Taliese Fuaga left midway through the New Orleans Saints Week 1 matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals. His availability for the Saints game against the San Francisco 49ers is now in question. was listed as questionable for Sunday on the Saints injury report. Even if Fuaga plays, he won't be 100%.
The injury isn’t expected to be a long term issue, but it’s still important to manage it correctly. It’s better for Fuaga to miss one game than to play and re-aggravate it, causing him to miss substantial time. The Saints are managing this and will do whatever they need to.
The Saints acquired Asim Richards from the Cowboys on cutdown day. He didn’t play any right tackle for Dallas but was brought in when Fuaga went down last week. Richards is the projected starter if Fuaga is unable to play. Regardless of the decision, the starter will be immediately tested against a talented 49ers pass rush
Whoever the starter is will have a tough task
The 49ers have an elite pass rush group highlighted by former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. They paired him this offseason with first round pick Mykel Williams. This is a dangerous duo rushing off the edge.
Bosa showed no signs of slowing down in week one. He totaled one sack, a forced fumble and three tackles for loss. Bosa consistently penetrated the backfield. He was a major reason why the 49ers beat the Seahawks.
The Saints need to give Spencer Rattler as much time to operate as they can, especially with him being inexperienced. If Bosa and Williams crash the backfield every play the Saints offense will stand no chance. Fuaga and Richards giving him time is the difference between the offense looking good, or being stagnant.
The Saints will have a huge decision on who to start Sunday with Taliese Fuaga being listed as questionable. Either him or Asim Richards will have their hands full trying to block Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams. Regardless of who the starter is, it’s paramount that they give Spencer Rattler time to operate.