What you’ll be talking about after Saints-49ers game

By Ross Jackson

After the New Orleans Saints dropped their first opening game in seven years, there were several storylines that kept fans talking throughout the week. 

• The team’s fight at the end of the game
• Tight end Juwan Johnson’s near-touchdown catch
• Defensive end Cameron Jordan’s resurgence
• Late game heroics by defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and cornerback Alontae Taylor
• The use or misuse of first half timeouts

The game was rife with week-long conversation material. Now, with the Saints set to host the San Francisco 49ers for a Week 2 matchup, there are likely to be several talking points to come out of the next game as well. 

Quarterback Spencer Rattler’s Performance

Should the Saints pull off the upset victory against the 49ers, who are expected to not have starting quarterback Brock Purdy available, a lot of the conversation will be aimed at the Saints’ young starter. 

Regardless of which players are or are not available for the San Francisco offense, the team’s defense is outstanding. If the Saints, who have not eclipsed 20 points since Week 11 of last season, produce enough to topple the 49ers, it will likely have been on the back of Rattler’s best game as a pro. 

If the Saints lose, much of the conversation as it often is following a loss, will likely be around the quarterback’s performance still as he will have started his career 0-8. Because there is a lot of context to those losses, the topic is sure to be a heavily debated one. 

Safety Jonas Sanker Arrives

The debut of the Saints’ third-round pick is already a focal point. After his strong preseason and training camp, the Virginia safety is looking to impress heading into his first regular season action as a defensive starter. There will be growing pains, as there are for any rookie, but Sanker’s promise is immense, and he’s sure to be a key point of conversation following the game. Ideally, because he is a bright spot. 

Sanker is seeing his first career start following the unfortunate shoulder injury to safety Julian Blackmon. The injury, reported as a torn labrum, is expected to end his season. 

Wide Receiver Chris Olave’s Big Game

This one is a bit more of an outright prediction. But after seeing how hard Olave fought to stay out on the field last week, it’s clear that he has something to prove. If not something to prove, certainly a statement to make. He should have ample opportunities to make that statement on Sunday. 

Olave took 17 snaps from the slot last week. If he has a heavy volume against the 49ers, he’ll find himself often lined up against rookie nickel corner Upton Stout. That would be a positive matchup for Olave, and one that he can work to exploit.