New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks Playoff Thread (1 Viewer)

[Doug B]

Good thing is the mindset of the Seahawks and their mantra the entire year has helped to eliminate overconfidence.

The Seahawks, collectively, are human. Eliminating overconfidence is not always perfectly accomplished. We'll see.

EDIT: besides, your response doesn't (and couldn't have) account for general sports unpredictability.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Good thing is the mindset of the Seahawks and their mantra the entire year has helped to eliminate overconfidence.

The Seahawks, collectively, are human. Eliminating overconfidence is not always perfectly accomplished. We'll see.

EDIT: besides, your law doesn't (and couldn't have) account for general sports unpredictability.

I have never seen a team as intense as this Seahawk team. I don't think they will be overconfident.

On the flip side you could argue the Saints will lack confidence due to the last game causing them to crumble and lose.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Great. What stats are you looking at?

Wins? At home. Shouldn't that be a key statistic when discussing who has the biggest advantage when playing in their own house?

Nope. Point differential between road and home games are the best indicator of HFA. Read the article below. #######

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/10170641/bill-barnwell-best-home-field-advantages

 

[Doug B]

It's not necessarily overconfidence that's the problem, anyway. The weight of expectations can also be a negative.

A Seattle loss, IMHO, is potentially more hurtful to Seattle players than the same for the Saints and their players. A Saints loss this weekend is "supposed to happen."

 

[Doug B]

I have never seen a team as intense as this Seahawk team.

I have. Here's the gold standard.

 

[ImTheScientist]

It's not necessarily overconfidence that's the problem, anyway. The weight of expectations can also be a negative.

A Seattle loss, IMHO, is potentially more hurtful to Seattle players than the same for the Saints and their players. A Saints loss this weekend is "supposed to happen."

They have had expectations since day one this year. Not buying what you are trying to sell.

I also disagree a Seattle loss is more hurtful. Loss is a loss and equally hurtful. Both teams have had expectations this year. Plenty of people before the first game were picking the Saints. Any of the teams left have the same goal and expectation.

 

[Gadabout]

Great. What stats are you looking at?

Wins? At home. Shouldn't that be a key statistic when discussing who has the biggest advantage when playing in their own house?

Nope. Point differential between road and home games are the best indicator of HFA. Read the article below. #######

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/10170641/bill-barnwell-best-home-field-advantages

Now I feel like that guy in those AT&T commercials with the little kids:

What would you rather have, more wins, or less wins?

 

[Doug B]

I also disagree a Seattle loss is more hurtful. Loss is a loss and equally hurtful. Both teams have had expectations this year. Plenty of people before the first game were picking the Saints. Any of the teams left have the same goal and expectation.

Disagree as well. No way that a loss here for Seattle would feel exactly the same as, say, an early-season loss. I'll never see it that way. Not all games are created equal. They're not, and you'll get little to no agreement on that idea if you shop it around.

And I didn't mean the weight of expectations from the beginning of the season. I mean the right-here-right-now expectations. In the moment.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Great. What stats are you looking at?

Wins? At home. Shouldn't that be a key statistic when discussing who has the biggest advantage when playing in their own house?

Nope. Point differential between road and home games are the best indicator of HFA. Read the article below. #######

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/10170641/bill-barnwell-best-home-field-advantages

Now I feel like that guy in those AT&T commercials with the little kids:

What would you rather have, more wins, or less wins?

The discussion is HFA and not more wins/less wins. There is a difference. How does a team play at home versus the road. Its illustrated clearly in that article.

 

[Gadabout]

Great. What stats are you looking at?

Wins? At home. Shouldn't that be a key statistic when discussing who has the biggest advantage when playing in their own house?

Nope. Point differential between road and home games are the best indicator of HFA. Read the article below. #######

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/10170641/bill-barnwell-best-home-field-advantages

Now I feel like that guy in those AT&T commercials with the little kids:

What would you rather have, more wins, or less wins?

The discussion is HFA and not more wins/less wins. There is a difference. How does a team play at home versus the road. Its illustrated clearly in that article.

Oh okay. It's only an advantage if you play better at home, not win at home.

 

[seahawk 17]

Both statements are true. NO has a better record at home. Seattle has a better HFA. Here is the definition of HFA and has nothing to do with records.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_advantage

I would bet my house that a majority of teams would rather play in NO than Seattle.

 

[Gadabout]

Both statements are true. NO has a better record at home. Seattle has a better HFA. Here is the definition of HFA and has nothing to do with records.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_advantage

I would bet my house that a majority of teams would rather play in NO than Seattle.

Pretty good article there, especially when they defined the term:

In team sports, the term home advantage (also called home field/court/ice advantage) describes the advantage that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans.

I guess the Saints' advantage is that they win a lot.

 

[Breesisdaman]

That is utter crap, and you know it.

I think Breesisdaman is mostly right here. Not that I took a head count or anything, but I think the national-media consensus in the 2009 playoffs was about 50-50 for the NFC title game. For Super Bowl XLIV, though, ISTM that 4 out of 5 talking heads favored the Colts. Prognosticators picking the Saints could be found, but the Colts had numbers.

For what all that is worth this weekend.

Saints fans will tell you that the team seems to play a lot better when counted out ... and that they also play down when strongly favored by the media.

That's fine, but just don't feed us this nonsense about every single person in the media picking against the Saints in '09 when that clearly wasn't the case. That kind of "wahhhh, no one respects us and gives us a chance" bull #### line means nothing, and won't have anything to do with how the Saints play on Sunday.

Ghost Rider if you take every figure of speech literally, I mean come on. I don't mean every single possible person picked the Vikings or Colts. Just a majority in fact we all know that the NFL wanted its golden boy Brett Favre and Peyton Manning to square off in an epic battle and the Saints ruined it for them. Personally I think a lot of the bad blood that came the Saints way was because of that. Goodell was on the Vikings Sideline and his wife is a Vikings fan. But I digress, Lets stay to the topic at hand and this match between the Saints and the Seahawks and not square off over every minor detail of everything I write. Do you or do you not agree that the Saints should feel the revenge factor for this game? and if so how powerful do you think those emotions can be? That is where I wanted to take the conversation and not quable over the other stuff.

 

[SWC]

i just still remember matt hasselback saying we are going to take the ball and we are going to win and then immediately throwing a pick six to al harris and not winning but instead losing that was some good confidence and intensity right there and it blew up in his face like it was a microwaved egg for about ten minutes take that to the bank brohans

 

[Breesisdaman]

i just still remember matt hasselback saying we are going to take the ball and we are going to win and then immediately throwing a pick six to al harris and not winning but instead losing that was some good confidence and intensity right there and it blew up in his face like it was a microwaved egg for about ten minutes take that to the bank brohans

It was the revenge factor that had a big role in that 2011 playoff game against the Seahawks only it was reversed then. The Saints had destroyed them in the Dome. The Seahawks were a conference Champion with a historically bad record, it was worse than the Wild Card teams records yet there they were hosting the game and no one was giving them a chance to win it. (Ghost rider- I mean most everybody) What happened? They got their revenge on the Saints and that Epic Lynch run will be in highlight history.

 

[cacksman]

i just still remember matt hasselback saying we are going to take the ball and we are going to win and then immediately throwing a pick six to al harris and not winning but instead losing that was some good confidence and intensity right there and it blew up in his face like it was a microwaved egg for about ten minutes take that to the bank brohans

 

[ImTheScientist]

i just still remember matt hasselback saying we are going to take the ball and we are going to win and then immediately throwing a pick six to al harris and not winning but instead losing that was some good confidence and intensity right there and it blew up in his face like it was a microwaved egg for about ten minutes take that to the bank brohans

It was the revenge factor that had a big role in that 2011 playoff game against the Seahawks only it was reversed then. The Saints had destroyed them in the Dome. The Seahawks were a conference Champion with a historically bad record, it was worse than the Wild Card teams records yet there they were hosting the game and no one was giving them a chance to win it. (Ghost rider- I mean most everybody) What happened? They got their revenge on the Saints and that Epic Lynch run will be in highlight history.

Hawks are still upset about the game in the dome. My sources say they want revenge in this game and its their sole motivation.

 

[SWC]

i just still remember matt hasselback saying we are going to take the ball and we are going to win and then immediately throwing a pick six to al harris and not winning but instead losing that was some good confidence and intensity right there and it blew up in his face like it was a microwaved egg for about ten minutes take that to the bank brohans

It was the revenge factor that had a big role in that 2011 playoff game against the Seahawks only it was reversed then. The Saints had destroyed them in the Dome. The Seahawks were a conference Champion with a historically bad record, it was worse than the Wild Card teams records yet there they were hosting the game and no one was giving them a chance to win it. (Ghost rider- I mean most everybody) What happened? They got their revenge on the Saints and that Epic Lynch run will be in highlight history.

brohan what i am talking about happened against the packers sorry if i got you all confused on that one i have been watching football for a long time i guess

 

[seahawk 17]

i just still remember matt hasselback saying we are going to take the ball and we are going to win and then immediately throwing a pick six to al harris and not winning but instead losing that was some good confidence and intensity right there and it blew up in his face like it was a microwaved egg for about ten minutes take that to the bank brohans

That was Alex Bannister's fault....left his teammate hanging.

 

[cacksman]

This game is even less fun discussing than the 12/2 game, when every statistic was pointing to a Seattle victory. Now we have a 34-7 neutering since then? Thank goodness the game is being played on Saturday so we have one less day to wait for some football.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

We having fun yet?

 

[mad sweeney]

i just still remember matt hasselback saying we are going to take the ball and we are going to win and then immediately throwing a pick six to al harris and not winning but instead losing that was some good confidence and intensity right there and it blew up in his face like it was a microwaved egg for about ten minutes take that to the bank brohans

It was the revenge factor that had a big role in that 2011 playoff game against the Seahawks only it was reversed then. The Saints had destroyed them in the Dome. The Seahawks were a conference Champion with a historically bad record, it was worse than the Wild Card teams records yet there they were hosting the game and no one was giving them a chance to win it. (Ghost rider- I mean most everybody) What happened? They got their revenge on the Saints and that Epic Lynch run will be in highlight history.

Division, conference, what's the difference...

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I'm not sure I believe the "revenge factor" has much to do in sports outside of maybe long-standing or fierce rivalries. Even then the connection is tenuous IMO, and probably even less so in professional sports. This is their job, they aren't fans looking for internet payback.

 

[Doug B]

I'm not sure I believe the "revenge factor" has much to do in sports outside of maybe long-standing or fierce rivalries. Even then the connection is tenuous IMO, and probably even less so in professional sports. This is their job, they aren't fans looking for internet payback.

You know how it's often said that pro sports shouldn't be compared to "regular" jobs? I think this is one of those times, too, where the comparison falls flat.

While, yes, football is their profession, there's something about physical competition that brings emotion to the fore. I don't think the players on the field care about any fan rivalries ... that, I buy totally. But I do think players take personal umbrage at things that happen on the field, especially when events are very recent and pretty much every player involved is the same.

There's no way the Saints walked off the field after MNF December 2nd and didn't feel some prideful stings. And while at the time, yes, the Saints had to lay all that aside quickly and get ready to host Carolina ... that's not the same as "forgetting".

 

[Gadabout]

This game is even less fun discussing than the 12/2 game, when every statistic was pointing to a Seattle victory. Now we have a 34-7 neutering since then? Thank goodness the game is being played on Saturday so we have one less day to wait for some football.

Ain't much to really say. Odds are once again stacked against the Saints going to the third most difficult venue to win at in the league.

 

[ScottyDog]

7-9 Seahawks beat an 11-5 NO. I would say that is a huge showing of home field advantage. Now imagine an 11-5 Hawks team going to a 7-9 Saints team. Hawks would win at NO 70% of the time. Hawks have the best HFA hands down.

 

[ScottyDog]

Gadubut is on a fishing trip.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Colston said this is exactly the team they wanted after the eagles win.

Sign of disrespect. Hawks are using that along with the fact that 6 seeds have come in and beat 1 seeds as motivation this week.

DEAD.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I'm not sure I believe the "revenge factor" has much to do in sports outside of maybe long-standing or fierce rivalries. Even then the connection is tenuous IMO, and probably even less so in professional sports. This is their job, they aren't fans looking for internet payback.

You know how it's often said that pro sports shouldn't be compared to "regular" jobs? I think this is one of those times, too, where the comparison falls flat.

These guys don't even know who they are playing the next week until they are told by their coaches after their Sunday game. In the playoffs it's likely less of a job, but it's more of a job than fans want to think it is. They have routine, they have meetings and schedules, they only are thinking about one week at a time, and they are living their lives away from the game. Professional athletes are not consumed by the game they play, very few anyway, and they go home every night to their homes and they watch Pawn Stars or pr0n stars like the rest of us.

The Saints IMO are more worried about learning from what they did wrong in early December than about some kind of vendetta. I just don't buy it.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Gadubut is on a fishing trip.

He's trying but he's being too obvious. Even a blind guy knows the sky is blue.

If you are going to troll you have to include fact into your troll or you don't catch anything.

 

[mad sweeney]

Colston said this is exactly the team they wanted after the eagles win.

Sign of disrespect. Hawks are using that along with the fact that 6 seeds have come in and beat 1 seeds as motivation this week.

DEAD.

How is that disrespect?

 

[ImTheScientist]

I'm not sure I believe the "revenge factor" has much to do in sports outside of maybe long-standing or fierce rivalries. Even then the connection is tenuous IMO, and probably even less so in professional sports. This is their job, they aren't fans looking for internet payback.

You know how it's often said that pro sports shouldn't be compared to "regular" jobs? I think this is one of those times, too, where the comparison falls flat.

These guys don't even know who they are playing the next week until they are told by their coaches after their Sunday game. In the playoffs it's likely less of a job, but it's more of a job than fans want to think it is. They have routine, they have meetings and schedules, they only are thinking about one week at a time, and they are living their lives away from the game. Professional athletes are not consumed by the game they play, very few anyway, and they go home every night to their homes and they watch Pawn Stars or pr0n stars like the rest of us.

The Saints IMO are more worried about learning from what they did wrong in early December than about some kind of vendetta. I just don't buy it.

Unless you are a Saints fan. Then to ease your concerns about the game you talk about "revenge" and "emotion".

 

[ImTheScientist]

Colston said this is exactly the team they wanted after the eagles win.

Sign of disrespect. Hawks are using that along with the fact that 6 seeds have come in and beat 1 seeds as motivation this week.

DEAD.

How is that disrespect?

It was merely a poor Breesisdaman impersonation.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Saints placed OLB Parys Haralson on injured reserve with a torn pectoral, ending his season.
Haralson suffered the injury in Saturday's Wild Card win over the Eagles. He'd been setting the edge as a run-stuffing outside linebacker in the Saints' 3-4 defense. The Saints promoted sixth-round rookie OLB Rufus Johnson from the practice squad in a corresponding move. Will Herring will likely bookend Junior Galette at outside 'backer this weekend.

Seeing Will Herring and David Hawthorne out there on Saturday REALLY excites me.

 

[Doug B]

Thought the house would enjoy these current pics of the Saints' practice fields this week. Yes, these are legit pics of the Saints' fields:

Outside practice fields

Indoor practice facility

...

For the sake of something else to talk about: I know it's been a while now, but do some Seahawks fans miss the old uniforms/logos? Or at least the old color scheme (one fan's imagining)? Thought the '80s Seahawks were sharp with the silver, blue, and kelly green.

 

[ScottyDog]

Thought the house would enjoy these current pics of the Saints' practice fields this week. Yes, these are legit pics of the Saints' fields:

Outside practice fields

Indoor practice facility

...

For the sake of something else to talk about: I know it's been a while now, but do some Seahawks fans miss the old uniforms/logos? Or at least the old color scheme (one fan's imagining)? Thought the '80s Seahawks were sharp with the silver, blue, and kelly green.

Did they put 34-7 up on the score board also?

 

[Statorama]

Now I feel like that guy in those AT&T commercials with the little kids:

What would you rather have, more wins, or less wins?

 

[mad sweeney]

Thought the house would enjoy these current pics of the Saints' practice fields this week. Yes, these are legit pics of the Saints' fields:

Outside practice fields

Indoor practice facility

...

For the sake of something else to talk about: I know it's been a while now, but do some Seahawks fans miss the old uniforms/logos? Or at least the old color scheme (one fan's imagining)? Thought the '80s Seahawks were sharp with the silver, blue, and kelly green.

I've been waiting for a throwback day forever. Had a couple of opportunities vs Tampa where both could've done it.

 

[Henry Ford]

Sucks that we couldn't handle our business on the road this year.

One thing I was very wrong about this season:

I had originally thought the Saints' losses at NE and at NY didn't matter because they were AFC losses. Until the Seattle game, the Saints were undefeated in the NFC, and I figured that edge in NFC record would help them cruise to a first-round bye and a home divisional playoff game. Whoops.

I was stuck in that line of thinking as well. Then we started losing.

Oh well. If our season ends Saturday we will still have almost the same team going into next year, with some valuable learning lessons in tow.

And we'll still have the best HFA in the league.

You are kidding right? You have the 2nd best HFA, not the 1st.

I went ahead and fixed your post for you. Hope you didn't mind.

As long as that visor and those pursed lips are on our sideline, we have the best HFA (I'm not referring to decibel levels or false start calls, just wins).

We go to NO, we have a 50% chance of winning and we wouldn't lose by more than 7. Saints come to Seattle, they have a 20% chance of winning and losing 34-7 is pretty easy to see happening.

Care to look at Payton's record at home versus Seattle's over that same span? Here's a hint: He hasn't lost at home in two seasons. Not a whole lot before that either.

Can you find me a single article referring the Saints having the best HFA in football? I can't find one. Plenty of articles talking about the clink and the HFA of the Hawks.

There's actually an article that pops up if you type in "The Saints have the best home field advantage in the NFL" in google.

 

[Statorama]

This game is even less fun discussing than the 12/2 game, when every statistic was pointing to a Seattle victory. Now we have a 34-7 neutering since then? Thank goodness the game is being played on Saturday so we have one less day to wait for some football.

I'm glad the Saints fans in this thread have stayed above this. Also appreciate some Seattle fans turning the tool factor down and talking about the matchups. I love football, and I really enjoy those kinds of discussions. ESPECIALLY with local fans who might have more insight to their team than I would.

Why can't we just have a good clean game, injury free, that we can all just enjoy as a sporting contest?

There's just no point to this "you suck we rock" kind of nonsense. Let's rise above the painted face crowd. I'm confident we can.

 

[Henry Ford]

This game is even less fun discussing than the 12/2 game, when every statistic was pointing to a Seattle victory. Now we have a 34-7 neutering since then? Thank goodness the game is being played on Saturday so we have one less day to wait for some football.

What's the difference between the Seahawks and a book?

 

[Henry Ford]

This game is even less fun discussing than the 12/2 game, when every statistic was pointing to a Seattle victory. Now we have a 34-7 neutering since then? Thank goodness the game is being played on Saturday so we have one less day to wait for some football.

I'm glad the Saints fans in this thread have stayed above this. Also appreciate some Seattle fans turning the tool factor down and talking about the matchups. I love football, and I really enjoy those kinds of discussions. ESPECIALLY with local fans who might have more insight to their team than I would.

Why can't we just have a good clean game, injury free, that we can all just enjoy as a sporting contest?

There's just no point to this "you suck we rock" kind of nonsense. Let's rise above the painted face crowd. I'm confident we can.

Oh, go with it. It's clearly the trend.

 

[proninja]

This game is even less fun discussing than the 12/2 game, when every statistic was pointing to a Seattle victory. Now we have a 34-7 neutering since then? Thank goodness the game is being played on Saturday so we have one less day to wait for some football.

I'm glad the Saints fans in this thread have stayed above this. Also appreciate some Seattle fans turning the tool factor down and talking about the matchups. I love football, and I really enjoy those kinds of discussions. ESPECIALLY with local fans who might have more insight to their team than I would.

Why can't we just have a good clean game, injury free, that we can all just enjoy as a sporting contest?

There's just no point to this "you suck we rock" kind of nonsense. Let's rise above the painted face crowd. I'm confident we can.

This shtick is funny

 

[ScottyDog]

This game is even less fun discussing than the 12/2 game, when every statistic was pointing to a Seattle victory. Now we have a 34-7 neutering since then? Thank goodness the game is being played on Saturday so we have one less day to wait for some football.

I'm glad the Saints fans in this thread have stayed above this. Also appreciate some Seattle fans turning the tool factor down and talking about the matchups. I love football, and I really enjoy those kinds of discussions. ESPECIALLY with local fans who might have more insight to their team than I would.

Why can't we just have a good clean game, injury free, that we can all just enjoy as a sporting contest?

There's just no point to this "you suck we rock" kind of nonsense. Let's rise above the painted face crowd. I'm confident we can.

You clearly jest.

 

[Gadabout]

Gadubut is on a fishing trip.

Facts are facts. Both New Orleans and New England are tougher places for road opponents to win.

Sorry that doesn't mesh with y'all self-appointed crown.

Painted faces and how you play on the road doesn't factor into the equation.

 

[Gadabout]

Off topic:

Anybody ever tried Joe Horn's Bayou 87 cajun smoked sausage? Just bought a pound of it to use in a jambalaya later. Hopefully it doesn't suck.

 

[ScottyDog]

Gadubut is on a fishing trip.

Facts are facts. Both New Orleans and New England are tougher places for road opponents to win.

Sorry that doesn't mesh with y'all self-appointed crown.

Painted faces and how you play on the road doesn't factor into the equation.

Gadabigbutt,

You are smoking your sausage. HFA in order:

1)Seattle

2)NO

3)NE

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Gadubut is on a fishing trip.

Facts are facts. Both New Orleans and New England are tougher places for road opponents to win.

Sorry that doesn't mesh with y'all self-appointed crown.

Painted faces and how you play on the road doesn't factor into the equation.

Seattle has been a tough place to win since the Kingdome days. In 1984 they lost one damn game at home and finished 12-4, but lost the division to Denver who won in Seattle the last game of the year. That meant a wildcard, a home game to the Raiders and then to Miami where they lost. Had they beat Denver they would have gone to the Super Bowl IMO, sucked.

Patriots have been good for so long, I guess that's why they are there. Seems like they've lost a few playoff games there through the years. New Orleans has been tough for a long time. Even in down years it seems, they are a tough out in New Orleans much like Seattle is in Seattle. My perception and memory anyway.

 

[ImTheScientist]

Gadubut is on a fishing trip.

Facts are facts. Both New Orleans and New England are tougher places for road opponents to win.

Sorry that doesn't mesh with y'all self-appointed crown.

Painted faces and how you play on the road doesn't factor into the equation.

Gadabigbutt,

You are smoking your sausage. HFA in order:

1)Seattle

2)NO

3)NE

Actually the Ravens are #2. Its been statistically proven.

 

[Gadabout]

Gadabigbutt,


You are smoking your sausage.

If I was able to do that I wouldn't be on here trying to convince some Seahawks fans that 2 is actually greater than 1.