Michael Bacigalupi
By Ross Jackson
With an 0-2 start for the New Orleans Saints in 2025, The immediate improvements that some had hoped for are still yet to come. But the long road of rebuilding is very much under way. The Saints should take both positives and concerns away from Sunday’s contest with the San Francisco 49ers.
The team had a chance to drive, score, and take the lead late, but missed opportunities, miscues, and poor situational play earlier kept them from a better outcome.
Pro Football Focus’s grades from the matchup summarize those same factors.
Top-5 Grades (min. 10 snaps)
- DE Chris Rumph II – 80.2
- LB Demario Davis – 79.1
- TE Jack Stoll – 78.0
- QB Spencer Rattler – 75.5
- WR Chris Olave – 72.6
Rumph and Davis combined for the season’s first takeaway on a sack-fumble against 49ers quarterback Mac Jones. Rumph knocked the ball out of Jones’ hand as he reared back to throw, and Davis came up with the recovery. Additionally, Davis led the team in tackles with 11. That sack was Rumph’s lone pressure of the game, but wasn’t back for someone that rushed the passer only four times.
Stoll made his grade out of some great blocking output on Sunday. He allowed no pressures on his pass blocking snaps and had several good blocks at the line of scrimmage or up in the second level for rushers.
Rattler and Olave both had strong days, though their performances could have been simultaneously improved by connecting on the missed opportunity for a touchdown in the opening drive. However, after that, both players had strong days. Rattler set several career-best numbers and Olave led the team in both receptions (6) and receiving yards (54).
Bottom-5 Grades (min. 10 snaps)
- LB Pete Werner – 48.8
- CB Isaac Yiadom – 44.8
- DL Jonah Williams – 44.6
- OL Cesar Ruiz – 43.3
- DT Davon Godchaux – 30.6
Werner and Yiadom were among the most concerning performances of the day. Per Pro Football Focus, the players combined for 14 targets as the closest defenders in coverage. On those targets, 49ers receivers yielded 11 catches for 160 passing yards and a touchdown reception. 57.3% of Jones’ passing yards were credited with Werner and Yiadom in coverage.The duo also appears to be responsible for seven of San Francisco’s 15 passing first downs.
It’s important to note that being the “closest defender” isn’t the same as being in primary coverage. However, the numbers don’t look promising.
WIlliams and Godchaux are both knocked with lower than expected run defense grades. Williams’ average depth of tackle was four years downfield while Godchaux’s is charted at five. However, holding 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey to just 55 rushing yards should be seen as an overall win for the defensive line unit.
Ruiz’s name this low, relative to the play of other offensive linemen for the Saints, is a bit surprising. The guard allowed one hit and two pressures and his pass blocking grade (35.7) is far lower than right tackle Taliese Fuaga’s pass blocking grade of 55.6, despite Fuaga having surrendered six pressures, including a sack and a hit. Fuaga’s overall grade was aided by a stellar performance in the run game, but Ruiz’s pass blocking grade being so much lower despite not allowing a sack and a third of the pressures is a curious one.
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