Saints @ 49ers: Game Predictions

1. 49ers will score first and have more points at halftime
2. Jimmy Graham will score 2+ TDs
3. Frank Gore rushes for less than 100 yards but scores a TD

1) Saints have more rushing yards than Niners
2) Saints have even or negative TO differential but also intercept Alex Smith at least once
3) Niners convert no more than 1/3 of their 3rd downs

1. Justin Smith forces/causes a safety.
2. Alex Smith is responsible for at least 3 turnovers.
3. Aldon Smith is responsible for at least 1 turnover (forces a fumble, gets an INT, etc.)

1) Brees throws for two TD’s over 300 yards and is picked once or fumbles once.
2) Sproles has a rushing TD and averages over 5.5 yards per touch (catch or rush).
3) Saints secondary forces two turnovers.

1. Saints will gasp, much to the 9’ers disbelieve, win the turnover battle.
2. Drew will not throw a INT and will throw for at least 350 yards and 4 TDs
3. The Saints running game will shred the 49’ers D for at least 150 yards.

Bonus we will here the Saints can’t play outside up until we go ahead by 21 points.

1. Saints D finish with more sacks than the Niners D. (BOLD!)

2. Drew Brees finishes with LESS THAN 280 passing yards. (BOuLDER!)

3. Saints finish with more rushing yards than the Niners. (BOLDEST!)

1. Jimmy Graham is not shut down by Willis, scores at least 1 TD/sick dunk.
2. Brees throws for over 300 yards, no INTs
3. Sproles has over 100 all-purpose yards

1. Brees throws at least 1 pick and the team commits at least 2 turnovers.
2. SF does not turn the ball over.
3. Alex Smith finishes with a higher completion percentage than Drew Brees.

Let’s just get this over with and move on win or lose. People have been sucking the enjoyment out of football all week long.

1. Jimmy Graham gets 100+ yards
2. Frank Gore held under 80 yards
3. Saints score one rushing td

1. Saints win turnover battle.
2. Brees throws for less than 300
3. Saints out rush Niners

1. By 5 minutes into the 4th qtr, 9er fans will be leaving the stadium faster than the Falcan’ts left the Ga. Dome in last years play off game. 2. Jimmy Graham will have 90 + receiving yards. 3. Sproles will return a punt or kick off to the house

1. Brees throws 3 or less TD’s
2. Saints rush for over 100 yds
3. Saints win turnover battle

1. Saints trail at halftime.
2. Saints D holds SF running game to no more than 90 yards.
3. Saints running backs account for at least two TD’s.

1) Niners dont score a TD
2) Niners try a special team trick and fail (no 1st down or no possession as a result)
3) Saints out run the Niners

1.Saints have 2 rushing TD’s
2.Saints defense has 3 sacks
3.Graham has 8 catches

bonus-GB gets beat by NYG and we have the NFCCG in the dome

to predict catastrophe.. yet again..
(which will de facto guarantee victory..)

we looking at you, fellas.. do not disappoint us..

saints dismantle no-ners.. and hangs 49 on their asses just for the poetical symmetry of it..

1. At least twice as many passing attempts than rushing attempts for the Saints.
2. At least two converted FGs for David Akers.
3. At least two sacks and/or a defensive score (safeties included) for Aldon Smith.

Bonus: Saints fall to 0-5 in playoff games played on the road (SB XLIV excluded) and 0-3 in playoff games played west of the Mississippi River.

Well since you guys were so looking forward to jeff picking against us, hopefully you’ll like mine too.

Saints 27, 49ers 34
1) Drew has as many or more sacks+INTs as TDs, throws at least one pick 6 primarily because a receiver slips on the crappy surface.
2) At least one significant injury on BOTH teams from a player who came into the game healthy (i.e. did not spend any time on the injury report in the last three weeks). At least one of these injuries can be directly attributed to the crappy surface or the winds in some fashion (player slips while trying to cut and gets hit at a bad angle, player loses a fair catch to a gust of wind and gets injured in the dogpile going for the muff, something along those lines).
3) Saints drop at least as many INTs as San Fran catches, and win the statistical battle ONLY in total rushing yards given up (not even TOP).

Bonus: NY beats GB and the handwringing about losing our shot at a home NFCCG is immense…

Oh and as usual I desperately want to be wrong. But I am nervous or I wouldn’t be posting predictions at all. And I would love a blowout in our favor. I want that more than any other potential outcome.

But if we can’t have that, what I want second most is for Drew to pull out a last-second victory, thereby putting a stake through the heart of every 49er fan on the planet so they can finally truly understand exactly how we felt every bloody year back in the 80s and early 90s.

1. Drew does not turn the ball over.
2. Saints D has at least 3 sacks.
3. Sproles has over 125 all-purpose yards despite SF’s defense being focused on containing him.

Bonus: Saints defense is the difference maker in this game holding SF to 25% in red zone efficiency or less.

Saints rush for more yards than SF
Niners attempt at least 4 FGs and miss at least 1
Saints get at least twice as many TDs as 49ers do

1) Saints and 49ers commit the same # of turnovers
2) Sproles has the largest combined number of yards from scrimmage (not counting returns)
3) Saints running games breaks 120 yds

Saints 31 San Fran 28
1. Brees passes for at least 350 yards.
2. The Saints never turn the ball over.
3. Sproles has a 90 plus yards TD.

1. Saints Defense holds niners to less than 300 yards of offense
2. Saints Defense record 2 or more sacks
3. Saints Defense forces 1 or more turnovers

Bonus: In a post game interview a Saints player gets on camera and says how the defense was overlooked and or disrespected.

1.The game will go to OT
2.Sproles has more catches than rushing attempts
3.Brees throws for more than 350 yds and 2+tds

1) Brees throws for 300+ yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs (unless there’s a batted INT.)
2) Sproles has 200+ All- Purpose yards, with a big day on Special Teams.
3) 49ers have more FGs than TDs.

And by the way, just so everybody knows, I am still so sick of all the years the 49ers beat our Saints, I am so fired up for this game and I hope our Saints blow those 49ers out on this one too!!!

1. Saints have more than 30:00 in Time of possession.
2. Saints get 2 turnovers and two sacks.
3. Drew Brees has 40 pass attempts as PT and DS dice and slap chop the 49ers defense
with a “running” game that consists of many short receptions-

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a Fifty-burger.

1. Drew passes for over 425 yds.
2. The Saints defense gets an interception (shocking, I know!)
3. Pierre and Graham combine for over 200 total yds of offense

Bonus: Statisticians on the left coasts heads implode after the game.

1. Alex Smith throws for over 250 yards but at least one pick
2. Frank Gore held under 100 yards rushing
3. Devery Henderson has a touchdown receptions of over 30 yards

1. No 49er’s recievers over 100 yards
2. 2 or more Saints recievers over 100 yards
3. Saints D gets 2 or more turnovers

1) Graham is Saints leading receiver
2) Drew Brees continues streak of games with a TD
3) 49ers D has more sacks than Saints D

Bonus: This will be a close game that comes down to 4th quarter; 49ers have a chance to tie the game and send it to OT, but Saints D comes up with big play/stop to end their drive. Saints win, but alas I have had too many beers and my fingernails are bitten down to the quick.

1. Brees is rattled and beaten up a lot throws at least 2 picks
2. Niners have at least 3 sacks
3. Darren Sproles is contained to less than 80 yards (running and receiving only—excluding special teams yards)

1) Colston leads all Saints receivers with 100+ yards

2) Drew throws 1+ INT, less than 300 yards, 2 passing TDs

3) Saints D has 1+ turnover

Bonus: Saints lose the toss!

The Trio (Tusk, PT, and Sproles) combine for more than 200 yds rushing
Brees has 2 TDs, but less than 300 yds passing
Saints hold Alex Smith to less than 200 yards passing

Saints 31 to 49ers 12
1st) Brees will throw for at least 300 yards
2nd) saints will have more rushing yards than the 49ers
3rd) 49ers will not score a touchdown all field goals.

(bouns) saints will have atleast 2 recoveries interceptions or fumbles more than the 49ers.

Also NY will beat greenbay sending NY back to the Superdome for final game. Whodat.

Gore fumbles twice
Meechum=2 TDs
Henderson=1 TD
Sproles=1 run back for TD (ko or punt)
Saints win by 10 or more

Saints 39 vs 49ers 24

1. Saints will sack 49ers quarterback twice.
2. 49ers will score first with a field goal
3. Brees passes over 300 yards.

1. Brees runs for a first down
2. Total of at least 6 sacks in the game.
3. Colston leads all receivers in yardage (Saints & 49ers.)

1. Saints trail in 4th quarter
2. Colston over 100 yards receiving
3. Saints rush for at least 120 yards

In right around 24 hours, we’ll all be debating or chances in the NFC Championship game.

1. Martez Wilson continues his frantic speed rush and gets Alex Smith 2 times.
2. Darren Sproles has more total yards than Alex Smith has passing yards.
3. Saints hold Frank Gore under 60 yards rushing.

1. Saints 3rd down conversion % is at least 2 times higher than the Niners 3rd down conversion %.
2. Sproles has over 100 yards from scrimmage.
3. PT and Tusk have more rushing yardage than Gore and Hunter.

1) Saints get one defensive or special teams TD.
2) Brees throws for at least 3 TDs, and throws 2 picks or fewer.
3) Gore does not score a TD.

1) SAINTS rush for more yards than 49ers
2) Payton goes for it on at least one 4th down
3) Alex Smith commits at least two turnovers

1.Brees over 300 passing yds.
2.A Saint WR has a TD catch of 30 + yds.
3.Saints D gets at least 1 TO, and at least 3 sacks.

1) BREEEEESSSSS!!!!! Throws for 300+ yards
2) Saints hold Niners to 270 yards on offense
3) Niners score touchdowns on 40% or fewer of their red zone trips

1.Niners win TO differential
2. Aldon Smith sacks Brees at least once
3. Saints D does not sack Alex Smith once.

1. Saints D or special teams gets a score (not a field goal)
2. Gilmore catches a pass
3. Vernon Davis scores for San Fran

1. Saints running backs have more total yards (rushing + receiving) than the Niners running backs do.
2. Two different Saints running backs score a rushing touchdown.
3. Saints win or tie the turnover battle.

Anti-bonus: The one touchdown the Saints give up is a pass by Alex Smith to the receiver that should have been covered by HWSNBN 2.0. :-( Please PRob… I want to be wrong on this one. I honestly do.

1. Pierre, Ivory, Sproles, Colston, Graham, Devery and Meachem all have at least 1 TD.
2. Gore has 90 yards or less rushing and is stopped at the line and or stopped behind the line at least 5 times.
3. Saints defense gets at least 4 turnovers.
Lagniappe: The 49’ers come into the game knowing that they’ll win this game with their defense. It turns out that they play their worst defensive game of the season by far. The Saints outplay them both offensively and defensively. The beautiful outdoor weather along with the feel and nice smell of the grass worked out perfectly for the Saints.

1) David Akers ties playoff record with 5 made FGs.
2) Alex Smith scores lone SF TD on QB sneak.
3) Andy Lee punts at least 6 times.

Every day I’m shufflin’ (with JND).

1. 49ers win on a field goal with under a minute left
2. Brees has 300+ yards, but also throws 2 picks
3. 49ers gain over 400 yards on offense

1. Saints D gets 2+ takeaways
2. Brees 3+ TDs
3. Saints rush for 120+

1. our defense gives up fewer ypc than theirs
2. we go for it on 4th and ?. we convert both
3. we win the take a way battle

bonus = the niner fans come back here showing stats to say we didnt really win regardless of the score

1. Saints trail in the 4th only to have Breesus take the last drive to the house FTW.
2. Drew is thrown off his game and gives up at least one int
3. Saints red zone D limits the effect of Brees being thrown off his game and the 49ers only score 1 TD.

1/Colsten, Graham, Sproles, Thomas, Ivory score

2/Smith intercepted once, fumbles once

3/Only one Morestead kick is returned all game.

Saints rushing team gets over 100 yards.
Darren Sproles breaks a long punt return in the second half to break a close game open.
Alex Smith cracks under the pressure in 4th qtr, throws a Pick-6 to Greer/Porter/PRob.