View topic - The "hard to beat a team 3 times in a season" bullshit

[Steelgut Profile]

I personally think this is one of those times when statistics are used to create more drama.

I believe that a team that has beat another team twice will beat that team again more times than not. I'll bet the statistics will show this. I scoured the internet and couldn't find an answer.

However, I'll bet that when teams have played each other three times in a season, they usually show a 2 and 1 split, and no, not because it's hard to beat a team three times in a season, but because of parity. More times than not, two teams will split the first two games.

I'd also like to wager that when a team has won the first two meetings, that team usually has the edge in the last meeting. That only makes sense statistically.

I'd also like to add that this is the best Steelers board with the most intelligent and interesting posts and writers (aside from the occasional troll). I'm glad to not be a lurker anymore.

[shawnlucas Profile]

The last time a team found themselves in a similar situation as the Steelers was 1999, Titans v. Jaguars.

The Titans beat the Jaguars, en route to a 3 game sweep in the regular season/playoffs, and a Super Bowl date with destiny against the Rams.

The Steelers have beaten the Browns 3 times in a regular season/playoff series at least twice that I can remember and used to do it with regularity (I think) against Bum Phillips old Oilers back in the 70s.

I'll try to do the research during my prep period today and see if I can drum up some more numbers.

[dawson for HOF Profile]

This article http://post-gazette.com/pg/09013/941387-66.stm addresses, and dismisses, that myth.

[punum123 Profile]

Doesn't mean shit...

San Diego was 2-0 in playoffs vs. the Stillers....UNTIL LAST SUNDAY.

[Hagerstown Steelman Profile]

Yes, read the article Dawson talks about it is right on point.

It has happened 18 times that teams have met for a third time and the 2-0 team has won 11 of them. To me it is just for the hype and due to the rivalry. Both games were close and neither will have a bearing on the outcome of this one. Other than the Ravens possibly being a bit more banged up coming into the game.

It will come down to execution and turnovers as most games do.

[lloydrules Profile]

It is crap. 11 out of 18 times, the 2-0 team goes 3-0. 61% of the time the 2-0 wins. I remember when they kept bringing this up when Pgh played Browns 3 xs in the 90s. They destroyed them the 3rd time. Foster ran all over them. That won't happen this week, but still.

If Pgh takes care of the ball, they will down the stretch, after a hard-hitting affair beforehand

[d_iris Profile]

if this nonsense were true, it would be THE SAME to say, "it's just as easy for the rats to LOSE to us 3 times in a row."

[Teegre Profile]

Somewhere, I read that John Harbaugh said something to this effect:
"Hard to beat a team three times??? Well, I would rather be 2-0 against the Steelers than 0-2."

[McLovin Profile]

The worst was an interview Fat Sapp did with Ray Lewis on the NFL Network couple nights ago. Lewis basically said officials were reason the Ravens 0-2 vs. Steelers this year. Lewis was going on and on about how Holmes TD catch in the last meeting should not have counted and the officials "Freakin" robbed them and he wants the "Freakin" refs to call a fair game in the playoffs. Three wins with the last one getting Steelers to Super Bowl will be a "knife" in the heart of Ray Ray. With any luck Ray, Black Bart, and Suggs will bolt for the money in free agency and we don't have to listen to their ghetto rhetoric any longer.

[Steeledge Profile]

a "knife" in the heart of Ray Ray.

now dat's some FUNNY SHIT right dere, I don't care who y'are...

GIT 'ER DONE!!!

ghetto rhetoric

now I think you're onto something...Can we say the Ratbirds are full of ghettoric??

HERE WE GO, STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!!

[McLovin Profile]

.Can we say the Ratbirds are full of ghettoric?? ::

Hiliarious bro!

[Leo Profile]

.Can we say the Ratbirds are full of ghettoric?? ::

Hiliarious bro!

Amen. Murderin' Ray and his crew are the biggest gang of thugs north of "the U."

[shawnlucas Profile]

Amen. Murderin' Ray and his crew are the biggest gang of thugs north of "the U."

Funny how many of them are from "the U".

Guess you don't grow up, you just grow old.

[PATitanSteveCJ Profile]

If you beat the Ravens three times..... IF YOU DO......I will tip my hat.

[El Nino Profile]

If you beat the Ravens three times..... IF YOU DO......I will tip my hat.

you probably won't. i can picture you still being a fag and trolling this board

we'll worry about the ravens, you worry about the offseason

[DashRipRock Profile]

A professional athlete does not say to himself, "He beat me the last two times we met, so I'm due." He knows that this guy knows how to beat him and is worried. Big edge to the Steelers on psychology alone.

Now they don't have Rolle and possibly Suggs? Any bravado from the Ravens camp is just whistling through the graveyard, boys!

[dadrfishing Profile]

Who would you rather be the team that won the last two matches, or the team that last the last two. Seems to always be the team who are 0 - 2, that make the biggest deal about "how hard it is to win 3 times "

[Teegre Profile]

People (i.e. Ravens fans) have been pointing out the 10-6 record for teams beating another team a third time...
...which does not really favor either team too strongly.

But, what they fail to mention is the fact that:
a) In the AFCCG, that record is 3-1 for the team who won the first two.
b) The Steelers are 4-0 when facing a team for the third time (Houston twice: in the 70s; the Browns twice: '94 & '02).

Simply, the previous records mean little beyond the fact that the Steelers might have a little more confidence. These teams hate each other; ergo, it is going to be a hard-hitting game (whether it was 2-0, 0-2, or 1-1). More importantly, in my opinion, what this game will come down to is:
Who is healthier?
And, that particular edge is strongly in Pittsburgh's favor.

[logjammin Profile]

b) The Steelers are 4-0 when facing a team for the third time (Houston twice: in the 70s; the Browns twice: '94 & '02).

If you mean, after sweeping the regular season series...

The stillers didn't sweep the Oilers in 3 games, ever. Both of those AFCCG wins over the Oilers after the 78 and 79 regular seasons, the 2 teams split the regular season games.

If you mean literally,

b) The Steelers are 4-0 when facing a team for the third time

with no stipulation on the outcome of the regular season games, then the record is better than 4-0, I think. I can't remember any time they lost to a division opponent in the playoffs. There were the aforementioned AFCCG wins over the oilers, the 1989 win over the Oilers (after the Oilers swept the Stillers in the regular season), 2 games against teams called the Cleveland Browns (once vs. the old Modell owned Browns and one vs. the expansion Browns) and once vs. Baltimore Ravens in the early two thousands, and once vs. Cincy in the magical '05 playoff run. The Stillers won every one of those games. That's 7-0 vs. oppenents from the Stillers' division in the playoffs. Have there been any other such games I'm forgetting?

I believe that in 2 of those cases (new Browns and old Browns) the Stillers swept the regular season games, once they got swept (89 oilers) and in the other 4 cases the regular season games were split.

So the more wise wisdom would be

It's hard to beat an NFL team from Pittsburgh in the playoffs if you have already played them twice that season (regardless of who won the earlier games).

Hopefully that will not have become obsolete 35 hours from now.

[Steel_Scrotum Profile]

If you beat the Ravens three times..... IF YOU DO......I will tip my hat.

you probably won't. i can picture you still being a fag and trolling this board

we'll worry about the ravens, you worry about the offseason

lol