Predicting the Final Score of San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints

By seanmeyers @sdmeyers1 on November 5, 2014

The San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints enter Sunday’s contest with identical 4-4 records, which represents a disappointing first half for both teams.

The outlook of the teams differs at this juncture, though, as the Saints hold first place in the NFC South, while the 49ers are third in the competitive NFC West. Moreover, after early struggles, New Orleans enters the showdown coming off two impressive victories in consecutive weeks against the Green Bay Packers and at the Carolina Panthers. Conversely, San Francisco has endured two straight losses, a crushing defeat to the Denver Broncos and a frustrating last-second failure at home to the St. Louis Rams.

As a result, the matchup is crucial for both squads in their pursuit of a playoff bid, but particularly for the 49ers, who could nearly fall out of the postseason picture with a loss.

First and foremost, San Francisco will need to rectify its recent offensive woes. Against the Rams, the 49ers accumulated just 263 yards of offense and 10 points, as their protection constantly broke down against the Rams’ pass rush. As a result, quarterback Colin Kaepernick was sacked eight times and the ground game produced only 80 yards rushing.

Much like they did earlier in the season, the 49ers must get back to establishing a power running game revolving around Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde. San Francisco boasts an array of weapons in the passing game, but clearly the offense works best when it can establish early success on the ground.

Similarly, New Orleans found success rushing the football in its Week 9 victory over Carolina, as Mark Ingram rushed for 100 yards on 30 carries. Although the yards-per-carry was not impressive, the fact that the Saints were dedicated to the run after getting an early lead could signal a shift in their offensive philosophy.

However, the Saints’ potent passing attack was still on display, as quarterback Drew Brees was efficient and tight end Jimmy Graham enjoyed solid production.

Stopping the Saints’ offense will be a tall task for San Francisco, as the 49ers remain saddled by injuries on defense. Star linebacker Patrick Willis missed Sunday’s contest, and even if he can return against the Saints, it’s unlikely he will be in top form. His replacement, rookie Chris Borland, had an incredible performance against St. Louis, though, as he contributed 18 tackles, a dozen more than any other player in the game.

After speculation that pass rush specialist Aldon Smith could potentially return early from suspension, it now appears that the 49ers’ standout will not be on the field on Sunday. Thus, San Francisco once again may struggle to apply pressure to the opposing quarterback, meaning that Brees should have plenty of time to find his targets.

The 49ers’ defense played admirably in the defeat, holding the Rams to under 200 yards and forcing a pair of interceptions. Limiting Graham will be paramount for San Francisco’s success this week, and it will require a team effort to accomplish that task, even if Willis can return to action.

On the other side, the Saints’ defense is coming off perhaps its finest performance of the 2014 campaign, as New Orleans puzzled quarterback Cam Newton. Newton completed only 10 of his 28 passing attempts and was sacked four times. New Orleans defensive end Cameron Jordan enters the contest with four sacks, but he could enjoy a breakout game, as could outside linebacker Junior Galette.

This will be the fourth matchup between the teams in the past four seasons, with each battle coming down to the wire. Last season, the Saints prevailed after 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks took a disputed roughing the passer penalty.

Two seasons ago, Brooks’ interception return for a touchdown, one of two San Francisco defensive scores, sparked a 49ers victory.

Also, the teams had an epic battle in the divisional round of the playoffs in January 2012, with the 49ers scoring a dramatic comeback victory as Vernon Davis enjoyed perhaps the finest game of his career.

On Sunday, San Francisco may need the defense to make splash plays and Davis to awaken from his disappointing season in order to knock off the Saints. Ultimately, the 49ers should be the more desperate team, and in another close contest, San Francisco will find a way to escape New Orleans with a victory.

Final Score Prediction: 49ers 28, Saints 27

Sean Meyers is a professional wrestling writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter and “Like” him on Facebook.