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Saints at 49ers
Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX), Monster Park

War Room scouts break down every NFL game. Here is a excerpt of their Saints-49ers matchup:

Saints Keys For Success

1. Throw consistently to the wide receivers. Quarterback Drew Brees must find his wide receivers downfield to open up the inside throwing lanes, force the 49ers' defense to adjust its coverage and create better matchups for Reggie Bush. Last week, the two top receivers for the Saints were tight end Eric Johnson and Bush. Coach Sean Payton must reverse the roles and call for more throws to the wide receivers. Expect the Saints to use multiple-receiver sets and attack the outside throwing lanes with quick slants and hitches.

2. Pressure the quarterback. The Saints' defense have finally started to put pressure on quarterbacks. They must continue the plan of using a mixture of blitzes to create one-on-one matchups for their defensive line and free up rushers with overload schemes. Ends Charles Grant and Will Smith and the rest of the team's pass rushers had three sacks and 11 QB hits against the Falcons last week. Expect the Saints to continue with the pressure package to jump-start their pass rush.

3. Make Bush succeed early. Payton and Brees make every effort to get Bush involved early, but the entire offense must execute so Bush can have success early in the game. The quicker Bush can get going the more stress he puts on defenses. The Saints must give Bush the ball on his favorite runs, screens and swing passes, allowing him to build momentum and turn the heat up on the Niners.

49ers Keys For Success

1. Run the ball consistently. Feature back Frank Gore is the one bright spot in the San Francisco offense. Even though he was banged up against the Giants last week, he averaged 6.3 yards per carry on 14 attempts. The Niners will use Gore to control the clock, create manageable third-down situations and slow down the Saints' pass rush. Gore loves power and off-tackle runs. The left side of the Niners' offensive line, tackle Jonas Jennings and guard Larry Allen, must lead the way for Gore.

2. Force takeaways. San Francisco's defense must create more turnovers. Opponents are leery to throw outside on cornerbacks Nate Clements and Walt Harris, so the linebackers and safeties must step up and get some interceptions. Also, a relentless pass rush starting with Bryant Young and Brandon Moore will force mistakes in the pocket and cause fumbles and poor throws that lead to interceptions. These turnovers can jump-start the 49ers' offense, building momentum and making it easier to score points.

3. Hold on to the ball. Last week the Giants scored 24 points off of 49ers turnovers. Coach Mike Nolan realizes that the Niners must hold onto the ball and force the opponent to drive the length of the field to score points. It is too easy for offenses to score on short fields against the San Francisco defense. Quarterback Trent Dilfer had two interceptions and two fumbles, so the Niners and Smith must do a better job of holding on to the ball and make better decisions when throwing into coverage.

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