One of the San Francisco 49ers biggest weaknesses were on display in their week one matchup against the Seahawks. Despite having a historically good offensive line, they struggled against Seattle’s pass rush. Even while under duress, Brock Purdy still led them to victory. Now with Purdy out and Mac Jones at helm, they won’t have room for error. This means the New Orleans Saints' need to pressure the quarterback has grown.
Purdy was pressured 23 times on 38 dropbacks against the Seahawks per Next Gen Stats. Even 11x pro bowler Trent Williams failed to keep the backfield clean. In fact, Williams allowed the most pressures on the team (10). Purdy was only sacked once but was constantly on the run.
Purdy is expected to miss the next 2-5 weeks with a turf toe and shoulder injury. This is a major problem for the 49ers as backup Mac Jones hasn’t been great against pressure in his career. He can’t extend the play with his legs and makes bad decisions.
The Saints pass rush should feast on a struggling unit
The Saints pass rush should constantly be in the backfield. Carl Granderson and Cam Jordan each had impressive season openers. They each racked up 1.5 sacks. Now it's time to show that they can sustain that level of play against a struggling group.
Chase Young will miss another game. He is still recovering from a calf injury that caused him to miss week one. This means another week of the Saints missing their best pressure player. That doesn't impact Granderson much, but it will result in Jordan keeping a high snap count. Seeing if he can repeat is Week 1 performance will be fun to watch.
Even with Young not playing, the Saints pass rush should wreak havoc against the 49ers. Their offensive line allowed 23 pressures in week one, it’s necessary the Saints exploit this and tally a similar number. This will be the key for their first win of the season.
George Kittle takes away one of the 49ers safety valves
To make matters worse for Jones, George Kittle was put on injured reserve. He was a valuable safety option for the quarterback while under pressure. His strength and reliability made him the perfect target while under duress.
With Kittle out, that role likely moves to running back Christian McCaffrey now. He already contributed as a checkdown with nine receptions for 73 yards. He will be the premier target for Jones while under pressure. The Saints focus should be on limiting McCaffrey out of the backfield.
It’s also worth mentioning that wide receiver Jauan Jennings didn’t practice on Thursday. However, he is expected to play on Sunday.