New Orleans Saints vs. the San Francisco 49ers Game Preview

The undefeated New Orleans Saints will take their first road trip of the season to San Francisco to take on the winless 49ers on Monday Night Football. The Saints are coming off of a 14-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night football, while the 49ers were beat by the Seattle Seahawks 31-6.  

The Saints are a very talented team and have a lot of power on offense, as we have seen. The 49ers were thought to be a team with a pretty strong defense and one that could take the next step this season and make the playoffs. However, they definitely haven’t started out the season on the right foot.

The following is an in-depth analysis of the upcoming game between the Saints and the 49ers this coming Monday night.

When the Saints Have the Ball

Last week, the Saints sat down on their passing game and opted to go for a more ball control based offense, using the running game as a way to win. This worked to perfection, as the Saints were able to keep the ball on the ground for a good part of the game and not allow the Vikings offense to control it and score.

The Saints may want to grab an early lead, despite the fact that the 49ers gave up a lot of points to the Seahawks this past Sunday. Their defense is still dangerous, and with the kind of weapons they have on that unit, anything is possible.

The Saints need to avoid linebacker Patrick Willis, a playmaker who could be considered the best linebacker in the NFL. Willis has made plays time and time again in every game he’s played in while he’s been in the league, and the Saints will have to keep an eye out for him. He can effect them in both the running and the passing game, so taking him out of each play as much as possible will be critical.

The Saints passing game didn’t show up much in their game against the Vikings, but should be on full display against the 49ers this Monday night. Hopefully, the Saints use their passing game in a similar fashion as they did to start their first game of the season and drive down the field to score early. 

That is why getting the early lead would be a huge advantage for the Saints, as they could then get their running game going and control the ball and the clock.

Speaking of the running game, this would be a good time to get Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush some time running the football. The Saints have proven that so far, their running game can be effective, so look for them to run the ball early and often. And when they can’t run the ball or find themselves backed up, their passing game usually always works well for them.

When the 49ers Have the Ball

San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith was given a second chance by head coach Mike Singletary this season and in his first game, he didn’t play that well. He has some weapons to throw the ball to, but the biggest question is, can he get the ball to these guys? So far, he has proven he can’t do it too effectively.

New Orleans may have the best cornerback group in the NFL. Starting from last year’s playoff run, the Super Bowl, and ending with the first game of the season, this group has been one of the most solid and hasn’t let teams tear them up through the air.

Granted, there aren’t any big name guys at the position (I do personally consider Tracey Porter a big name cornerback, but no one would lump him in the same group as Darelle Revis or Champ Bailey).

So look for the 49ers to have a pretty ineffective passing game against the Saints. Couple the strong play of the Saints secondary in with the ineffective play of Smith and you have a recipe for a Saint’s victory (at least on defense).

If there is a problem on defense for New Orleans, it comes in their run defense. Granted, they didn’t let Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson gain a ton of yards against them, but they allowed him to convert some first downs and have a decent game.  

The 49ers have one of the better running backs in the NFL with Frank Gore and Gore can turn a game around by himself.  He can run the ball and is very good at catching it out of the backfield. The Saints will concentrate on stopping Gore, knowing that Smith and the 49ers passing game will probably not do a lot of damage.

One more weapon that the Saints will have to worry about is tight end Vernon Davis. Davis has been a difficult player to protect against for a lot of teams, and the Saints will have to keep someone on him to ensure that he doesn’t give them problems. 

Davis excels in the short passing game and can be an outlet (or hot) receiver for Smith when he finds himself caught up in the rush. The Saints will have to be extra careful to ensure that Davis doesn’t get the best of them.

Analysis

While this may look like an easy game for the Saints on paper, no game in the NFL is ever a sure thing (to be won), so the Saints will head into this game fully prepared to take on the 49ers and ready to win.

If New Orleans can get some work done on their passing game, which didn’t get going strong in their first game of the season, this could be a lopsided win for them. If they decide to jump to an early lead, then control the ball on the ground (the best way to win this game), they have the capability to do that. Pierre Thomas has served them well in the past, and he will do so again in this game.

On defense, the Saints cannot let Gore or Davis get the best of them. If they concentrate on those two and get pressure on Smith, they should easily win the game. The Saints have been good about taking out the opposing team’s primary player and they should be able to do it this Monday night against the 49ers.

Prediction

New Orleans will have too many weapons for the 49ers to handle, and with their ball control offense, they will win this game. Look for Brees to come out throwing the ball, and put up some significant yardage through the air before they take it to the ground and run out the clock. The Saints will be 2-0 after this game, and will be the best team in the NFL when it’s all said and done.

New Orleans 28, San Francisco 13