How the New Orleans Saints defense should slow down the 49ers offense

How the New Orleans Saints defense should slow down the 49ers’ offense

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 28: Vonn Bell #24 of the New Orleans Saints reacts after recovering a fumble along with teammates P.J. Williams #26 and Justin Hardee #34 during the second half of an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

The 49ers offense has been consistently effective all season with Kyle Shanahan calling the shots. How should the New Orleans Saints slow them down?

Kyle Shanahan’s creative play design and deliberate play calling have allowed the 49ers to have one of the best offenses in the NFL this season. The New Orleans Saints’ defense faces arguably their toughest test of the season.

Who will come out on top?

The scheme that Shanahan uses could be seen as a modernized version of the West Coast offense that his dad, Mike, used to great effect while head coach for the Broncos and Redskins.

The main idea behind the west coast offense is to use the short, quick passing game as an alternative to running the ball. This places a heavy emphasis on receivers who can add yards after the catch as they will have ample opportunity to do so.

It’s no coincidence that George Kittle, their TE, had the most yards after the catch last season and more than players like Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara!

Their second-round rookie WR Deebo Samuel and their mid-season free-agent addition Emmanuel Sanders were brought in because of their ability to catch the ball over the middle and make plays after the catch.

Jimmy Garoppolo has one of the quickest releases in the game, which was likely one of the key factors behind the 49ers’ decision to trade for him as a quick release is vital in any variant of the west coast offense.