Saints on grass

[maniax]

what does that mean? say we go into next week's game and don't cut the grass, overwater, etc etc.. can the NFL postpone the game for a few hours while forcing the crew to cut the grass or dry the field? what's the recourse. can the saints play under protest? i'm sure home teams have done things like this in the past but i don't remember the NFL ever doing anything to negate that time of 'preparation.'

Isn't the opposing team allowed out onto the field day before or at least 3 hours before game time? I imagine someone from New Orleans must go out there to scout the conditions.

Then they can go back and screw on the 3/4 inch cleats and modify the game plan a bit.

 

[vvoland]

I hope our team remembers the blitzkrieg that the Saints put on us in the first game of preseason and I'm hoping that now that it counts, we pay it back to them while using Bowman and Willis' sideline to sideline ability in order to counter their screens to Sproles. Nothing would make me happier then watching Brees scrape himself off the grass after every passing situation.

this may not be very sportsmanlike of me but how many RBs and QBs did we knock out of games this season? seems like every time we play a team, one of their primary players at the skill position gets injured by a big [but clean] hit. a friend of mine [a patriots fan] and i were having this discussion about a month ago [i think we had a stretch where we knocked a starting RB out of the game in 4 straight] about how opposing teams should just rest their RBs against the niners [a bit like hitters used to take a 'scheduled' day off against a young and wild randy johnson] and choose a starting RB as a make-a-wish-foundation type gift. the conversation then got a bit creepy as i volunteered that some 11 year old with leukemia would get decapitated by willis who'd stand over the body, point to the sky and say something like 'here's another one for your flock, lord. take good care of this one.'

of course, this was all tongue in cheek but if i was darren sproles' mother i'd be very concerned about his health coming into the stick. when willis, bowman, goldson or whitner is coming at you full speed, you better slide or go out of bounds. PERIOD.

 

[EKmane]

The weather has been too good up here of late. It's supposed to be clear skies through next Wednesday. Where's El Niño when you need him?

http://www.wunderground.com/sports/NFL/
10 Day Weather Forecast for San Francisco - weather.com
Might not be El Nino, but we'll take it.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

Remember the "Push" bowl in 2005 when Notre Dame did that to SC. When they showed the length of that grass on TV I busted out laughing.

And it only helped them enough to barely lose. That was a great game though. I thought it was over, then Leinart hit Jarrett for that long one. Me and my friends were going nuts.

 

[Mozart'sGhost]

And it only helped them enough to barely lose. That was a great game though. I thought it was over, then Leinart hit Jarrett for that long one. Me and my friends were going nuts.

What a clutch throw that was and then Leinart's fumble out of bounds that gave them another play and Bush pushed Leinart over the goal line. That was a great game.

 

[SportsTIPS]

If the 9ers draw the Saints, the 9ers better pray for bad weather.

 

[Yadahell]

If the 9ers draw the Saints, the 9ers better pray for bad weather.

Bad weather won't be necessary. 2 weeks prep time, a rested 49er team at near full-strength, and the Saints playing on grass + on the the road are a good enough combination to give the 49ers more than just a fighting chance.

 

[Flyingiguana]

i'm hoping we have a couple scripted sequences that we can use when we get a good match up. go no huddle and put up 7. try to catch the saints with their pants down because they're gonna come after smith until we can pick up the blitz.

if things get bad we can just turn the lights out

 

[tzill]

If the 9ers draw the Saints, the 9ers better pray for bad weather.

How about instead that we pray you get hit by a car?

 

[Mozart'sGhost]

If the 9ers draw the Saints, the 9ers better pray for bad weather.

If they draw the Saints........?

 

[Mozart'sGhost]

Bad weather won't be necessary. 2 weeks prep time, a rested 49er team at near full-strength, and the Saints playing on grass + on the the road are a good enough combination to give the 49ers more than just a fighting chance.

Those are nice things to have in one's favor. The one thing I think people are forgetting in the Saints favor, besides the huge advantage in talent, is the playoff experience factor. I think every player on the Saints roster, save the rookies, has playoff experience whereas on the 49ers, I can think of only Akers, Ginn and Goodwin. That could be a big factor.

 

[Yadahell]

Those are nice things to have in one's favor. The one thing I think people are forgetting in the Saints favor, besides the huge advantage in talent, is the playoff experience factor. I think every player on the Saints roster, save the rookies, has playoff experience whereas on the 49ers, I can think of only Akers, Ginn and Goodwin. That could be a big factor.

Yes, playoff experience is a concern. My other concern is when the Saints go no-huddle and string together long drives, it keeps Aldon Smith off the field (the 49ers won't be able to sub him in on 3rd downs like usual). Not having your best pass-rusher on the field and a tired defense isn't a good thing. Fangio would certainly have to adjust his scheme and/or substitution patterns if this happened.

 

[MHSL82]

If the 9ers draw the Saints, the 9ers better pray for bad weather.

How about instead that we pray you get hit by a car?

Well, these aren't exactly mutually exclusive. Bad weather doesn't only occur in the stadium during the game, it occurs all over the bay, before, during, and after the game. Whether RayRatto/SportsTips is a pedestrian, driver, or passenger, he can get hit by a car and the Niners and fans win.

 

[Jikkle]

Those are nice things to have in one's favor. The one thing I think people are forgetting in the Saints favor, besides the huge advantage in talent, is the playoff experience factor. I think every player on the Saints roster, save the rookies, has playoff experience whereas on the 49ers, I can think of only Akers, Ginn and Goodwin. That could be a big factor.

I think there is a flip side to it though in that you have a lot of guys that have gone years without being in the playoffs and I think we're going to have some extremely hungry players out there. I can see guys like Whitner, Rogers, Willis, Gore, Davis, and a lot of other guys on the team completely selling out since they've been doomed on terrible teams for years and they finally get their chance at the playoffs. And you know Alex Smith is going to be motivated as well because can you imagine taking down Brees, Rodgers, and maybe Brady to win the Super Bowl would do for his image?

I think playoff experience is a factor but I think it's overrated and it's something talking heads like to bring up. In 1981 how much playoff experience did the team have going into that Super Bowl run? The biggest factor is being a good and well prepared team in winning a playoff game.

 

[Jikkle]

Yes, playoff experience is a concern. My other concern is when the Saints go no-huddle and string together long drives, it keeps Aldon Smith off the field (the 49ers won't be able to sub him in on 3rd downs like usual). Not having your best pass-rusher on the field and a tired defense isn't a good thing. Fangio would certainly have to adjust his scheme and/or substitution patterns if this happened.

I think we'll mostly stay in Nickel the game which will leave Aldon out there a lot. I don't think we lose a lot in our run defense by going Nickel since the strength is that our guys are so talented at stopping it and not due to scheme and I think we'd rather dare the Saints to run than dare them to pass.

 

[EKmane]

Yes, playoff experience is a concern. My other concern is when the Saints go no-huddle and string together long drives, it keeps Aldon Smith off the field (the 49ers won't be able to sub him in on 3rd downs like usual). Not having your best pass-rusher on the field and a tired defense isn't a good thing. Fangio would certainly have to adjust his scheme and/or substitution patterns if this happened.

If Aldon isn't starting over PH come playoff time I might go tackle Harbaugh myself.

 

[deep9er]

If Aldon isn't starting over PH come playoff time I might go tackle Harbaugh myself.

should he start over PH only because he's a better pass rusher?

how is Aldon against the run compared to PH? if he's almost as good, no problem starting Aldon. if Aldon isn't 'almost as good', start PH.

this doesn't mean Aldon can't get more downs than this season, but he can't be a big liability on runs.

 

[EKmane]

should he start over PH only because he's a better pass rusher?

how is Aldon against the run compared to PH? if he's almost as good, no problem starting Aldon. if Aldon isn't 'almost as good', start PH.

this doesn't mean Aldon can't get more downs than this season, but he can't be a big liability on runs.

Aldon has been very good against the run in his limited snaps. Just on a hunch I'm sure if Aldon doesn't have more tfl's then he is close, also on a hunch I bet that Aldon has more passes defended or at least damn close.

Aldon Smith Stats - San Francisco 49ers - ESPN
Parys Haralson Stats, News, Videos, Highlights, Pictures, Bio - San Francisco 49ers - ESPN
Also, remeber Aldon played limited action, no reason he should have more total tackles than PH, except for the obvious, PH isn't as good. There also isn't a stat showing Aldon's million and 1 qb hurries.

 

[spacedoodoopistol]

I'm pretty sure if the Saints are on grass it will be a cakewalk.

I mean, I've never seen a stoned team win a regular season game, let alone a playoff game!

 

[Flyingiguana]

Aldon has been very good against the run in his limited snaps. Just on a hunch I'm sure if Aldon doesn't have more tfl's then he is close, also on a hunch I bet that Aldon has more passes defended or at least damn close.

Aldon Smith Stats - San Francisco 49ers - ESPN
Parys Haralson Stats, News, Videos, Highlights, Pictures, Bio - San Francisco 49ers - ESPN
Also, remeber Aldon played limited action, no reason he should have more total tackles than PH, except for the obvious, PH isn't as good. There also isn't a stat showing Aldon's million and 1 qb hurries.

they play different roles and when aldon is in we play more of a 4-3.