More stats
 

San Fran - leads the league in sacks allowed even though Smith is known as a mobile QB.

NO - leads the league in fewest sacks allowed. Also leads league in fewest QB hits allowed.

San Fran - offensive line allowed 90 negative yard plays.

NO - offensive line allowed 54 negative yard plays.

I think these stats could be the difference. One team usually moves forward while the other moves back.

Also, The great 49er run defense has played 5 teams in the top 20 in rushing, and played all but 1 team in the bottom 5 in rushing offense. They played one team (Eagles) ranked higher in rush yards per game. That team eclipsed 100 yards in the game.

You can throw all the stats out the window.

They don't matter in the play offs. They have NOTHING to do with anything.

Its about who shows up and who wins the game.

Yeah that Seattle game, we had many stats on them and we came out flat. I will be able to tell first drive if we are in it to win it.

When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, and the Saints wear white jersies with gold pants............

Note a big chunk of the Eagles rushing yards are Vick's scramblings. Over 25% in fact. Take Vick out of the equation and the Eagles rank in the bottom 10 rushing offenses. So, the only real rushing team the 9ers faced was the Ravens, and we know how that worked out for them. SF never have faced a dominant combo pass/run team like the Saints. Probably because few have ever existed.

I don't think you can throw the stats away just because it is the playoffs. Stats show what teams do well and what they don't. Stats help teams view game film to realize why a team is successful in certain areas. Maybe for us fans it is just message board fodder but for teams it is still part of the process.

While I respect the body of knowledge on this forum, "it's the playoffs .... you can just throw the stats away", just somehow doesn't ring true to me.

Drew Brees is a very accurate passing quarterback, who has been working with some very talented receivers for many years. These are a set of facts that cannot just be ignored. What the Saints have accomplished this year, nor what the 49ers have accomplished, cannot just be ignored.

Why throw what each team has accomplished out, just because it's the playoffs? Do the 49ers suddenly become the 2004 Patriots? Do the Saints suddenly become the Browns (pick your season)?

EXACTLY

The nfl today announced that Alex Smith has been banned from the league for life in a point shaving scandal. Commissioner Goodell commented "we've had QBs paid to throw games before, but this is the first time a QB has overthrown a game".