San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints: Week 10 Preview for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints will attempt to ring up their third straight victory this Sunday as they host the San Francisco 49ers in a pivotal NFC clash.
New Orleans (4-4) got off to a sluggish start this season, but Sean Payton’s squad is on a hot streak as of late. After blowing past the Green Bay Packers two weekends ago, the Saints moved into first place in their division by shutting down the Carolina Panthers last Thursday night on the road.
Midway through the season, New Orleans now sits atop the NFC South, and Sunday’s matchup with San Francisco will serve as somewhat of a measuring stick for the Saints against a perennial NFC contender.
The 49ers (4-4) have also had their share of struggles this season, and after two straight defeats, they’ll be looking to jump back into the win column to keep within striking distance in the highly competitive NFC West.
Coach Jim Harbaugh’s club has appeared in three straight NFC Championship Games, and despite the recent losing skid, the 49ers boast an abundance of talent on both sides of the ball. San Francisco will have to contend with a raucous crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, however, as the 49ers try to avenge last season’s loss to the Saints in the same building.
Continue reading for a full preview of this battle of NFC heavyweights, complete with a score prediction on the final slide.
Week 9 Recap
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For the first time in its last eight attempts, New Orleans emerged as the victor in a regular-season road contest. Using a balanced offensive attack, the Saints rode the right arm of quarterback Drew Brees and the legs of running back Mark Ingram to a 28-10 win over the Panthers last Thursday.
Brees threw for 297 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, while Ingram carried a career-high 30 times and finished with 100 yards on the ground to go with two scores.
The Saints ran the ball more than they passed it, which is highly uncharacteristic of a Payton-coached team. New Orleans’ success through the air and on the ground kept Carolina’s struggling defense on its heels, and by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Panthers defenders were all but spent.
On the other side of the ball, coordinator Rob Ryan’s defense delivered a solid all-around performance in limiting Carolina to just 260 total yards. Cornerback Keenan Lewis turned in one of his finest performances in his two years as a Saint, as he blanketed hulking Panthers wideout Kelvin Benjamin for most of the night. Fellow corners Corey White and Patrick Robinson, who have both earned some strong criticism this season, had quality outings as well.
New Orleans also received strong play up front from outside linebacker Junior Galette, who twice sacked Carolina signal-caller Cam Newton. The Panthers were without three of their starting offensive linemen, and Galette and the rest of the Saints defensive front took full advantage of the situation by controlling the line of scrimmage throughout the contest.
With the victory, the Saints broke a tie with the Panthers for first place in the division, and they generated some much-needed momentum as they head into the second half of the season.
News and Notes
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Saints-49ers Series History
New Orleans has quite the extensive history with San Francisco, as the two teams used to butt heads twice a season as divisional rivals in the old NFC West. Through the years, Saints fans were able to personally witness the likes of 49er greats Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young on an annual basis.
The rivalry ended in 2002, however, when the NFL realigned its divisions and the Saints were placed in the NFC South.
San Francisco holds a rather lopsided 47-24-2 mark against New Orleans. Since realignment, there have been only nine meetings between the two, with the Saints winning seven of them.
The most memorable of these recent contests was the 2012 divisional playoff game, which the 49ers hosted in Candlestick Park. San Francisco outlasted the Saints in a shootout, 36-32, before falling to the New York Giants a week later for a Super Bowl berth.
Last season, it was the Saints who tasted victory, as they squeaked out a hard-fought 23-20 win in the Superdome. The game was defined by a controversial personal foul on 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who drew a crucial penalty for his late-game hit on Brees.
Strength vs. Strength
Prolific offensive production has long been the calling card of Sean Payton’s Saints, while the 49ers have continued to field dominant defenses throughout Harbaugh’s tenure in the Bay Area.
This season is no different. New Orleans comes in ranked No. 2 in the NFL in total offense, averaging 436.5 yards per game. The Brees-led passing attack ranks third in the league, while the Saints’ blossoming running game is now ranked seventh.
San Francisco marches into New Orleans with the league’s second-ranked overall defense, yielding just 291.1 yards per contest. The 49ers are stout against the run and the pass, and they pose significant challenges to the Saints' high-powered offense.
This classic matchup of unstoppable force meets immovable object should be fun to watch Sunday when these two exceptional units square off.
Injury Report
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The Saints have a number of players nicked up this week, and three have been announced by the team as out for the game. According to the team’s official site, NewOrleansSaints.com, running backs Pierre Thomas (rib/shoulder) and Khiry Robinson (arm) are both out this Sunday, as is starting linebacker David Hawthorne (hand).
With Thomas and Robinson out, perhaps the most significant injury for New Orleans is that of Mark Ingram, who’s listed as questionable for Sunday with a shoulder injury. The Saints will need Ingram’s services, as he’s undoubtedly been one of their key contributors in each of the last two wins.
Also questionable are starting right tackle Zach Strief (chest), starting center Jonathan Goodwin (knee/ankle) and reserve wideout Robert Meachem (ankle).
Meanwhile, tight end Jimmy Graham (shoulder) and wide receiver Kenny Stills (thigh) are listed as probable.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Ben Grubbs vs. Justin Smith
The showdown between the New Orleans offense and the San Francisco defense is a highly anticipated one, but a key matchup within the matchup pits the Saints guard against the 49ers defensive tackle.
Justin Smith lines up on the right side on most plays, which means he’ll see Ben Grubbs often. The New Orleans left guard won’t always face Smith in one-on-one situations, but he’ll still see plenty of face time with the five–time Pro Bowler.
As the Saints attempt to generate a ground game by running Ingram between the tackles, they’ll have to contend with Smith, who has 16 solo tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on the season.
The 14-year veteran will be quite the handful, but Grubbs is a Pro Bowler in his own right, and this one should make for an entertaining matchup.
Keenan Lewis vs. Anquan Boldin
After last Thursday’s impressive lockdown of Kelvin Benjamin, Keenan Lewis received a week’s worth of well-earned praise from the national media.
The New Orleans native is slowly making a name for himself as one of the game’s top press-man cover corners, and he’ll have another challenging assignment against the 49ers on Sunday.
Lining up across from him will be Anquan Boldin, who leads the 49ers in receptions and yards in 2014. While Boldin doesn’t possess Benjamin’s height, he’s a much more polished receiver. He possesses exceptional strength and quickness, and he's built like a running back (6’1” and 220 pounds), which makes him a tough draw for most NFL corners from a physical standpoint.
With the capable Michael Crabtree also in the lineup for the 49ers at wideout, Lewis may not cover Boldin for the entire contest, but these two should be quite well-acquainted with one another by game’s end.
Saints X-Factor of the Week: Marques Colston
When Brees drops back to throw, managing Jimmy Graham will be the top priority for the San Francisco defense. 49ers safeties Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea will have their hands full with the All-Pro tight end, which means Colston will have his opportunities in single coverage against San Francisco's corners.
Chris Culliver, Perrish Cox and Tramaine Brock are all 6'0" or under, which puts them at a distinct size disadvantage against the 6'4" 225-pound wideout.
With Brees' pinpoint accuracy taken into consideration, as well as his chemistry with Colston, the New Orleans receiver could be in for a busy work day Sunday.
Prediction
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After losing two straight games, the 49ers will likely enter this contest in desperation mode, and they won’t be ready to let the NFC West slip away without a fight.
Having stockpiled draft picks for the past several seasons, San Francisco has loads of talent, and the physical brand of football Harbaugh’s squad plays with is ideal for winning on the road.
The Superdome isn’t your average road venue, however, and the Saints are far from an average team when playing at home. New Orleans has now rung up 11 consecutive wins inside its home building, which will assuredly be rocking come kickoff time.
If Ingram is able to go, look for the Saints to again utilize a balanced offensive attack, while Galette and Co. will harass 49ers signal-caller Colin Kaepernick with a relentless pass rush.
Prediction: Saints 27, 49ers 17
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