Better team: 2019 or 2018?
 

The data says they’re identical, so you’ll have to explain some reasons beyond stats why one was better than the other. (“We got Spags now!” = not a reason)


Scoring Margin:
2018 +144
2019 +143

Expected wins:
2018: 10.7
2019: 11.4

Yardage Margin:
2018: +322
2019: +473

Turnover margin:
2018: +9
2019: +8

SRS (points above/below avg nfl team)
2018: 8.89
2019: 9.14

Sagarin Rank:
2018: 2
2019: 2

Sagarin Rating:
2018: 27.67
2019: 28.02

This year is better because now we have Spags. And Honeybadger.

BALANCE.

Do we account for injuries? Or assume both are fully healthy?

The injuries this year really held the team back a bit. Had they been fully healthy (or close to it) for the whole year, this team would be far ahead of last years.

I felt our team was a bigger threat last year to win it all. I felt that there weren’t as many teams better than us, vs Baltimore-SF-NO which I think are better this year.

Pre-TMZ team last year was better.

I would take this year’s squad over the Post-TMZ team though.

Last year's team was one of the best offenses of all time. But as history shows us most of the all time great offenses never won it all, except for the 99 Rams, but they had a top scoring defense. Pretty much all of the other top 10 offenses of all time didn't get it done.

This year's team has a far better chance to win it all because we have a top 10 scoring offense and defense. Teams with great offenses usually have more consistent, sustained success, but when they actually win it all they have a solid defense to provide some balance. It's true of Manning, Rodgers, Favre, etc. Look at the years they won it all and they had good defenses, at least in the playoffs if nothing else, but usually in the regular season too. Rodgers and Favre won their one title each when they had a seriously legit defense. Manning's Colts played great defense in the playoffs and of course his Broncos title was pretty much carried by the defense. Same with Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson.

But that’s not true^. There’s no proof a better def gives you a better chance to win vs a good offense. In fact here’s the avg regular season rank of all 51 super bowl winners:


Defense: 7th
Offense: 8th
http://www.nfl.com/superbowlchamps

No diff.

I didn't say a good defense gives you a better chance than a good offense.

But all the good offenses that won usually had a very good defense. My statement has always been you need a top 10 QB and a top 10 defense. And the teams that didn't have a good defense played good defense in the playoffs. (See the 06 Colts or either of the Giants Super Bowl winners)

And it is true that none of the all time great offenses, like ours last year, won a Super Bowl. The 99 Rams are it. The 98 Vikings, 07 Patriots, 13 Broncos, 18 Chiefs etc etc all failed to win.

2019 no question. Last year's team overachieved. This year's team has the balance and quality on both sides of the ball that a real contender has.

2019. The players see themselves as legitimate SB contenders and are holding themselves accountable as such. That is the only difference that truly matters between 2019 and 2018.

This is rhetorical, right?

If this year's team had been healthy they might have made a run at 16-0. The fact that they went through all of that shit and still finished 12-4 with a bye should tell you just how crazy good this team really is.

I think this team going through more adversity has True Grit and going in the playoffs battle tested is the better team.

Lotta homers on here.

Pat isn’t as good as last year, and CP always talks about how QB play is all that matters. Suddenly this year it’s not. I’m confused I guess.

Seems you’re trying to keep your thread on the front page through controversial comments. Read the posts for their explanations as to why they feel the way they do, Skippy B. :p