Your NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Open Thread: New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers

The NFL playoffs rattle on as the Divisional round kicks off this afternoon. Join us down below to discuss.

New Orleans at San Francisco (FOX): If you listen to Jim Harbaugh tell it, Alex Smith will finally get to play head-to-head against a quarterback with skills on par with his own. If you are a reasonable person, fragments of skull and brain are probably scattered around your computer desk area. The only thing this game (and, as a result, San Francisco) has going for it is that it is not being played in New Orleans.

Drew Brees, of course, begs to differ. "'I feel like our offense and our team is built for whatever condition,' Brees said. 'We play indoors here in the Superdome and that's what we've been doing as of late, but we feel like we're the type of team that should be able to go anywhere, anytime, and play our type of football that we know how to play. There are elements at times you have to deal with no matter where it is, but we'll adjust accordingly. I don't see any reason why we can't go on and continue to be productive.'"

Obviously, that's the company line, but a quick scan of the schedule reveals that at home, New Orleans routinely scored in the high 30's and often times 40's. Away? Mid 20's and low 30's. The outlier on the road? A 42 point performance at Minnesota—a dome team. And, anyway, if the Saints can lose to the Rams on the road, why not a good team?

New Orleans at San Francisco [USA Today]