WhoDat!656

The 600lb gorilla in the room that doesn't get mentioned is: How many teams the 49ers play have (3) three quality runnings backs active on gameday?

Each of them bring something different; PT is great at breaking tackles and turning a loss into a big gain; plus he is excellent running the screen play.

Chris Ivory just runs over people and had the speed to get into the secondary quickly.

Darren Sproles is faster than greased lightning and doesn't need a big hole from the offensive line to make a big game.

Plus, the Saints can rotate them in and out so they don't get tired.

SF may keep anyone of them from gaining a 100 yds, but they won't all three of them.

38-17 Saints!!!

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

SloMotion

Great point and this is where New Orleans wins the game .... sure, pundits of the NFC West division champs will argue, "but SFran didn't allow a rushing touchdown until Wk #13, 14, 15" or whatever, but who does it with more style and panache then the Saints? You can't stop 'em all, and combined, they will get their hundred yard game, bet ... plus a few TDs in that redzone that SFran is so proud of defending.

..... just sayin'. Thought I'd throw that out there before the FortyNiner Faithful latch onto this thread ..... you may now return to your regular program .....

go Saints.

saintsfan1976

Won't go anywhere without holes to run through.

This is a test for our O line.

SloMotion

I love a good O/Line thread because I don't care what people say, the game is won or lost right there. They could take away all the backs, offense & defense, and just play a big scrum out there for 60 minutes and I'd still be a fan.

Bushrod, Nicks, Evans .... with Stief and de la Puente in support .... I'd say they pass that test.

give 'em beef, Saints.

spkb25

No doubt. They are tough, tough against the run. We just have to keep feeding the ball to keep their d from pinning their ears back and coming after Drew. They are a very good run D though, and there simply is no denying that

44Champs

Don't forget Jed Collins. His ability to snuff the initial tackler and clear the gap will be key.

SaintsBro

Here is another weird thing I realized last night, about their rushing D and statistics. Basically, I read on a 49ers forum, they were boasting that in the first six games of the year, 5 of the first 6 major running backs they played against, did not finish the game because of injury. Which is sort of a grim "1970s Oakland Raiders" type statistic. I'm not taking that lightly -- no doubt they are a mean and physical defense, against the run. But basically what it ALSO kinda means is that, large portions of many of their games were played against scrub or backup backs, instead of it being a stat reflecting their defense standing firm against the other team's star RB the whole entire game. Not taking anything away from their ranking, they are very very good, just an observation. Whatever that's worth, perhaps it's just a byproduct of how good they are, but NOT playing whole games against certain first-string running backs early in the year, definitely helped make their numbers better/higher.

Obviously I don't want anyone to get hurt, but the thing the 49ers will have to reckon with against the Saints, is that even if God forbid, one of our backs goes down, the Saints still have other healthy backs to turn to, and the drop off in quality between them is not as severe as it might be with many other teams around the league. Ivory at 4th string, could easily be a starter on many teams aroud the NFL. Plus the thing of rotating them and keeping them fresh, the Saints backs won't wear down like most conventional teams who have one WORKHORSE all-day back who does all the heavy lifting.

WhoDat!656

". . . the Saints backs won't wear down like most conventional teams who have one WORKHORSE all-day back who does all the heavy lifting."

The 49ers don't have the luxury of giving their best run defenders a break; they will be not only be facing rested Saints RBs, they will also be fighting off the Saints monster O-linemen!!

The 49ers defender will be so tired their a$$es will be sucking buttermilk, they won't be able to get much of a pass rush against Brees, and we know what that will result in!!

SaintsBro

Looking back on it, I think that during the 1:15 winning drive at the end of the last Frisco game, the 49ers D was very tired and worn down. They fumbled that punt, and that kept their D on the field a long time. Then their O scored too quickly, against last year's weird and sloppy Saints D. And then in the last drive, the Niners had no time outs, and Drew just absolutely picked the gassed Niner defense apart, in a surgical passing way. The unrelenting pace the Saints kept up on that final drive was far too much for the Niner D to handle.

AlaskaSaints

I'd like to see some no-huddle offense starting late in the 3rd qtr.

Really.

Alaska