Week 16 Discussion Thread

[Hammer]

The Saints are a lot closer to the Packers than the Falcons are to the Saints.

As far as the Falcons moving the ball, they couldnt do anything in the red zone last night.

[Judge Jude]

Agreed on both points, though the gaps are nothing like they were years ago, either.

But not totally sold on the Saints' D in the postseason, though it's been pretty good so far (partly because the offense usually has the ball, lol).

[Erik]

The Saints are a lot closer to the Packers than the Falcons are to the Saints.

Especially when the Falcons are on the road. They are a marginal team at best when they're not at home.

[Judge Jude]

"They are a marginal team at best when they're not at home."

but enough about the Saints when they head to San Francisco....

[Hornsby]

"They are a marginal team at best when they're not at home."

but enough about the Saints when they head to San Francisco....

SF's weakness is it's pass defense, it ranks 17th in the league, and the passing game is obviously the strength of the Saints, ranking 1st in the NFL. I know that you're playing with words, but there's nothing marginal about the Saints...

[onejayhawk]

"They are a marginal team at best when they're not at home."

but enough about the Saints when they head to San Francisco....

Winner gets the bye, loser gets an 8-8 team. Will SF head back? I am not sure how the pairings work.

J

[Judge Jude]

49ers have the bye if they win Sunday, Saints would be No 3 seed. if Falcons win, they are the 6 seed.

If Saints win the first round, they would go to No 2 SF, while the 4-5 game winner (Cowboys or Giants vs Lions or Falcons) would travel to Green Bay.

Nobody can run on the 49ers, so teams are forced to throw. But yes that is a decent matchup for the Saints. Of course, the Saints couldn't even win on the road vs the 7-9 Seahawks last playoffs...

[Erik]

Winner gets the bye, loser gets an 8-8 team. Will SF head back? I am not sure how the pairings work.

J

There are no 8-8 teams in the NFC playoffs. Winner of NFC East will have 9 wins. Atlanta and Detroit already have 9 or more.

[Hornsby]

49ers have the bye if they win Sunday, Saints would be No 3 seed. if Falcons win, they are the 6 seed.

If Saints win the first round, they would go to No 2 SF, while the 4-5 game winner (Cowboys or Giants vs Lions or Falcons) would travel to Green Bay.

Nobody can run on the 49ers, so teams are forced to throw. But yes that is a decent matchup for the Saints. Of course, the Saints couldn't even win on the road vs the 7-9 Seahawks last playoffs...

Last year was last year, and Seattle is one of the worst places for a visiting team to play in the NFL, against a defense that that has become extremely good. And if you want to cherrypick games, SF lost to Arizona 2 weeks ago, and barely escaped the same Seahawk team last week.

Again, it's an any given Sunday league, but why you insist on trying to paint the Saints as mediocrities escapes me.

[Erik]

Probably for the same reason Revo kept trying to take down the Packers earlier this year. If something unexpected happens and you called it, everyone remembers. If something expected happens and you called it, no one cares.

[Judge Jude]

Actually I don't much care about the Saints.
They are very good at home this year, again, but on the road:

- lost to the Packers 42-34, Packers up by 15 untill 2:15 was left, but no crime there
- beat the scary Jaguars 23-10
- beat the Panthers 30-27 in Cam Newton's 5th NFL game
- lost 26-20 to the Buccaneers in TB's final win of the season
- lost to the fearsome 2-13 Rams (yes, with Bradford), who might get the 1st pick in the NFL draft
- 'crushed' the Falcons, 26-23
-' crushed' the Titans, 22-17
- really did crush the 2-12 Vikings, 42-20

I said the Saints are a mediocre team on the road, and agreed that the 49ers could be a decent matchup for them.
They had a respectable road Week 1 effort against the Packers. What else tells me this team has solved its 2010 road woes?
Amazing that it might be said that there is "nothing marginal" about this team, apparently includimg their road performance this season. A No. 3 seed should be evaluated for a Super Bowl run based on its road skills.

Re the Packers, I loved them entering the playoffs last year. Maybe the best 10-6 team I could remember - all the losses in single digits.
This year? Their offense is awesome, but they can be had, too.

Can't speak for Revo, but he may be as uninterested as I am being suspected of some ulterior motive for an opinion, either. Kind of surprised at you there, Erik. Do you really think either of us were trolling? You're better than that.

P.S.
The mighty 7-9 overall Seahawks in 2010 that the Saints just couldn't overcome were 4-4 at home.
The teams they beat at home were a combined 23-41.
Quite the juggernaut.

And in case someone doesn't understand the modern NFL, can the Saints win the 2012 Super Bowl?
Absolutely.
Any playoff team can, as the hapless Arizona Cardinals came within about 2 inches of proving a couple of years ago after going 3-7 outside of the worst divsion, perhaps, in NFL history....

[revo]

Probably for the same reason Revo kept trying to take down the Packers earlier this year. If something unexpected happens and you called it, everyone remembers. If something expected happens and you called it, no one cares.

I don't understand this at all. I want to be "remembered for taking down the Packers?" I understand there are some long memories here about very good/very bad projections, but that observation was, and still is, based 100% in fact and as JJ mentions, has no ulterior motive. Their pass defense is opportunistic, but otherwise very poor. A team like New Orleans can, and if given the opportunity, will shred it.