Saints-49ers reflection
By: Jake Rajala
The San Francisco 49ers team and fans travelled to combat the New Orleans Saints in the Big Easy. It was gutsy and high-scoring. With that said, I’m going to lay out 5 things we learned from the contest.
Fireworks from the QBs
I expected one or two touchdowns combined from the QBs. What happened? Each QB looked like Patrick Mahomes. Of course, Rattler physically looks like Mahomes. Each QB threw 3 touchdowns. Mac Jones had a fumble, but that wasn’t completely his fault.
CMAC is still the 49ers best player
Not only did Christian McCaffrey run angry for 55 yards on 13 carries, but he hauled in 52 yards. He also had a key receiving touchdown. With George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk MIA, it’s vital that CMAC elevates his game.
49ers pass rush is legit
The 49ers only had a few sacks, but they came in important instances. Nick Bosa had a sack when the Saints were buried in their own territory. Bryce Huff had a sack on 4th and 2 to win the game. It should be noted the Saints tackles aren’t exactly slouches either.
Juwan Johnson redeemed himself
Juwan Johnson had a horrid drop in Week 1, which would have tied the game with no time remaining. In Week 2, he had a beautiful catch for a TD. He also hurdled over a defense, which was jaw-dropping, especially for a big body like him getting way up in the air. He finished with five grabs for 49 yards and a TD. He even dropped a couple of passes.
Isaac Yiadom needs to improve his craft
Isaac Yiadom was routinely picked on in the game. He couldn’t properly cover Juan Jennings or Ricky Pearsal. Cool-Aid McKinstry may need to get more reps against opposing stud wideouts. The Saints knew their CB room needed more help this offseason, as Paulson Adebo went elsewhere.
The Saints-49ers have enjoyed impressive duals over the past decade. They had a divisional playoff game against one another in 2011, where Vernon Davis scored in the last moments. The 49ers also won 48-46 in 2019, where George Kittle dragged a few Saints defenders into field goal range with little time remaining.
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