From the end of the Monday night game to the resumption of game day on Sunday, there are only five days of adjustment time. The cycle and rhythm are completely different. This is also an important reason why professional players have repeatedly complained about night games——
After all, all the benefits and effects that can be gained from the high attention of night games belong to the league and the team, but the players themselves can only get bubble-like attention, and that's all. As for those players who become well-known through the night game stage and go on to win sponsorship contracts, after all, they are rare.
But for the San Francisco 49ers, the players didn't care.
After winning ten consecutive victories, the entire team is now at the peak of confidence. The just-concluded Monday night game has set off the focus of discussion: Even facing the Chicago Bears, the second-ranked defense in the league, the San Francisco 49ers Still sweeping the victory with a big score, how could it not be exciting?
Now, both inside and outside the league have listed the San Francisco 49ers as the number one favorite for this year's Super Bowl!
Although starting from the second week of the regular season, the top spot in the league's official strength rankings has never been left behind, and the San Francisco 49ers have won the championship for nine consecutive weeks; but the favorite to win the Super Bowl is still another matter after all. From the low profile to the controversy in the preseason, to the rise in the regular season, now the team has finally received top-down recognition, which is of great significance.
It’s different for the coaching staff, for the front office, for the players.
After the rest day, the players returned to the training ground one after another. Everyone's face was filled with joy, even Crabtree was no exception.
While warming up, they were chatting. They were busy discussing the praises on social network platforms, sharing their romantic encounters during their short rest days, being curious about the colorful world of Lu Ke’s recording of talk shows, and complaining about the visits between teammates. Interesting things that happened when I returned home... The whole recovery training seemed to be enjoyable.
Even if it only takes five days to adjust, so what? The team is still in the best condition. Everyone seems to have forgotten the ups and downs of the wide receivers and the ups and downs of the defensive team. They just simply believe that they will still be able to win this game. victory.
Even if the opponent is the New Orleans Saints.
Speaking of the New Orleans Saints, they are already an old rival. In the first game of last season’s preseason, the San Francisco 49ers’ opponent was the New Orleans Saints. In that game, the newly overthrown and rebuilt San Francisco 49ers performed poorly. The offense led by Lin Kaepernick couldn't even score a touchdown. The entire offense struggled and eventually lost the game by a big score.
Then, the two teams met in the divisional round of the second round of the playoffs. This game was voted the most exciting game of the 2011 season by both media reporters and fans.
The offensive teams of the two teams started a battle, and the performances of the two quarterbacks were evenly matched. They faced off from the first minute of the game to the last moment, especially in the last five minutes of the game. Known as the pinnacle showdown, every appearance of the offensive team can bring surprises, which lasts until the moment the full-time whistle sounds.
Undoubtedly, there are no losers in this game.
Although the New Orleans Saints unfortunately lost the game and watched the San Francisco 49ers advance to the NFC Finals, Drew Brees still proved that he is one of the top elite quarterbacks in the league today, and New Orleans The Saints could also leave Candlestick Stadium with their heads held high, without any embarrassment or embarrassment.
Generally speaking, after entering the 2012 season, the New Orleans Saints are still one of the favorite teams to win the championship. This has become a habit: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew -The team led by Brees seems to be a favorite in the playoffs and Super Bowl every year. As long as they are still in the team, no one can underestimate this team.
But the "bounty gate" that broke out during the offseason has become the biggest variable.
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was suspended for one year, defensive coach Craig Williams was banned for life, and a series of defensive players were suspended for varying lengths of time. The players involved There were as many as twenty-seven people.
Everyone on the team suffered a serious blow. The 53-man roster suddenly became fragmented and precarious, and it was even impossible to organize a complete defensive team; the offensive team and special teams also suffered varying degrees of blows. The mental outlook and preparation rhythm have been affected.
During the offseason, the Saints, who were severely short of personnel, had to start recruiting on a large scale. However, restricted by the salary cap, they could only find needles in the haystack in the free agent market and the undrafted rookie market. The training camp had enough players at its peak. More than forty non-staff members came for trial training, ranking first among the thirty-two teams.
The New Orleans Saints, who have always maintained a low profile and humility, stumbled and bumped into a roster of fifty-three players, but no one could easily make an accurate judgment on the strength of this team.
On the one hand, after Sean Payton was suspended, team manager Mickey Loomis did not hire another interim head coach. Instead, he hired linebackers coach Joe Vitt. ) and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer joined forces as interim coaches to spend the year.
This is equivalent to the cruise ship losing its captain and the first mate temporarily taking over. No one can predict the impact.
On the other hand, Drew Brees is still the unshakable rock of the team. Under his leadership, how much strength and power can an offensive group with a relatively complete lineup of players be able to exert, especially in a situation of mourning? This is also an unknown factor, but no one can underestimate Brees' presence.
Although Brees is not as perverted as Manning, he is still a walking playbook.
Because of this, before the start of the regular season, industry insiders believe that the New Orleans Saints may become a time bomb in the new season. Even the team itself cannot predict when it will explode and which team will suffer. .
If it goes well, they will still be a strong enemy in the National League; even if it doesn't go well, the offensive team led by Brees will definitely not be bullied by everyone.
After the start of the new season, this Saints team also proved everyone's suspicions.
It started with four consecutive losses, losing to the Washington Redskins led by Robert Griffin III, the biggest gimmick in this year's draft, the Carolina Panthers, the rival in the same division, and the Kansas Chiefs led by Alex Smith in overtime. And... Green Bay Packers.
It is worth mentioning that all the losses in the four games were within one touchdown, especially the loss to the Green Bay Packers. The final score was "27:28", a one-point difference.
Then they rebounded strongly, defeating the San Diego Lightning and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in succession, gaining two consecutive victories. Both games were won by a touchdown.
The following week, they lost a big score to the Denver Broncos led by Peyton Manning, but what followed was a three-game winning streak, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders. The most exciting game was undoubtedly the home team's narrow advantage of "31:27", which broke the season unbeaten streak of the rival Falcons in the same division, triggering exclamations across the league.
But, this is the New Orleans Saints, this is Drew Brees.
Just when everyone thought they might sink, they stood up again unyieldingly and once again showed their strong ability to fight. Currently, they have five wins and five losses this season, still ranking second in the National League South. Second only to the unparalleled Atlanta Falcons, the hope of the playoffs has not been extinguished.
After winning three consecutive victories, the next three weeks of the New Orleans Saints' final record will be the most important matchup of the season: first against the San Francisco 49ers at home, and then consecutive away games against the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants.
These three games will be a turning point. If they can win two of them, or even more, the Saints will return to the forefront of the playoffs; otherwise, they may end the 2012 season early.
The game against the San Francisco 49ers took place under such a background. Firstly, it was the confidence point of three consecutive victories. Secondly, it was an important turning point in the playoffs. Thirdly, this was the only home game in the next three games. In short, with the right time, right place, and right people, it is obvious that the New Orleans Saints are determined to win this game.
Of course, as the other side of the game, the San Francisco 49ers definitely do not lack motivation for the game.
It's not just about chasing 11 consecutive wins; there's also a bad debt from last season that hasn't been settled in time.
After the "Bounty Gate" broke out, many people were actually questioning the professional ethics of the Saints. Whether they also used killing tactics in the two playoff games became a hot topic. The Saints faced the Detroit Lions. Did the defense team of Matthew Stafford and San Francisco 49ers' Lu Ke also adopt inappropriate and unfair bad game tactics? Without the potential impact of Bounty Gate, wouldn't the San Francisco 49ers have sadly lost in the NFC Finals?
This is just a suspicious conjecture that cannot be confirmed or investigated, but it takes root, sprouts, and thrives like a seed.
Facing the New Orleans Saints again this time, the San Francisco 49ers were holding their breath inside and out, hoping to vent their hardships and frustrations after the divisional games with a hearty victory.
Therefore, when the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints meet again, there is no need to consider rankings or measure strength. A spark-filled offensive battle is destined to break out between them. Who can have the last laugh? , completely unpredictable, the team that performs better on the spot will be the one standing to the end!
What's more, is anyone willing to miss the "Lu Ke VS Brees" showdown?
