San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints: Breaking Down New Orleans' Game Plan
After seizing control of their division last Thursday night, the New Orleans Saints will tangle with a perennial NFC heavyweight this Sunday, as they play host to the San Francisco 49ers.
New Orleans (4-4) moved into the top spot in the NFC South with last week’s 28-10 win over the host Carolina Panthers. Coach Sean Payton utilized a balanced attack on offense, and the Saints delivered a strong defensive performance to claim their first road triumph of the season.
The 49ers (4-4) have played in the NFC Championship Game for each of the past three seasons, and although they’ve struggled as of late, coach Jim Harbaugh’s club will come in highly motivated to ring up a key road victory against a divisional leader.
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Despite some recent difficulties, San Francisco fields a capable, well-coached football team, and the 49ers pose significant challenges to the Saints both offensively and defensively.
As they game-plan, the Saints will have to ready themselves for a physical, hard-hitting affair with San Francisco.
The first order of business for defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s unit will be to slow down 49ers running back Frank Gore. This starts with controlling the point of attack, where Saints nose guard Brodrick Bunkley and ends Cam Jordan and Akiem Hicks must win the majority of their battles and claim ownership of the A- and B-gaps.
New Orleans will likely move safety Kenny Vaccaro into the box when San Francisco lines up in Gore’s preferred I formation, while cornerback Keenan Lewis locks up with 49ers wideout Anquan Boldin in press man coverage on the outside.
If New Orleans is able to stone San Francisco’s downhill rushing attack, 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman could turn to the read-option in an effort to keep the chains moving.
The 49ers have struggled to find an offensive identity in the past few weeks. With their team desperately needing a win, it won’t be surprising if Harbaugh and Roman opt to unleash their skill position players and allow them to do what they do well.
San Francisco signal-caller Colin Kaepernick has repeatedly proven he’s capable of successfully running the read-option, and running back Carlos Hyde is quite familiar with it as well. The rookie out of Ohio State frequently operated as the single back in the Buckeyes’ zone-read offense under Urban Meyer, and he provides an ideal complement to Kaepernick in the backfield.
In Ryan’s 3-4 alignment, the Saints’ outside linebackers will be counted on to step up and make plays when the 49ers turn to the read-option.
For all his athletic talent, New Orleans’ Junior Galette has consistently struggled when defending it. Although he enjoyed great success as a pass-rusher against Cam Newton and the Panthers, Galette once again demonstrated a lack of discipline when Carolina utilized the zone read.
On this third-quarter play, Carolina lines up in the shotgun and runs the read-option. At first, Galette properly slow-plays Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart as they mesh in the backfield.
In an effort to stuff the dive for a big loss in the backfield, however, Galette hastily bites on Newton’s hard step to the left and commits to the inside with a strong move.
Newton has played Galette like a fiddle. The big Carolina signal-caller keeps the ball on the option and runs to the outside with lots of grass in front of him.
He races to the corner for a nine-yard gain, and the Panthers are set up nicely with a 2nd-and-1 in Saints territory.
Roman incorporates some of his own wrinkles into the 49ers’ version of the read-option, but the general concept is still the same for the defense. Here, San Francisco runs the play against the Chiefs in Week 5, after having enjoyed success with it earlier in the game.
Instead of recklessly charging inside, Chiefs outside ‘backer Justin Houston applies a more cautious approach, and slow-plays Kaepernick and Hyde as they mesh.
Kaepernick keeps the ball, looking to gain the corner and head upfield, but Houston is in proper position to force him to run laterally toward the sideline, despite the attempted block by the tight end.
Chiefs nickel corner Chris Owens comes up hard in run support to aid Houston, and Kaepernick falls for a two-yard loss.
The Saints still need to win the battle up front and control the line of scrimmage, but they must be wary of the read-option at all times. If they can play with discipline while defending it, Kaepernick and the 49ers offense will be left with fewer options, which will play right into Ryan’s hands.
On the offensive side, Payton’s squad will be challenged to move the football, as San Francisco comes in with the NFL’s second-ranked defense.
In the past few weeks, New Orleans' vertical passing game has shaken off its early-season struggles and blossomed under quarterback Drew Brees. While Brees has greatly improved his downfield accuracy in recent weeks, the Saints' aerial prowess can also be attributed to their newfound offensive balance. Against the Panthers, New Orleans actually ran the ball more than it threw it, which is almost unheard of from the notoriously pass-happy Payton.
Despite their impressive statistics, the 49ers will be vulnerable to New Orleans' potent air attack if Payton elects to go with the same balanced offensive philosophy he employed last game and the game before (a 44-23 triumph over the Green Bay Packers).
Running back Mark Ingram received a career-high 30 carries against Carolina, and although he averaged only 3.3 yards per carry, he had just enough success between the tackles to keep the Panthers defense honest, thus making a profound impact on the game. Thanks to their consistent ground game, the Saints were able to move the chains and control the clock while allowing their defense to rest.
Just like in New Orleans’ two previous contests, Payton will likely make a strong commitment to the running game on Sunday. When Ingram and the offensive line are grinding out tough yards in the trenches, the Saints are capable of swallowing the clock with long drives that end in points.
If they’re able to do that to San Francisco on Sunday, Kaepernick and the struggling 49ers offense will be pressured to put points on the board on a frequent basis.
In the thick of the deafening roar of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, that’s much easier said than done.
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