Saints vs. 49ers: Breaking Down Matchup Between New Orleans and San Francisco

The New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers are set to tangle in what is definitely the most interesting matchup of the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. When the two teams meet in San Francisco this weekend it will represent as clear a clash in styles that I can remember in the playoff game. 

Everyone knows how the Saints win games—they rely on quarterback Drew Brees and his offense to pick the opposition apart and roll up huge amounts of yards and points. Against the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round, Brees delivered as he threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-28 win. That victory was the ninth in a row for the Saints.

New Orleans had the NFL's top offense during the regular season. The Saints averaged 467.1 total yards per game while boasting the league's top passing offense (334.2 yards per game), the sixth rushing offense (132.9 yards per game) and finishing second in scoring with 34.2 points per game.

Brees has a wealth of weapons at his disposal, as Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston and Darren Sproles all had fantastic seasons. The 32-year-old quarterback took advantage, throwing for an NFL-record 5,476 yards.

On the other sideline, the 49ers have won games this year by stopping the run and relying on their running game to eat up clock and punish the opposition. Jim Harbaugh's team led the NFL in rushing defense this season, allowing just 77.3 yards per game. 

On offense, San Francisco utilized veteran Frank Gore's outstanding season to grind down opposing defenses. The 49ers finished the season ranked eighth in the NFL in rushing offense, averaging 127.8 yards per game. That meant quarterback Alex Smith didn't have to do too much; as a result San Francisco had the NFL's 29th-ranked passing offense (183.1 yards per game).

The 49ers will try to win this game by dominating possession and relying on their stout defense to slow down Brees and his offense. Meanwhile the Saints will try to turn the contest into a shootout, because there is no way San Francisco can score with them. 

It should be a really fun game to watch from a strategic standpoint and I can't wait to see who wins the chess match.