From: thyat@sdf.lonestar.org (Tom Hyatt)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Re: HOW BOUT EM!!
Keywords: nowworshipmoranow
Date: 19 Dec 92 02:43:53 GMT
Organization: Best lil' ol' Pubnix in Texas

In article <1992Dec16.044251.11222@netcom.com> mzimmers@netcom.com (Michael Zimmers) writes:
>In article <1992Dec15.235538.12855@nntpserver.chevron.com> hjjcl@usho77.hou281.chevron.com (J.J.Clyde) writes:
>
>>Zimmers writes:
>
>>>In article <1992Dec14.230639.11568@nntpserver.chevron.com> hjjcl@usho77.hou281.chevron.com (J.J.Clyde) writes:
>
>>>>BTW, I lightly claimed after the usual 'cha-choke' in Candlestick that
>>>>if the Niners were playing the best ball right now, the Saints were a
>>>>close second.  Seems to be holding true.  The Saints O is vastly
>>>>improving  -- note FIVE OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS in Anaheim Sunday, 3
>>>>rushing, 2 passing.  Quit listening to what the sports media is saying,
>>>>"Saints.....great DEE....lousy O."  In fact, not even the media is
>>>>saying it these days.  The only problem heading into the playoffs is
>>>>psychological, IMHO.  If the Saints win, sloppy or not, in the Wildcard
>>>>at the Dome, it could be KATY BAR THE DOOR FOR THEM NINERS!!  
>
>>>I hate to bring up the notion of level of competition, but somehow
>>>getting worked up over the Aints' offensive performance against
>>>the turnover-prone Lambs is akin to pointing to the Niners' snuffing
>>>of the Fins in the Mud Bowl last week.
>

Ok, I'll bite. The Niners have beaten teams like New Orleans, Philadelphia, 
Miami and Minnesota while losing to Buffalo and Phoenix. The Saints have wins
over Washington, and Miami (yet to play Buffalo as I type this out) while losing
to San Francisco and Philadelphia. The two losses by the Niners are by a total
of 13 points while the three losses by New Orleans are by a total of 9 points.
The wins by SF over winning-record teams have all been close save the Miami
game. The wins over winning-record teams by NO were all by more than 10 points.
Also, if you'll notice, the last five weeks by the Saints have been against
either division rivals or teams with winning records. They are 4-1 (loss against
SF) with scoring roughly 25/game (in fact, have scored >20/game since week 6)
while allowing 13/game in scoring. The Niners are 5-0 scoring only 23/game while
allowing 13/game. Likewise all games by the Niners were either against winning-
record teams or division rivals. Both teams seem to be peaking at the right time
to me.

[text deleted.....]

>
>>>Both teams are weak in areas.  They will continue to be for the remainder
>>>of the season.  
>
>>FOR THE LAST TIME, I didn't say that the Saints OR Niners were
>>RoboTeams, I said they're playing the best ball right now.  Hello?
>
>Hello yourself.  Just don't get too disappointed when the Aints' now-
>vaunted (by you) offense is confined to single digits in the postseason.
>

Won't happen. The stats show that much of the scoring by the offense is
generated by forcing mistakes on the defense. However, averaging 25/game over
the past month isn't strictly due to the D. The offense has scored a lot of
points as well, and have actually opened up a bit. 

>>>The Aints will go as far as their defense can overcome
>>>the ineptness of their QB.  I don't think that translates to the Big
>>>Dance for the Big Easy.
>
>>Excuse me?  Did you even watch the Saints game in Candlestick?  Hebert
>>played flawlessly.  HE didn't lose the game, the Niners didn't steal the
>>game, it was the Saints defense (defensive play-calling) that lost the game.
>
>One game.  Big deal.  What are you more concerned about entering into
>postseason:  Hebert's performance or defensive play-calling?
>


Not one game, but over the season, Hebert has been more than holding his own.
As of this week, he is rated 7th in the NFL, and has had a much better 2nd half
season than the first half was.  This is NOT an inept QB.

>>>But maybe the Aints will make some progress and maybe win a playoff game.
>
>>Oh brother......how generous you are.
>>(Please Lord, Candlestick ONE MORE TIME.....)
>
>Well, here we agree.  From the current look of things, the Aints need only
>dust the Vikings to get chance #3 against their divisional rivals.  And
>I for one don't want to see that happen.
>
>-- 
>Michael Zimmers                                    |  Home:  408 996 1984

Now why do you not want to see that? Is it because New Orleans kicked SF all
over the Stick for 50 minutes the last time they went there (only to lose due
to switching to a soft defense- hopefully they've learned their lesson on this
one)?


Tom H.

-- 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tom Hyatt                                  For the record, I'm a pro-choice     thyat@sdf.lonestar.org                     anti-censorship, publicly schooled   Arlington, TX                              agnostic centrist who supports                                                  capital punishment, lower taxes,      Help! I'm being repressed!  -M.Python     and fiscal responsibility. So sue me.
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro