Chapter 590: A Familiar Pattern
In response to Charles Davis's calm analysis, Spencer Larson showed no signs of worry. "Before we get to the predictions, let's look at some stats. The San Francisco 49ers have the third-best offense in the league and the third-best defense, and their special teams, with David Akers, has the number one field goal and extra point percentage. This is a team that has risen on all fronts."
"Based purely on the data, the San Francisco 49ers are the most balanced and best team in the league on both offense and defense. They have a greater chance of winning than the New Orleans Saints. But obviously, a game isn't decided by stats alone. Let's focus on the two teams," Spencer said methodically.
In reality, the efficiency of the San Francisco 49ers' defense this season was quite unexpected. Their performance wasn't very stable and always fluctuated. They relied more on the offense to win games, and their ability to create turnovers and score was ranked at the bottom of the league. With four weeks left in the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers' defense was ranked eighth in the league, but they put up incredible numbers in the last four games, quickly moving up to third in the league. Overall, their defensive strength was still not on par with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.
But, as Spencer said, stats are just stats. A game isn't decided by stats, or the Pittsburgh Steelers wouldn't have lost to the Denver Broncos. The Steelers, with the number one defense in the league, were helpless against a college wildcat formation, which was a huge shock to everyone.
"What I want to say is that the San Francisco 49ers are a young team, and experience is what they lack. But this youthful energy is also the key to their victory. I believe that in this game against the Saints, the 49ers are not the favored team. People generally believe that Brees will continue to set records, but what the 49ers do best is beat their opponents when they are not favored. They don't lack skill, they don't lack confidence, and they don't lack motivation. I believe this will be the key factor in the game."
Spencer's analysis was simple and to the point, and it was also unique, which was truly eye-opening. He then added, "We can look at the first round of the playoffs last year. The defending champion New Orleans Saints, facing the Seattle Seahawks, the first team in history to make it to the playoffs with a losing record, choked at a crucial moment and lost the game. We have every reason to believe that the 49ers' chances this year are better than the Seahawks' last year."
Under Spencer's aggressive words, Charles almost lost control of his emotions again, but this time he managed to suppress them. However, his strained voice still betrayed his inner turmoil. "That's ridiculous!" A single word of rebuke showed his true nature again. A leopard can't change its spots.
However, Charles realized that he had gotten into too much trouble recently, and with the racial issue at the center of attention, he forced himself to swallow the words that were about to come out and stated his position instead. "The Saints won't get caught on the same rock twice! More importantly, the 49ers' overall opponents this season were too weak."
"This season, only five of the 49ers' opponents made it to the playoffs: the Detroit Lions, the New York Giants, the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Cincinnati Bengals..."
Charles's words were cut off halfway by Spencer. "And the 49ers won four of those five games!"
Charles's voice also rose, and the veins on his neck bulged. "But among them, only the win against the Bengals was easy! The other four games were all decided by one touchdown or less. My point is, winning those tough games is indeed admirable, and their clutch play is commendable."
"But the regular season is not the playoffs!" Charles said, bringing his hands down in a definitive gesture. "The same game that you can win in the regular season, you might not win in the playoffs. What's more, the team on the other side of the field is the New Orleans Saints, one of the best teams this season. I don't think that the regular season approach can be applied to the playoffs." In other words, he didn't think Lu Ke could continue to play well in the playoffs.
What Charles didn't say was that Lu Ke's performance in that Thursday night game against the Baltimore Ravens was a disaster, and in the Monday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lu Ke was walking on a tightrope. Now that he was on the even bigger stage of the playoffs, Lu Ke's performance was definitely a concern. He didn't bring up this point to avoid any sensitive topics. Deep down, Charles didn't believe that the San Francisco 49ers could win.
In fact, even if Charles didn't say it, everyone knew. Everyone had seen the regular season games, and the playoffs were naturally the best standard for judgment. Charles and Spencer's argument was just a microcosm of the entire show. Choosing between the Saints and the 49ers was a difficult choice, and there was no right answer. No matter which team they chose, there were valid reasons. They didn't need to convince others, they just needed to convince themselves.
So, Charles chose the Saints, and Spencer chose the 49ers. Even the host, Edward Bowen, said that among the four divisional games in the second round, this one was the most unpredictable, the closest, and the most exciting.
The game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos would obviously be dominated by the former in terms of strength, and the main draw was Tebow. The Green Bay Packers versus the New York Giants—the Giants' performance in the regular season was always inconsistent, full of too many variables. The Houston Texans versus the Baltimore Ravens, a matchup between the league's fourth-best defense and the second-best defense, would likely be a boring game.
The highlights of these three games were mostly just topics of discussion on paper. In the actual game, they were often disappointing. But the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints was a truly spectacular and highly anticipated one, especially the matchup between the two quarterbacks. For neutral fans, an offensive shootout is always the best way to get their adrenaline pumping.
Now, all the internet users were eagerly looking forward to a high-scoring game in the 40s. The discussion effortlessly broke records, even surpassing the Monday night game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers after the racial discrimination incident in the regular season, setting a new high for the season.
The analysts on "Inside the League" were also caught in a dilemma. After a series of heated arguments, five people supported Charles, and three supported Spencer. Ultimately, the New Orleans Saints were still the more favored team. It was both unexpected and predictable. Once again, the San Francisco 49ers were the underdog. A similar plot had run through the entire long season. Although the pattern was so familiar, it was impossible to refute. So what about this time? Could the San Francisco 49ers still pull off a comeback?
Saturday, January 14th, another game day. Today, the second round of the playoffs officially began, with two "new vs. old" matchups that had the entire league's attention!
At 1:30 p.m. PST, the San Francisco 49ers' home game against the New Orleans Saints started first. At 8:00 p.m. EST, the New England Patriots hosted the visiting Denver Broncos. It was a night game that was sure to spark discussion.
The stadium manager, Raymond Jackson, woke up early as usual, before 4 a.m., and went into Candlestick Park with the stars still in the sky. He began to walk around the stadium in a routine way, but his mind couldn't help but recall the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers two months ago. No one believed that the San Francisco 49ers could win that game, but they did, and they also defeated the first snowfall in 35 years.
It seemed to be the same today. No one believed that the San Francisco 49ers could defeat the New Orleans Saints, but Raymond was convinced that they would still have the last laugh and return to the race for the championship. If they were a dark horse, they would make a comeback and break all the rules. If they were a strong team, they would win the game and continue their dominance to the end.
Without any hesitation, he prayed silently in his heart, and his footsteps were so firm. He took one step at a time, as if he could clearly feel the cheers from the entire red sea of fans, the noisy roars and shouts that made the entire Candlestick Park tremble. In the midst of the cheers, they won again and again.
After finishing his walk, Raymond couldn't help but clench his fists. He turned to face the dim stadium, then raised his hands high, as if he could already touch the glory of victory. He rubbed his fingertips together, and a fiery heat surged, igniting the blood throughout his body, which then began to boil.
With a brisk step, Raymond left the field, but he didn't immediately start his work for the day. Instead, he walked toward the main entrance of the stadium. In the distance, he could see the bright lights outlining a continuous line of people, stretching from the ticket window along the edge of the stadium.
Closer and closer, the outlines of the tents and the people standing between them became clearer, forming a long queue that surrounded the entire Candlestick Park. Even though it was not yet dawn, the people in the queue were not sleeping soundly, but were excitedly chatting. From a distance, the sound of their lively conversations was carried by the wind. He could picture their excitement and eagerness from their all-night talks. Even though they hadn't slept, they were still in high spirits.
Raymond's footsteps stopped at the front of the line, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Why is the line getting longer and longer?"
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