The New Orleans Saints (0-1) are set to face the San Francisco 49ers in a week two NFC showdown in the dome.
New Orleans hosted the Arizona Cardinals in their opening week matchup. The Black and Gold couldn’t mount a comeback and fell 20-13 after committing 16 penalties (13 accepted) in week one. The Saints were one of three teams in the NFC South to lose last Sunday.
San Francisco, on the other hand, eked out a divisional road win, taking down the Seattle Seahawks 17-13. The Niners were one of three NFC West teams to take home a victory in week one.
Kickoff between the Saints and 49ers from Caesars Superdome is scheduled for noon on Sunday, September 14th.
RECENT HISTORY
This historic rivalry between the Saints and 49ers gets renewed on Sunday inside the Superdome.
Early on, back when the Black and Gold were a part of the NFC West, San Francisco dominated this series. It was all Niners in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, giving the Scarlet and Gold a sizable advantage in the win-loss column.
Since the turn of the century, the Saints have answered back and cut into the 49ers’ lead. Looking back at the ’99 season, New Orleans is 12-7 against San Fran, including winning six in a row between 2002 and 2010.
It’s been back-and-forth since 2012, however, as each team his traded blows. In the last seven matchups, the 49ers are 4-3 with neither organization winning two in a row. The last time these two met was in 2022, when the Black and Gold held scoreless on the road.
MAJOR LINEUP CHANGES
The 49ers’ offense will look very different on Sunday from how it was supposed to look. In week one, San Francisco watched their star tight end, George Kittle, and newly extended quarterback Brock Purdy go down with injuries against the Seahawks. Both will be out as Kittle was put on injured reserve, and Purdy will miss the next 2-4 weeks.
This comes after the Niners were dealing with other major injuries to the offensive unit. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk signed an extension ahead of the 2024 season, a season that was cut short due to Aiyuk tearing his ACL and MCL in a game last October. He won’t suit up again until at least week six.
Jauan Jennings and Jordan Watkins are other receivers who don’t have a high chance of playing, as Jennings has been dealing with a shoulder injury and Watkins is dealing with a bum ankle. These and other injuries at the receiver position have forced the 49ers to add multiple veterans over the last couple of weeks, including former Saint Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, and Kendrick Bourne.
San Francisco also released a former third-round pick, kicker Jake Moody. The former Michigan Wolverine watched his field goal percentage decrease between years one and two, and was released earlier in the week after going 1-3 against the Seahawks. Moody was replaced by Eddy Pineiro, who played for the Panthers last season.
LAST EARLY SEASON CHANCE
The first four weeks for New Orleans aren’t the easiest, especially for a team that is going through a rebuild.
To begin the season, the Saints will face three NFC West teams, a division that has a standard of competition and alternating winners, and a history of appearing in Super Bowls. Week one featured a matchup with the Cardinals as the Black and Gold lost by a touchdown at home. Next week, they’ll travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks and then head East to New York to play the Buffalo Bills, a potential Super Bowl contender.
After losing in week one, having to travel across the country to play some tough competition over the next couple of weeks puts the Saints in some tough spots to find some wins before week five. This is the last early-season chance for the Saints to get a win as San Fran is dealing with numerous injuries on offense, and the game will be in the comforts of the Caesars Superdome.
SERIES RECORD: 49ers lead 50-27-2
Last 5 Meetings:
2022: 49ERS 13 – SAINTS 0
2020: SAINTS 27 – 49ERS 13
2019: 49ERS 48 – SAINTS 46
2016: SAINTS 41 – 49ERS 23
2014: 49ERS 27 – SAINTS 24 OT
STAT LEADERS:
Saints:
Spencer Rattler: 27-46, 214 Yards
Alvin Kamara: 11 Carries, 45 Yards, 1 TD
Juwan Johnson: 8 Catches, 76 Yards
Cam Jordan & Carl Granderson: 1.5 Sacks
Demario Davis & Pete Werner: 9 Tackles
Blake Grupe: 2-of-3 Field Goals, Long of 36, 1-of-1 PAT
49ers:
Brock Purdy: 26-35, 277 Yards 2 TD, 2 INT
Christian McCaffrey: 22 Carries, 69 Yards
Ricky Pearsall: 4 Catches, 108 Yards
Nick Bosa: 1 Sack
Fred Warner: 8 Tackles (4 Solo)
Jake Moody: 1-of-3 Field Goals, Long of 32, 2-of-2 PAT
INJURY REPORT:
Saints
Julian Blackmon – S – Shoulder – Out
Taliese Fuaga – T – Knee – Questionable
Trevor Penning – G – Toe – Out
Chase Young – DE – Calf – Out
Velus Jones Jr – RB – Knee
Zach Wood – LS – Elbow
Jordan Howden – S – Oblique
49ers
Yetur Gross-Matos – DE – Knee
Ben Bartch – G – Knee/Elbow
Luke Gifford – LB – Knee
Jordan James – RB – Finger
Jauan Jennings – WR – Shoulder – Questionable
Mac Jones – QB – Knee
Christian McCaffrey – RB – Calf
Dominick Puni – G – Knee
Brock Purdy – QB – Left Shoulder/Toe – Out
Jordan Watkins – WR – Ankle
Trent Williams – T – Knee – Questionable