HansDat's Hot Reads: A Bye Week Review

It's Wednesday morning, and since we didn't have a regular game on Sunday with a fresh set of Hot Reads for me to review today, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at all the different kinds of Reads I've made thus far this season, and how they match up with the Saints wins and losses.

I can't believe there have already been 10 weeks of Hot Reads stories in the books. And that means there are only six left in the regular season, plus however many playoff games we get to enjoy.

Make the jump to take the journey with me...(and smile because we're finally on the other side of the Bye and in the stretch run counting down to the Monday Night Football showdown with the New York Giants).

Regular readers know that Protecting Drew Brees has been the permanent Primary Option all season long, and it will continue to be so until Brees is no longer on the team (perish the thought!). 

After that, here are the other Hot Reads of 2011, in order of frequency:

Running game-related Hot Reads have appeared five times.

Turnovers were the subject of a Hot Read on four separate occasions.

Some form of third-down conversions and red zone efficiency have each been featured three times.

I have focused Hot Reads on the kicking game, big plays, and pressuring the QB two times each.

There have also been nine "one-hit wonder" Hot Reads this season - keeping one's cool, playing like you mean it, penalties, defensive line play, better tackling, balanced offense, field position, Dome crowd noise, and finally, Gabbert vs. Morstead's hair.

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Next, I'd like to see how success at achieving my Hot Reads matches up with both victory and defeat for the Saints.

If you'd like to go the archives page with my Hot Reads stories listed chronologically in order to check my work, go here. 

@ Atlanta - 3.5 out of 4 success rate: WIN

TAMPA BAY - 2.5 out of 4: WIN

@ St. Louis - 0 out of 4: LOSS

INDIANAPOLIS - 3 out of 4: WIN

@ Tampa Bay - 0 out of 3: LOSS (I refused to fully score one of the Reads, so I threw it out)

@ Carolina - 2 out of 4: WIN

@ Jacksonville - 4 out of 4: WIN

HOUSTON - 2 out of 4: WIN

CHICAGO - 2 out of 4: WIN

@ Green Bay - 1 out of 3: LOSS (one Hot Read was a push)

The only pattern I see in that list is that whenever the Saints achieve success on less than two of the week's Hot Reads, they lose.

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That concludes my Bye Week Review of HansDat's Hot Reads other than to say this: I certainly have enjoyed writing this weekly feature, and writing it has definitely caused me to sharpen my observation and note-taking skills for each game, and I now have a greater appreciation for the folks who labor to provide media coverage of the games.

Now I put the question to you: Have you learned or gained anything from HansDat's Hot Reads, or has your IQ dropped just by reading them?