San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints Game Day Open Thread

The San Francisco 49ers, coming off a bye week are rested and ready to go. But will it make a difference? This is your place to talk about the game and all things San Francisco 49ers.

On paper, you might think the San Francisco 49ers are going to get run off the field by a high flying New Orleans Saints team. After all, Drew Brees and company have the league’s best passing game, second best offense overall, and are putting up roughly 29 points per game.

The 49ers on the other hand, are pretty well entrenched on the other side of the spectrum. San Francisco comes into the game with the league’s thirtieth ranked defense, giving up just over 31 points per game – worst in the league – while scoring just 20 points per game of their own.

On paper, this looks like it could be a William Custer-esque massacre in the making.

It very well could turn out as well as things went at Little Big Horn, but believe it or not, there are some things working in San Francisco’s favor. There are a few factors that could help this team make it a compelling game – if not, possibly sneak out with a win.

First and foremost, for as bad as San Francisco’s defense has been overall, they do have the league’s seventh-ranked pass defense. They come into the game giving up just over 222 yards per game, putting them well within the top ten.

The one caveat to that metric though, is that they’ve also given up 15 passing touchdowns – not the worst in the league, but up there.

But San Francisco also comes into the game with the league’s fourth-ranked rushing offense. They take the field chewing up just under 129 yards per game. Only Dallas, Buffalo, and Tennessee are better. They’ve also scored ten touchdowns on the ground this season – good for third best in the league.

All of this is to say that if there is a chance for San Francisco to pull the upset, they’re going to have to lean heavily on their pass defense and their run game.

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The passing defense is going to have to be stout. New Orleans has a plethora of weapons for Brees to choose from. The Saints currently have five players with more than twenty catches – Michael Thomas (42), Brandin Cooks (36), Willie Snead (34), Coby Fleener (25), and Mark Ingram (22).

Suffice it to say, the 49ers won’t be able to key on any one guy. They’re going to have to shut down a lot of different guys. Which is what makes the Saints’ so dynamic on offense – their diversity and versatility.

It will be a stiff test for San Francisco’s passing defense, but they’ve been pretty solid so far this season. Let’s see if they can keep that up.

On the other side of the ball, led by Carlos Hyde, the 49ers have been able to cobble together an effective run game. Hyde has rushed for 429 yards and six touchdowns on the season. New Orleans, not exactly known for their defensive stoutness, is currently hovering around the middle of the pack in run defense.

They’ve also given up an NFL-leading 12 rushing touchdowns on the year.

If there is a crack that this San Francisco offense can exploit to make a game of it, that is going to be it. They will have to run the ball, run the ball, and then run the ball some more.

Which may be the game plan anyway, since they certainly can’t seem to rely on their quarterbacks.

On paper, this has all the makings of a San Francisco horror show. The team is reeling at 1-6 and seem to be stuck going in reverse. But one good game can sometimes turn things around. No, they may not make a playoff push, but they could still salvage something from this season, some sense of forward momentum.

15. Final. 20. 42. 34

If they can’t, fans may look back on Jim Tomsula’s 5-11 campaign with warmth and fondness.

What do you think? Will they find a way to win this game? Or will they fall flat coming out of the bye? What are the most intriguing and compelling storylines to you?

This is your place to talk about the game and all things 49ers football. So step up, speak out, and be heard!