The San Francisco 49ers host the New Orleans Saints in their second preseason game on Sunday night. Since there were no joint practices last week, we should see some of the regulars in action, according to Kyle Shanahan:
“I want to have some of them playing. I don’t want to say all of them, but I would like to have a lot of them at least for a while. We wanted to do these training sessions before we can evaluate it. So we haven’t told every player individually. But yes, the plan is that you will see some of them.”
That includes Brock Purdy. With that information, here are four things to watch for in Week 2 of the preseason.
Where is the pass rush?
If Nick Bosa plays at all, it would be surprising. He shouldn’t play more than ten snaps. Week 2 should be more about Leonard Floyd and Yeture Gross-Matos. In Week 1, Kalia Davis was the most eye-catching pass rusher. We may not see him again until November.
Gross-Matos won a few times, but the 49ers recorded just one quarterback hit and one Davis sack against the Tennessee Titans. Can the starters produce more pass rush? It was a tough job during training camp, even with Trent Williams out.
Players like Alex Barrett and Robert Beal Jr. will have to show they can contribute enough to earn trust during the regular season. But I’ll be keeping a close eye on Gross-Matos and whether he’s used inside as a pass rusher. He got both of his wins last week by rushing from the outside.
The Saints have a rookie first-round left tackle, a veteran left guard and a 2022 first-round right tackle who… shall we say, didn’t live up to his expectations in the draft. The Niners should Create pressure.
Who does Brock rely on without Aiyuk?
The combination of Purdy and Brandon Aiyuk was a sight to behold last season and one of the most, if not the most, effective duo in the NFL. Chris Conley has started in Aiyuk’s place.
Tonight, we’ll see what a hypothetical passing offense — albeit the standard version — looks like without its two best weapons: Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey.
Conley and Deebo Samuel are expected to start on the outside, with Jauan Jennings as the slot receiver. But George Kittle could be the biggest mismatch. The numerous weapons make this offense gruff and difficult to prepare for.
I’ll be watching to see if Purdy focuses on a receiver specifically. That hasn’t been the case during camp. Purdy plays point guard and shares the skill set of Kittle through Conley.
Speaking of passing, Jordan Mason’s pass protection and ability to catch the blitz might be the most important aspect of the starters’ performance on the field.
Fewer missed tackles, more plays with the ball
It’s the preseason, so no one expects perfection. But the 49ers left a lot to be desired in the tackling department last week. There were 13 missed attempts, and that number goes up when you count bad angles where the defender couldn’t get a hand on the ball carrier.
At the same time, not all missed tackles are created equal. Some happen in the backfield and the offensive player has to redirect, but it still ends positively for the defense.
One of the linebackers who missed multiple tackles was released. Another safety is at the bottom of the list. The only starter to miss a tackle last week was Ji’Ayir Brown.
Speaking of Brown, he’s been playing nothing but the ball during training camp. If we see Brown, Deommodore Lenoir and Charvarius Ward in a few series, we’ll see how they stack up against a Saints offense that’s expected to let their starters play a lot.
The Saints have an above-average number of wide receivers, but that’s where the team factor comes in. When the other color jersey flashes, Derek Carr panics. So even with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaeed, and AT Perry, the 49ers secondary should be able to intercept some of Carr’s passes.
Everything is fine at the front
Perhaps it’s more a testament to the offensive line than a detriment to the defensive line that Purdy has been kept clean on most of his dropbacks during training camp. Sure, there are the occasional tackle where Bosa makes someone look ridiculous, but we’re talking about one of the best players in the sport.
Jaylon Moore has been fantastic during training camp filling in for Trent Williams. Last week, there was no player on the first or second line that allowed pressure. It will be different against the Saints. Nick Zakelj will likely start at left guard since Aaron Banks will be out until Week 1 with a broken pinky finger.
Dominick Puni was better than advertised and Colton McKivitz made a case for the best game on offense. Can they put together two solid performances in a row? They’re on par with the Saints as they’re mostly power rushers and this game should help build confidence on the right side of the line.
