By Bob Rose – Saints Wire
The New Orleans Saints will host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 of the NFL season, marking their second straight home game after dropping the opener 20-13 to the Arizona Cardinals. San Francisco, coming off a 17-13 road victory in Seattle, will be playing its second consecutive game away from home.
The Saints defense looked sharper than their offense last week, and once again, that unit could decide the outcome. San Francisco will be without quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and wideout Brandon Aiyuk, but they still feature a strong ground game with Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson. Stopping the run has been New Orleans’ Achilles heel in recent years, though the unit showed some progress against Arizona despite giving up a few costly breakdowns.
With Purdy, Kittle, and Aiyuk sidelined, the 49ers are expected to lean heavily on their rushing attack to help new quarterback Mac Jones. Here’s how the matchup looks heading into Sunday.
49ers Rushing Offense
Week 1:
- 119 rushing yards
- 3.3 yards per carry
- 0 touchdowns
2024 Rankings:
- 127.3 yards per game (12th)
- 4.7 yards per carry (7th)
- 17 rushing TDs (11th)
Christian McCaffrey remains the centerpiece of San Francisco’s attack. When healthy, he’s among the NFL’s best, evidenced by his 2023 season where he led the league with 1,459 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns, earning Offensive Player of the Year honors. Injuries limited him last season, but the 49ers bolstered their depth by trading for Brian Robinson, a physical runner who logged 799 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024.
In their opener against Seattle, McCaffrey paced the offense with 69 yards while Robinson chipped in 33, though neither found the end zone and the group averaged just 3.3 per carry. With Trent Williams anchoring the offensive line, the Niners expect a stronger performance against New Orleans.
Saints Run Defense
Week 1:
- Allowed 146 rushing yards
- 5.4 yards per carry
- 0 touchdowns
2024 Rankings:
- 141.4 yards allowed per game (31st)
- 4.9 yards per carry (32nd)
- 20 rushing TDs allowed (24th)
New defensive coordinator Brandon Staley was hired to repair a run defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in 2024. Against Arizona, the Saints gave up big numbers overall, but aside from Trey Benson’s 52-yard burst, they limited the Cardinals’ backs to just 56 yards on 3.0 per carry. That one long run, however, was a flashback to last season’s struggles with poor angles and tackling.
Unlike Kyler Murray, Mac Jones isn’t a rushing threat, but the 49ers still pose a major challenge with their backs. Linebacker Demario Davis will be central to slowing them down, but New Orleans’ defensive front must win battles at the line to free him up. Sound tackling and matching San Francisco’s physicality will be essential — areas where the Saints often fell short last year.
One intriguing wrinkle: Staley spent 2024 on San Francisco’s staff, giving him firsthand knowledge of their rushing schemes. While his insight could help New Orleans, the outcome will come down to who controls the line of scrimmage when the 49ers try to pound the ball.
