Chapter 928: A Rematch Against the Saints
From the end of the Monday night game to the next game day on Sunday, there were only five days to adjust. This completely different schedule was one of the main reasons why professional players often complained about night games.
After all, the high level of attention that a night game could generate belonged to the league and the team, while the players themselves only got attention that was as fleeting as bubbles. As for the few players who became well-known and got sponsorship deals from the night game, they were rare.
But for the San Francisco 49ers, the players didn't care.
After a 10-game winning streak, the whole team was at the peak of their confidence. The Monday night game that just ended was a hot topic of discussion: Even against the Chicago Bears, who had the second-best defense in the league, the 49ers still won by a large margin. How could it not be a big deal?
Now, the entire league considered the San Francisco 49ers the top contender for this year's Super Bowl!
Even though they had been at the top of the league's official power rankings for nine consecutive weeks since the second week of the regular season, being a Super Bowl contender was a different story. From their low-key off-season to the controversy in the pre-season and their rise in the regular season, the team was finally getting the recognition it deserved, which was very meaningful.
This was different for the coaching staff, the management, and the players.
After the day off, the players returned to the training field, with smiles on their faces. Even Crabtree was no exception.
While warming up, they talked about the praise on social media, shared stories about their short day off, were curious about Lu Ke's talk show, and made fun of the funny things that happened when they visited each other. The whole recovery practice was filled with joy.
Even with only five days to adjust, what did it matter? The team was still in its best shape. It seemed that everyone had forgotten about the inconsistent performance of the wide receivers and the up-and-down play of the defense. They just simply believed that they would win this game.
Even if the opponent was the New Orleans Saints.
When you mention the New Orleans Saints, they're an old rival. In the first pre-season game last season, the 49ers' opponent was the Saints. In that game, the newly rebuilt 49ers had a mediocre performance. The offense led by Colin Kaepernick couldn't even score a touchdown. The offense struggled, and they ended up losing by a large margin.
After that, the two teams met in the divisional round of the playoffs. That game was voted by both the media and fans as the most exciting game of the 2011 season.
Both teams' offenses went all out. The two quarterbacks' performances were evenly matched. The game was a standoff from the first minute to the last. The last five minutes of the game, in particular, were called a showdown. Every time an offense came on the field, it brought a surprise that lasted until the final whistle.
Without a doubt, there were no losers in this game.
Even though the New Orleans Saints lost and watched the San Francisco 49ers go to the NFC Championship Game, Drew Brees still proved that he was one of the top quarterbacks in the league. The Saints could leave Candlestick Park with their heads held high, without any embarrassment or shame.
Normally, the New Orleans Saints would still be one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. It had become a habit: The teams led by Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees seemed to be playoff favorites and Super Bowl favorites every year. As long as they were on the team, no one could underestimate that team.
But the "Bountygate" scandal that broke out in the off-season became a huge variable.
The Saints' head coach, Sean Payton, was suspended for one year. The defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, was suspended for life. A series of defensive players also received suspensions of varying lengths, with as many as 27 players involved.
The entire team was hit hard. The 53-man roster was shattered and unstable. They couldn't even put together a complete defense. The offense and special teams were also affected to varying degrees. Their morale and preparation were also impacted.
During the off-season, the Saints, who were severely short on players, had to widely recruit new players. But due to the salary cap, they could only look for players in the free agent market and the undrafted rookie market. At its peak, the training camp had more than 40 walk-ons for tryouts, the highest among the 32 teams.
The Saints, who had always been low-key and humble, managed to put together a 53-man roster, but no one could accurately predict the strength of this team.
On one hand, after Sean Payton was suspended, the team's manager, Mickey Loomis, didn't hire another temporary head coach. Instead, the linebackers coach, Joe Vitt, and the offensive line coach, Aaron Kromer, were jointly named interim coaches for the year.
This was like a cruise ship losing its captain and the first mate temporarily taking over. No one could predict how much of an impact it would have.
On the other hand, Drew Brees was still the team's unwavering rock. Under his leadership, no one knew how much power the relatively complete offense could have, especially with the team being in a grieving state. But no one could underestimate the presence of Brees.
Although Brees wasn't as crazy as Peyton Manning, he was still a walking playbook.
Because of this, before the regular season started, people in the industry thought that the New Orleans Saints might be a ticking time bomb in the new season. Even the team themselves couldn't predict when they would explode or which team would suffer.
If things went well, they would still be a strong opponent in the NFC. Even if they didn't, the offense led by Brees was not one to be messed with.
After the new season started, this Saints team proved everyone's guess.
They started with four consecutive losses, losing to the Washington Redskins led by this year's draft headliner Robert Griffin III, their divisional rival Carolina Panthers, the Kansas City Chiefs led by Alex Smith in overtime, and... the Green Bay Packers.
It's worth noting that all four losses were within one touchdown, especially the loss to the Green Bay Packers, which was a "27-28" final score, a one-point difference.
After that, they bounced back strongly, beating the San Diego Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a two-game winning streak. Both of those wins were also within one touchdown.
The following week, they lost by a large margin to the Denver Broncos led by Peyton Manning, but then they went on a three-game winning streak, beating the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, and Oakland Raiders. The most exciting game was undoubtedly the one where they beat their divisional rival, the undefeated Falcons, with a "31-27" score at home, which caused a stir in the league.
But this was the New Orleans Saints, and this was Drew Brees.
Just when everyone thought they might fall, they stood up again, showing their strength. They currently had a 5-5 record and were still in second place in the NFC South, only behind the dominant Atlanta Falcons. Their hopes for the playoffs were not extinguished.
After a three-game winning streak, the next three weeks would be the most important for the Saints' final record. They would first play the San Francisco 49ers at home, then go on the road to play the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants.
These three games would be a turning point. If they could win two or more of them, the Saints would be back in playoff contention. If not, they might have to end their 2012 season early.
The game against the San Francisco 49ers was happening against this backdrop. First, it was a moment of rising confidence after a three-game winning streak. Second, it was an important turning point for the playoffs. Third, it was the only home game in their next three games. In other words, with all the advantages on their side, the New Orleans Saints were determined to win this game.
Of course, as the other team in the game, the San Francisco 49ers were also highly motivated.
It wasn't just to get their 11th consecutive win. They still had an unsettled score from last season.
After the "Bountygate" scandal broke, many people questioned the Saints' professionalism. The use of harmful tactics in their two playoff games became a hot topic. Did the defense use inappropriate and unfair tactics against the Detroit Lions' Matthew Stafford and the San Francisco 49ers' Lu Ke? If it weren't for the potential impact of Bountygate, would the San Francisco 49ers have lost the NFC Championship Game?
This was just a suspicion that couldn't be proven or investigated, but it had taken root and grown.
This time, when they faced the New Orleans Saints again, the 49ers were full of pent-up energy, hoping to get a cathartic victory after the hardship and frustration of the divisional round.
Therefore, when the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints met again, it didn't matter what their rankings were or how strong they were. A high-scoring showdown was bound to happen. It was impossible to predict who would win. The team that played better on the day would be the one to come out on top!
What's more, who would want to miss the "Lu Ke vs. Brees" showdown?
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