, with three extra points and four field goals missed over the course of the season.
Pick
What makes this such a fascinating matchup is the fact that, on the surface, you can find so much about these teams that look similar. Brady and Ryan have been the two best quarterbacks in the league in 2016-17, both have benefited from strong pass protection and each has a vast arsenal of varied weapons at their disposal. I expect this to be a high-scoring game.
In the end, though, I do think the Patriots will have an edge on defense. I dont think either team is going to have a great deal of joy rushing the passer unless Mack really does struggle for Atlanta but I do expect Belichick to do a better job of scheming to slow Ryan down, take away the deep ball and test the Falcons willingness to play patiently and chip away.
Perhaps they will rise to that challenge. But Im more inclined to trust the team Ive seen do it before.
Prediction: Patriots 34-28 Falcons
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apsbicepstraining · 7 years
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Paolo Bandini: New Englands stout defense will make the difference in a mouth-watering matchup between the two best quarterbacks in the league this season
Success is supposed to be fleeting in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons are a case study in how its meant to be in a league whose structure is designed to promote parity. After going 14-2 and reaching their first Super Bowl in 1998, they failed to even get back into the postseason for another four years. The exact same thing happened after they went 13-3 and reached the NFC title game in 2012.
And now, all of a sudden, they are back in the big dance.
The New England Patriots, of course, do things differently. This will be their seventh Super Bowl appearance since hiring Bill Belichick as head coach in 2000. No other team has played in more than three over the same span.
Does that mean they will win on Sunday? Not necessarily: we have seen Belichick lose on this stage before. Admittedly, only against the New York Giants, but six games probably isnt a large enough sample size to deduce that no other opponent could upset them.
So, lets try and break this one down through the matchups instead. But first, a quick update on our Pick The Playoffs contest, where three readers have called all 10 games correctly so far.
Can mmmbop86, nbcnfl or ShadowWarrior make it a clean sweep? Or will they fall at the final hurdle? Ill post the full standings in the comments section shortly, but if youre within a point of the lead, do include a score prediction for Sundays game – this will be used as a tie-breaker, if required, to determine our winner.
For now, I can announce that castigers is our overall champion for the combined regular season and postseason contests, having built a two-point lead over the rest of the field with only the one game left to play. Do join me in congratulating them on an impressive 72 correct picks out of a possible 112 so far (and lets not forget that two of those games ended in ties ).
Falcons offense v Patriots defense
Atlanta led the NFL in scoring during the regular season, with Ryan averaging a ridiculous 9.3 yards per passing attempt and generally performing at a level above anything he had produced in his (already solid) career. Meanwhile, no team gave up fewer points than the Patriots.
Its worth noting that the Falcons have not just been running up the scores against bad teams. According to Football Outsiderss advanced DVOA metrics, they faced the second-most efficient group of defenses of any team in the NFL this season. Atlanta put 38 points on Arizona, 29 on Kansas City, 23 on Denver and then 36 on Seattle last month in the playoffs.
The Patriots have barely faced a team all season with anything close to this offensive potential. They did restrict the Steelers to a combined 33 points in two meetings, but Pittsburgh were missing Ben Roethlisberger in week seven, and lost LeVeon Bell early in the AFC championship game.
What makes the Falcons so dangerous is the range of weapons at Ryans disposal. Julio Jones is an extraordinary talent quite possibly the best wide receiver in the league but if it was just a question of keeping him in check then I would have no hesitation backing the Patriots to do so, especially after seeing how they contained Antonio Brown using constant double-teams.
Repeating that strategy against Atlanta, however, would appear riskier. The Falcons do not have a standout No2 option in the receiving game, but what they do have is a whole cast of reliable pass catchers and playmakers, from Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel at receiver to Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman coming out of the backfield. Assign two defenders to Jones, and will you still have enough left over?
Julio Jones, perhaps the NFLs best wide receiver, will offer New Englands defense a stiff challenge. Photograph: USA Today Sports / Reuters/USA Today Sports
The obvious alternative would be to let Malcolm Butler track Jones everywhere. He is one of few players in the NFL who might be capable of holding his own in such a duel. But we have not often seen Belichick make such rigid use of his No1 corner.
More likely, I suspect, is that the Patriots will flood the field with defensive backs, leaving as few as six men in the box and challenging Atlanta to stay patient and run the ball. The Falcons are quite capable of doing so, but would they stay patient enough in that scenario?
And there is at least a possibility that such an approach could play right into Atlantas hands. They have used the play-action more often, (on 27.6% of Ryans passing plays, according to ProFootballFocus) and more effectively, than any other team in the league. Establish the run early on with a couple of scoring drives, and suddenly it gets that little bit harder for defenders to resist the fake.
Otherwise, the one big concern I have for Atlanta on this side of the ball revolves around the fitness of center Alex Mack, who injured his ankle during the NFC championship game. The single most important player on an offensive line that has benefited hugely from being able to start the same five players in every game, he has practiced this week and is expected to start on Sunday, but will he be at 100%?
That ankle is sure to be tested by an encounter with New Englands 350lb defensive tackle, Alan Branch. If it fails, Atlanta might be in big trouble.
Patriots offense v Falcons defense
As brilliant as Ryan has been this season and I have already made my case for why I think he should win the MVP there is at least an argument to be made that Brady, after returning from his suspension, was even better. How do you combat a guy who completes more than 67% of his passes, and who has a preposterous 132.8 quarterback rating on third down?
The obvious answer is to hit him before he gets the chance to throw. Obvious, but incredibly difficult to achieve. Brady took a mere 19 sacks in 14 starts (playoffs included) this season and has excelled against the blitz for years.
Almost every team that has toppled New England in a playoff game in the past decade has been able to generate consistent pressure without sending extra men after him. In theory, Atlanta have the personnel to do the same. Vic Beasley led the league with 15.5 sacks in the regular season, whilst Dwight Freeney remains a highly effective situational edge rusher as well.
In practice, though, I have some doubts. Beasley is yet to record a sack in the playoffs, and you could make a case that his regular season numbers in that department overstate his effectiveness. His 56 total quarterback pressures only ranked 18th in the NFL, and he is likely to spend a significant part of Sundays game lining up opposite New Englands right tackle, Marcus Cannon a man who has not allowed a sack since week one.
Whether Atlantas blitz can fluster Tom Brady will prove crucial to the Falcons chances. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP
Brady should be content to get the ball out quickly, too. The Falcons missed 136 tackles this season, according to ProFootballFocus, and allowed opposing ball-carriers to gain an average of 2.89 yards after initial contact. Those were, respectively, the second-worst and worst such numbers of any team in the league.
A reasonable conclusion for Belichick and his coaching staff would be that it makes more sense to focus on plays that get the ball into receivers hands close to the line of scrimmage rather than taking shots downfield. Nobody executes the simple slant-flats passing concepts better than Brady, who, like Ryan, has a wealth of different targets to aim at.
Chris Hogan has been the star of New Englands playoff show so far, and his size cam be an asset against a defense that prizes speed over power. Belichick might be tempted to soften Atlanta up early, using heavy formations with a heavy dose of LeGarrette Blount and Martellus Bennett. But if not then, hey, Julian Edelman, Dion Lewis and James White all know how to do damage, too.
Special teams
The Falcons might have a slight edge in the third phase, though I dont think its a huge one. Kicker Matt Bryant has put together the best season of his career at 41 years old, the coverage units have been solid and Eric Weems ranked sixth in the league with an 11.4 yard punt return average. The Falcons own punter, Matt Bosher, should be feeling fresh-legged, given hes only had to boot the ball 44 times all season.
New Englands Ryan Allen is solid, as are the coverage units. There have been a few return mishaps over the course of the season, but Dion Lewis ran a kickoff return back 98 yards for a score against the Houston Texans in the divisional round. The only faint red mark is attached to kicker Stephen Gostkowski whose usually high standards have slipped somewhat, with three extra points and four field goals missed over the course of the season.
Pick
What makes this such a fascinating matchup is the fact that, on the surface, you can find so much about these teams that look similar. Brady and Ryan have been the two best quarterbacks in the league in 2016-17, both have benefited from strong pass protection and each has a vast arsenal of varied weapons at their disposal. I expect this to be a high-scoring game.
In the end, though, I do think the Patriots will have an edge on defense. I dont think either team is going to have a great deal of joy rushing the passer unless Mack really does struggle for Atlanta but I do expect Belichick to do a better job of scheming to slow Ryan down, take away the deep ball and test the Falcons willingness to play patiently and chip away.
Perhaps they will rise to that challenge. But Im more inclined to trust the team Ive seen do it before.
Prediction: Patriots 34-28 Falcons
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