The 49ers are essentially playing playoff games the rest of the year as they battle for the NFC West title and a first-round bye in the playoffs. A win over the Saints would go a long way toward achieving both of those goals.
Here are three keys for a 49ers victory Sunday:
1. Win the turnover battle
San Francisco probably would’ve beat the Ravens had they not given away a fumble. Tying in the turnover column again this week may not be enough against a very talented Saints club. San Francisco has to generate a couple takeaways on defense by getting Drew Brees off his spot and getting rid of the ball earlier than he’d like to. On the other side, Jimmy Garoppolo has to take care of the ball. Even one dangerous throw into traffic or a fumble might be enough to lose the game for San Francisco.
2. Utilize a healthy RB group
The 49ers finally have a healthy stable of running backs again. Matt Breida is set to return after missing three games with an ankle injury. That should take some of the onus off a struggling Tevin Coleman. It also allows head coach Kyle Shanahan to use Raheem Mostert a little more judiciously. Mostert had a career-high 19 carries last week. All three runners are fine on their own, but San Francisco has an elite rushing attack when they’re all healthy.
3. Keep up dominance vs. non-mobile passers
San Francisco’s pass rush has struggled with mobile quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray. Their ability to make plays with their legs mitigate the 49ers’ tremendous pass rush. More traditional pocket passers present easier targets for a 49ers defensive line that specializes in collapsing pockets. Even Aaron Rodgers, who manipulates the pocket as well as any quarterback, had one of the worst games of his career against San Francisco. Drew Brees is like Rodgers in his elite ability to move within the pocket, but he’s not mobile like some of the quarterbacks that’ve given the 49ers trouble. If the trend against pocket passers continues, the 49ers defense could have a big day in the sack column.
