2012 NFC Divisional Game vs. New Orleans Saints Gameday Thread

BTW...

49ers 30
Saints 20



Two offensive TDs
Three FGs
One ST/D TD

A team effort

Originally posted by Legbreaker:

Curious...I think the Saints' offensive stats are inflated.

Here are the ranks of the defense they have played: 32, 17, 2, 6, 28, 30, 25, 22, 30, 12, 27, 23, 18, 21, 12, 28.

The average rank of the defenses they have played: 20.81. Yikes.

Truth be told, they have played 2 upper echelon defenses: Houston and Jacksonville.They beat Houston 40-33 (at home, on turf) and they beat Jacksonville 23-10 (on the road, on grass). The one upper echelon defense that they played on the road held them to 23 points.

By way of comparison, let's look at the 49ers' defense:
Here are the ranks of the offenses the 49ers have played: 28, 11, 20, 4, 21, 5, 29, 16, 8, 19, 15, 31, 19, 12, 28, 31.

The 49ers have played 3 upper echelon offenses: Philadelphia, Detroit and New York (Giants): The 49ers beat Philly (on the road) 24-23, Detroit (on the road) 25-19, and New York (at home) 27-20. The most prolific "upper echelon" offense we played scored 23 on us...on the road. The only "upper echelon" offense we played at home scored 20 points.

For the record: At home this season, the Niners score an average of 28 points per game. We surrender an average of 10.5. The law of averages is in our favor, and all told I like our chances in this one. I think the Niners will pull it out, 28-20.

BOOM goes the dynamite

Hot damn, I've tried to simulate this game on Madden 4 times now and can't seem to beat the damn Saints, I'm getting concerned.

Originally posted by huck:

Originally posted by jreff22:
if I remember correctly they have the 5th worst RZ% on D

It's worse than that. Fortunately, they don't allow a huge number of RZ opportunities.

21 points avg on D, they give up enough to be beaten

Originally posted by verb1der:
Hot damn, I've tried to simulate this game on Madden 4 times now and can't seem to beat the damn Saints, I'm getting concerned.

Originally posted by SnakePlissken:

Originally posted by verb1der:

Originally posted by 49ersalldaway126:
http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/niners-talk/post/Smiths-cram-sessions-pay-off-for-49ers?blockID=629260&feedID=5936

good read on alex

Wow, Alex Smith is on some Peyton Manning sh*t?!

Quote: Watch Smith on Saturday, and you'll see him directing traffic prior to the snap of the ball. Sometimes he's making adjustments. And sometimes he's not, Roman said.

"A lot of what we do during the game is aimed to deceive, so a lot of what he says at the line of scrimmage is more, you know, there's not really much going on there," Roman said. "It's making people think we're doing something when we're not.

"But there are times when we do that when we really are doing something. So Alex is the kind of guy who can handle both. He does a really good job of it."

Read more: Smith's cram sessions pay off for 49ers Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story

Smith's one of the most intelligent QBs in the NFL (highest wonderlic score in NFL history); he's finally using that noggin to his advantage, instead of over-thinking and worrying about s**t.

A rookie this season had a couple points higher than Smith.

Originally posted by jreff22:
21 points avg on D, they give up enough to be beaten

Unquestionably. It hasn't actually happened since Halloween, but they do give up enough to be beaten.

Originally posted by WhoDat09:

Originally posted by 49ersalldaway126:

Originally posted by WhoDat09:
First congrats on the great year. This is a interesting matchup, the great SF D vs the explosive saints O. However, this game will come down to if the 9ers can score TD not FG. This saints will be able to score 27-31 points in this game. No disrespect to the 9ers D but the saints just have too many options on O and thier OLine is arguably the best in the league. No team has been able to put consistant pressure on brees and i have no reason to think it will be any different this game. The saints probably won't run for 100+ however the will be able to run well enough to keep SF honest. I'm thinking 75-100 yards on the ground. With that said, they will be able to stress SF D more than anyone has all year. What makes the saints so difficult to defend is they have so many options that can make plays in the passing game and they can run the ball (6th in the league)

SF will have to be able to score points. 17-24 will not win this game for SF. The concerns I have is gore is a great back and I believe v Davis can also be a game changer. Now the saints are certainly not in the level as SF D however they have been playing good ball on 3rd downs and been holding teams out of the EZ. A Smith will have to make some throws to keep drives alive and score TD.

It should be interesting...my prediction 31-13 saints.

no offense to you RBS (especialllu sproles who is a beast) but i dont think you can really keep our defense honest by running we can easily keep maybe 6 guys in the box and sill stop the run

i agree i think you may have the best o line in the nfl but we have 4-5 very good guys who can get to the qb consistantly especially on the saints left side with justin and aldon smith

also ray mac who has been dealing with injuries along with broks should not be overlooked



of course its no certainty but i think we can et some pressure on brees- and we will be in nickel cverage for almost all the game leaving 7 guys in coverage while pressuring 4 or 5

on offense we lack weapons but gore is a beast saints run D is far from stellar

also alex smith is very underrated by other teams- he has the third best passer rating against the blitz and may be the smartet qb in nfl - he will be able to make the pre read adjustments hopefully able to pick apart the secondary

i am scared of the amount of weapons you have but i belive you are built for the turf

the saints only have a 22% TD conversion rate in RZ

we are the best RZ team only allowing TD 25% time

im not going to wish the saints good luck)

but no injuries hope its a fair game (no bs penalties)

No doubt SF has a great D, but I think it's gonna take more than 6 in the box to stop their run game. No the saints r not gonna rush for 150 in this game but they have 3 very capable backs. Although the smiths r very talented, bushrod our left tackle is no stranger to facing elite pass rushers, for example JPP , J abraham and sack leader J Allen. Niether one recorded a sack against him. Another thing the saints do very well is chipping with tight ends and running backs. I def respect the 9ers D however the saints can protect drew brees. If drew protects the ball against SF ball hawk D the saints should have no problem scoring 30+. Now ofcourse if drew throws a couple of picks or the saints have a few fumbles then it will be a different story. I'm more concerned about turnovers than SF being able to shut down the saints offense.

It should be a great game.

lmao bro the Saints will not score 31 points.

Originally posted by ninertico:

Originally posted by WhoDat09:

No doubt SF has a great D, but I think it's gonna take more than 6 in the box to stop their run game. No the saints r not gonna rush for 150 in this game but they have 3 very capable backs. Although the smiths r very talented, bushrod our left tackle is no stranger to facing elite pass rushers, for example JPP , J abraham and sack leader J Allen. Niether one recorded a sack against him. Another thing the saints do very well is chipping with tight ends and running backs. I def respect the 9ers D however the saints can protect drew brees. If drew protects the ball against SF ball hawk D the saints should have no problem scoring 30+. Now ofcourse if drew throws a couple of picks or the saints have a few fumbles then it will be a different story. I'm more concerned about turnovers than SF being able to shut down the saints offense.

It should be a great game.

Hey! Welcome man, glad to have you over.



First, let's agree the media over hypes everything. With that said, it truly is about match ups per play, preparation per player, cohesive of team, the ability to "let go" when things don't go right and the talent to seize an opportunity.

Bottom line, we play different under the "lights" (no pun intended) in our house. Our Rams game to win the division and the MNF game illustrate just how tenacious and relentless we can be. Like Justin Smith said, "...take care of the "B" gap" and allow the edges pushed by the trio of Haralson, Brooks and Smith to "collapse" the pocket. This way, we have Smith, McDonald n Sopoaga take care of the middle making Brees a victim of our pressure. If Brees squirms out, then Bowman or Wills will be there to sop up the leftovers with their tackling prowess especially if the Saints continue with their tendency to over protect with a RB. Either of them will already be honing in on the RB. If he stays back to protect, the ILB tandem will come into the pocket as well. We're real good at it in fact. Can't deny that.

In addition to the D, expect some expansion of our O. We will run and play action, but expect more of Alex Smith's legs. Also, I expect both Crabs and Davis to have their best games in the game plan, whatever that is. We will test the D's boundaries, expand the LOS and then run in the fourth to victory. I believe we can tire out your DL and Franklin's been know to get frustrated when he doesn't get his way.

On top of all that, our ST ranks tops for a reason. Andy Lee punting, Akers Kicking, Jennings kickn ass, and all the speedsters along with the anchors get down the field better than any ST unit in the NFL. Yes Sproles IS something else, but so was Patrick Peterson and we "stonewalled" him twice. This element of the game, IMO, will determine the outcome especially if we can cause Brees to go three n out like we did in Preseason.

Bottom line, we have the best game with you guys and I look forward to it.

GL, but we will win.

Really, go take a look of some of our home game and come away going... Really? Yup, some of our own vets did the same.

We will play to our strengths as we always have. We will overcome adversity just like before.

We will win. It's attitude, confidence, preparation and practice. These four are staples in our diet.

The coaches have deprived our team of field "meat".

We're hungry. Very, very hungry and we smell blood.

Glad you're here. But I truly believe you guys will be under estimating us.

Both Payton's and Brees' egos will propel them to failure.

That's just me though...

It will be fun to see how this game plays out. I've heard someone say it's the unstoppable force against the immovable object. Yall are confident bc y'all have seen that D shut down offenses week end and week out. Saints fans are confident because they have seen the saints offense move the ball up and down the field on just about everyone they have played. Especially over the last 5-6 weeks. One thing that y'all may not realize us the games the saints scored in the 20's Sean Payton was not able to be involved in the play calling due to injury. He is arguably the best play caller in the game so that may have something to do with a somewhat sluggish offense during the middle part if the year. Also, krutz retiring and their right tackle and backup going down prob also contributed. DLP has settled into the center spot and strife is back healthy. IMO, SF will have to score 30+ to win this game and from what I've read and seen that will be a difficult task for them.

Originally posted by WhoDat09:
No doubt SF has a great D, but I think it's gonna take more than 6 in the box to stop their run game. No the saints r not gonna rush for 150 in this game but they have 3 very capable backs. Although the smiths r very talented, bushrod our left tackle is no stranger to facing elite pass rushers, for example JPP , J abraham and sack leader J Allen. Niether one recorded a sack against him. Another thing the saints do very well is chipping with tight ends and running backs. I def respect the 9ers D however the saints can protect drew brees. If drew protects the ball against SF ball hawk D the saints should have no problem scoring 30+. Now ofcourse if drew throws a couple of picks or the saints have a few fumbles then it will be a different story. I'm more concerned about turnovers than SF being able to shut down the saints offense.

It should be a great game.

You fail to realize that no team in the league is less equipped to play outdoor football deep into winter than N.O. - see last year at pisspoor Seattle. N.O. has NEVER won a road playoff game and their SB run was done from the comfort of their dome No turf for that cute little offense and quick receivers. Brees' lack of a cannon is irrelevant in the dome but will seriously hinder his normally pinpoint accuracy in the wind. And your run game will give you nothing - as legendary as our run D was this year, it was even more legendary at home. We probably didn't even allow 3 yards per carry at home and probably didn't allow a single rusher to get more than 40 or so yards all year. Your D is already soft (and no Saints defender keeps o-coordinators up at night) and in the cold they are even softer - see tackle "attempts" on Marshawn Lynch...how will they handle a far superior back in Frank Gore? Crabtree should eat Porter alive for like 120+ yards. In short, no team scares me more if we had to play them in their house than the Saints but no team scares me less getting to play them at Candlestick than the Saints.

However, I will say, I love Carl Nicks. If I could add any non-QB to the Niners, it might be Nicks and then I'd shift Iupati to RG. But Justin Smith is even better than Nicks.

I was looking up some of our sack leaders, and I was encouraged to see that we have the power to keep breeze on his heals this coming weekend.
A. Smith 14 sacks
J. Smith 7.5
A. Brooks 7.5
R. McDonald 5.5
N. Bowman 2.0
L. Grant 2.0
P. Haralson 2.0
P. Willis 2.0

I watched some videos and one thing our team did this season was bring preasure dispite there not being a sack. Yeah we have an unbelievalbe rush def, but if im not mistaken we did make opposing QB force the ball. K. Warner said something which makes you think - we know they dont have to run and we know their going to pass and with their superiour passing, it will give them the edge.
But.... I think that our DT/DE Bull Rush Str. and talented OLB the Niners can get it done this weekend. I see our Line having the ability to move people around and our LB hitting the edge. It shall be a good brawl.

Constantine Red and Gold

Originally posted by huck:

Originally posted by jreff22:
21 points avg on D, they give up enough to be beaten

Unquestionably. It hasn't actually happened since Halloween, but they do give up enough to be beaten.

am I safe to assume you're a NO fan?

Originally posted by andes14:
You fail to realize that no team in the league is less equipped to play outdoor football deep into winter than N.O. - see last year at pisspoor Seattle. N.O. has NEVER won a road playoff game and their SB run was done from the comfort of their dome No turf for that cute little offense and quick receivers. Brees' lack of a cannon is irrelevant in the dome but will seriously hinder his normally pinpoint accuracy in the wind. And your run game will give you nothing - as legendary as our run D was this year, it was even more legendary at home. We probably didn't even allow 3 yards per carry at home and probably didn't allow a single rusher to get more than 40 or so yards all year. Your D is already soft (and no Saints defender keeps o-coordinators up at night) and in the cold they are even softer - see tackle "attempts" on Marshawn Lynch...how will they handle a far superior back in Frank Gore? Crabtree should eat Porter alive for like 120+ yards. In short, no team scares me more if we had to play them in their house than the Saints but no team scares me less getting to play them at Candlestick than the Saints.

However, I will say, I love Carl Nicks. If I could add any non-QB to the Niners, it might be Nicks and then I'd shift Iupati to RG. But Justin Smith is even better than Nicks.

It's possible you aren't as clearly contrasting last year's playoff team for the Saints versus this year's playoff team for the Saints as you would need to for this discussion. There were a lot of Saints players who didn't play - or played seriously hurt - in that game. I'd imagine that Harbaugh isn't assuming those two teams are even close to one another, as he shouldn't be.

As for players that keep opposing coordinators up at night... maybe I'm missing something, but I don't recall anyone on the 9ers offense who makes me shake with fear this year. As for Crabtree, it's a very impressive prediction to say that he'll have the best game of his entire career against the Saints. That would sure be something to see.

Originally posted by jreff22:
am I safe to assume you're a NO fan?

Absolutely. Already mentioned in this thread multiple times.

Originally posted by huck:

Originally posted by andes14:
You fail to realize that no team in the league is less equipped to play outdoor football deep into winter than N.O. - see last year at pisspoor Seattle. N.O. has NEVER won a road playoff game and their SB run was done from the comfort of their dome No turf for that cute little offense and quick receivers. Brees' lack of a cannon is irrelevant in the dome but will seriously hinder his normally pinpoint accuracy in the wind. And your run game will give you nothing - as legendary as our run D was this year, it was even more legendary at home. We probably didn't even allow 3 yards per carry at home and probably didn't allow a single rusher to get more than 40 or so yards all year. Your D is already soft (and no Saints defender keeps o-coordinators up at night) and in the cold they are even softer - see tackle "attempts" on Marshawn Lynch...how will they handle a far superior back in Frank Gore? Crabtree should eat Porter alive for like 120+ yards. In short, no team scares me more if we had to play them in their house than the Saints but no team scares me less getting to play them at Candlestick than the Saints.

However, I will say, I love Carl Nicks. If I could add any non-QB to the Niners, it might be Nicks and then I'd shift Iupati to RG. But Justin Smith is even better than Nicks.

It's possible you aren't as clearly contrasting last year's playoff team for the Saints versus this year's playoff team for the Saints as you would need to for this discussion. There were a lot of Saints players who didn't play - or played seriously hurt - in that game. I'd imagine that Harbaugh isn't assuming those two teams are even close to one another, as he shouldn't be.

As for players that keep opposing coordinators up at night... maybe I'm missing something, but I don't recall anyone on the 9ers offense who makes me shake with fear this year. As for Crabtree, it's a very impressive prediction to say that he'll have the best game of his entire career against the Saints/ That would sure be something to see.

Gore and Hunter are a pretty nasty combo. If you haven't followed or watched Hunter he will impress. Vernon is Vernon and can do almost anything if his hands show up with the rest of him. Kyle Williams has been great in his limited playing time, he was buried on the depth chart until Edwards got hurt and missed a lot of games. Very elusive player with another gear when he gets into open space. Truth be told not many know our guys outside of Gore and Vernon. We just don't get a lot of media coverage.