New Orleans Saints: Previewing team’s Week 10 matchup vs. 49ers

Overview

Any time you have Kyle Shanahan and Sean Payton face-off, a lot of points are going to be scored.

That will likely hold true in this game, so the current over/under total of 49 seems very low. Shanahan has had defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s number in the past, while Brees has always dominated against this style of defense.

Just looking at this from an overall roster talent perspective, it is clear that the Saints are the better team.

However, San Francisco mostly matches up favorably against them, and are the more disciplined team; New Orleans is coming off of a huge primetime win, while the 49ers are essentially playing for their season and will have had ten days to prepare for this game.

For that reason, I do not the Saints cover as a near double-digit favorite. However, I do believe they’ll figure out a way to squeeze out a victory, even if the game will be much closer than people expect, and an upset for the 49ers is certainly a possibility.

This game will tell us a lot about New Orleans. Yes, they looked dominant against Tampa Bay, but this is the same team that struggled to beat the Panthers, Bears, Lions, and Chargers. Was that just because of injuries or a sign that they perhaps are being overvalued by the market?

Hopefully, the answer to that question will ultimately turn out to be the former.