From: marshall@nebula.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com (Bob Marshall)
Subject: 49ers/Saints
Reply-To: marshall@nebula.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com
Organization: LMSC, Sunnyvale, California
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 03:24:41 GMT

(Sorry if this is late or repeats other posts; we had a major network 
reconfiguration this weekend).

Whew! Man, I can't handle these kinds of games! They wear me out too much!
The 49ers got a late break with Bobby Hebert trying to do a Joe-Montana-
to-Dwight-Clark-"The-Catch"-imitation. All he proved was that he is no
Joe Montana, since Eric Davis intercepted his pass from the 12-yard line 
with 10 seconds to go. The 49ers prevailed 16-10 as a result.

It was a pretty ugly game, with some pretty ugly refereeing. Just to show
how ugly it was, the hero of the game was Mike Cofer! He went 3 for 3 on
his field goal attempts (26, 40, and 42 yards), to bring him to a
respectable 6-10 for the season. He even outkicked Morten Anderson, who
was only 1-2 (OK, Anderson does have a nagging injury). More good news on
the kicking game : Klaus Wilmsmeyer boomed a 52-yarder late in the
game when it looked like the Saints were going to get good field position.
To make it even better Odessa Turner made a great special teams play to
tackle the punt returner for no gain. Wilmsmeyer also had a touch
punt downed on the 1-yard line late in the first half. Wow!

The referees left something to be desired, though. They messed up nearly
every fumble call. The key one came on the 49ers' first drive (which 
started after the recovery of a somewhat questionable fumble). On second down
Jerry Rice caught a short pass at the five-yard line, and was hit at about 
the two-yard line. As he stretched the ball to the goal line, he lost 
control of the ball as it touched the goal line. The expected call was 
a touchdown, since the ball touched the goal line while he still had
control (i.e., "broke the plane"). The correct call was that he was down
at the 1-1/2 yard line, since his knees made contact with the ground
before he stretched the ball over the goal line. The incorrect call is
fumble, since the ground cannot cause a fumble, and in any case,
as previously stated, he was already down anyway. So, of course, the
call on the field was fumble. To compound matters, it sured looked to
me that Guy McIntyre covered the ball, but in the melee afterwards, the
Saints took it away from him. After a short huddle, the officials awarded
the ball to the Saints, incomprehensibly (at which point my wife had to
close the family room door so the kids wouldn't hear my X-rated tirade).
So instead of a TD, or at the minimum, three points, the Saints had the
ball on the 20. Given this reprieve and a big momentum boost, the Saints 
blasted down the field for a TD and a 7-0 lead.

The 49ers rebounded to take a 10-7 lead. But the Saints went on an impressive
drive from their own 1-yard line late in the first half to tie the game on
a field goal just before halftime.

The 49ers got screwed again on their first drive of the second half. Rickey
Watters lost the ball as a result of hitting the ground, but it was ruled
a fumble and another turnover. Fortunately the 49ers got a tremendous break
as Anderson missed a very makeable field goal (don't remember the distance;
something like 36 yards). On the Saints' next possession, Vaughn Dunbar had
the ball punched out of his arms before he hit the ground, and the 49ers
recovered. But the officials ruled "down by contact" (AAARGGGHHHHH!!!). But
it had little bearing, since the Saints' drive stalled anyway.

To the refs' credit : the Saints' linebackers got called for offsides
several times in the game, deservedly so (i.e., even *I* screamed
"***O-F-F-S-I-D-E-S***" as the play started). And I think they got away
with a few others, too. Also, they made a good call on the pass interference
call against Eric Davis.

The 49ers finally got a break on the fumble calls late in the fourth quarter
when they recovered an Eric Martin fumble. It was another very close call
that could only be seen with slo-mo instant replay, but in this case the
refs seemed to get it right (although I was looking at the play through
red-and-gold colored eyes :-)).

It's hard to say how much the loss of John Taylor hurt the 49ers. Jerry
Rice was held to just two catches for a measly five yards. But the Saints
were pretty tough on pass defense all the way around, so I think most of
the credit goes to them. I haven't seen the final stats, but I think
Hebert actually outpassed Steve Young. Young looked pretty out of synch
most of the game; again, credit the Saints' defense. On the other hand,
he had a good game running, something like 70 yards on the ground.

Didn't see Watters's final stats, but he was at 15 carries for 76 yards
after three quarters, plus six catches for 50 yards. Another good game.
And, although the game stats may not show it, the overall defensive
effort was good in that the defense only allowed 10 points.

So, the 49ers have a big leg up now. The Rams and Falcons seem to be
buried already, and we've beaten the Saints on the road. The worst-case
scenario (lose to the Falcons twice, plus lose to the Saints at home)
is extremely unlikely, so I'm ready to spout off and predit a division
title for the 49ers, barring an incredible streak of injuries.

Final comment : W-h-e-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w!!!!

=============================================================================
Bob Marshall                     \\     "It ain't age
Lockheed Missiles & Space Co.     \\     That makes me look this way
Sunnyvale, CA                      \\    It ain't the years, boys,
marshall@force.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com\\   It's the miles"
"I tell the truth 'cept when I lie"  \\     - Chris LeDoux
=============================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro