Canal Street Chronicles
After falling to the Arizona Cardinals in the season opener a week ago, the New Orleans Saints will again try to get into the win column as they take on another NFC West foe in the San Francisco 49ers. The first game was to work out the kinks; now, Kellen Moore and the Saints will be looking for more efficiency and a concerted effort at putting points on the board.
The only issue for Spencer Rattler and New Orleans’ offense? The roadblock of a top-ten defense in the NFL, which gave up an average of just over 300 yards per game, is standing in the way. Anchored by linebacker Fred Warner and edge rusher Nick Bosa, the 49ers were a stout group and performed well enough to earn the eighth-best ranking overall.
After a tendon tear suffered during Super Bowl LVIII kept him out through the majority of the 2024 season, the 49ers moved on from LB Dre Greenlaw in this past offseason. Greenlaw played the first six years of his career in San Francisco and was an integral part of building the 49er defense into what it is now, but he has now found a new home in Denver following his signing in free agency.
Despite the high rankings, San Francisco leaned heavily in that direction during the draft. The 49ers’ first five selections were on the defensive side of the ball, including 11th overall pick Mykel Williams out of Georgia.
I would not expect much running room to open up for Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller, especially given the banged-up offensive line and tough competition from San Fran’s front seven. I’d expect another heavy dose of the passing game from New Orleans as Rattler continues to settle in and attempt to keep the offense on the field.
Speed across the board at wide receiver should aid the Saints in finding holes within the 49ers’ defensive back group. I would like to see the Saints utilize Rashid Shaheed’s game-changing quickness to try and beat SF over the top. They tried it against Arizona in Week 1, but just could not find that killer connection.
Juwan Johnson was a favorite target of Rattler’s throughout last week’s game, so expect the pair to hook up more in short-to-gain downs and inside the red zone. After not being able to hold onto the potential game-tying touchdown pass in a difficult catch, Johnson should play with something to prove in Week 2.
The Saints will have a chance to stay competitive in this game, possibly even win it… But they’re going to need a complete team effort. I think scoring more than one touchdown would be a good step in the right direction. New Orleans will need to take advantage of their opportunities to score, including not missing field goals and not heading into the locker rooms without using a timeout. This will be a tough test for the Saints’ offense, but everyone will get valuable reps.
