The New Orleans Saints fell short once again, falling 26-21 in their week 2 home matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The defense would’ve likely given up more points if it wasn’t for a big afternoon for Carl Granderson.
Building off of a strong week 1, Granderson delivered again in week 2 with a strong performance, giving the Saints a consistent pass rusher. His impactful play secured him the Saints player of the game.
Granderson was the most disruptive player on the defense, finishing the day with 7 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 tackles for loss. He did a fantastic job creating chaos, making downfield tackles, and bringing down the quarterback.
Granderson silences the offseason doubt
The offseason discussions carried doubt about the Saints having a consistent edge rusher. After two weeks, Granderson has shutdown the noise with a fantastic start to the 2025 campaign. He's off to the fastest start to his career.
He has put together back to back standout performances, consistently impacting both run defense and pass rush, against quality offensive lines. These two strong showings have him on pace for a breakout season in year 7.
Granderson is performing at a level that demands league wide attention, he has been the Saints best defensive player and is off to an All Pro caliber start in the first two weeks. He’s recorded 13 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 2 pass breakups, all of which are career highs through two games.
Granderson disrupts 49ers offensive strengths
Few teams have run the ball better than the 49ers over the past four seasons and with Christian Mccaffrey in the backfield, they pose one of the most dangerous run games in football. They finished the day with 26 rushes for 77 yards, averaging only 3 yards per carry. The squad held firm against the superstar running back, and Granderson’s disruptive afternoon played major factor in 49ers inability to run the ball.
The 49ers have also statistically been one of the best blocking offensive lines since 2021, finishing in the top 11 every season in sacks allowed. They allowed the Saints defensive line to get home 3 times on Sunday, however, and Granderson was the driving force behind it.