I know this is being discussed in a bunch of :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: threads, but I'm not going to cross-post and I can't decide which thread to post in, so here's a new thread.
Check this out and tell me why it's so objectionable that people in the media DARE to pick Pitt over NO.
Offensive plays: Pitt 522, NO 518
Yards/play: Pitt 5.6, NO 5.6
Yards/game: Pitt: 364, NO 361
First downs/gm: Pitt 20.5, NO 18.9
3rd down %: Pitt 42.2, NO 42.6
Penalties: Pitt 35/316, NO 47/342
TOP: Pitt 31:14, NO 30:54
Points/game: Pitt 22.1, NO 24.8
Wow. It's almost identical. It's far closer than I would have figured even when you separate rushing vs. passing.
Defensive plays: Pitt 486, NO 485
Yards/play: Pitt 4.7, NO 4.9
Yards/game: Pitt: 284, NO 296
First downs/gm: Pitt 16.1, NO 17.0
3rd down %: Pitt 36.6, NO 38.3
Penalties: Pitt 48/399, NO 50/384
TOP: Pitt 28:46, NO 29.06
Points/game: Pitt 22.0, NO 19.9
Again almost identical.
Pittsburgh and the Saints are statistically pretty much the same team.
Pitt & NO have played one common opponent so far: Atlanta. The Saints beat Atlanta on "homecoming" night and Pitt lost to Atlanta 41-38 in a game almost everyone on the SSF thought Pitt "should have" won. That's the lone common opponent. But aside from Atlanta....
Pittsburgh's 4 toughest opponents have been Cincy, Denver, at JAX, and at San Diego (all losses)
NO's 4 toughest opponents have been Baltimore, Philly, at Carolina and who? One of the Tampa games, I guess?
So it seems pretty clear to me that the most significant difference by far separating NO and Pitt record-wise is simply schedule strength. Statistically, the two teams are all-but-identical. Pittsburgh is 2-6 and the Saints are 6-2 based pretty much only on who they've had to play.
The following has been said in those other threads, but I'll repeat the points in light of the stats above....
What's the line, like 5? 5.5? And I'm well aware of the fact that the line is irrelevant, but doesn't the line usually give them home team 3? And isn't anything less than 3 pretty much a pick 'em? So take away the 3 just by virtue of Pitt being at home and it's a pick 'em.
And as for the heads on tee vee, let's see, Pittsburgh is still the defending Super Bowl champs, who are at home and are desperate to salvage their season. Vs. a team that was 3-13 last year, are on the road and could be argued to have shown some complacency 2 weeks ago against an AFC team. If I weren't a Saints fan, I'd probably pick Pitt too.
No respeck!
How do you figure?