49ers vs. Saints: 3 things you need to know
The San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints both sit at .500 entering Sunday's matchup at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, but have been heading in opposite directions as of late.
The Saints moved into first place in the weak NFC South with a 28-10 victory over the division rival Carolina Panthers – their first road win of the season – in Week 9 and have won two straight.
The 49ers, meanwhile, are coming off an embarrassing 13-10 loss to the St. Louis Rams and sit third in the NFC West behind the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.
Here's what you need to know:
Home Sweet Home
The Saints haven't lost on their home turf since Dec. 30, 2012 and are 5-1 against the 49ers in their last six meetings at the Superdome.
One of the biggest reasons behind the Saints' ability to dominate at home is their passing offense, which ranks third in the league with 307 yards per game. Their rushing attack isn't doing so bad either, as they're tied for second in yards per carry (4.8) and rank first in rushing touchdowns (12).
Desperate Times
San Francisco's Week 9 matchup didn't end ideally for Colin Kaepernick, who fumbled on a 3rd-and-goal sneak from the St. Louis 1-yard line with nine seconds to go. He was also sacked a career-high eight times.
The loss was the 49ers' second in a row and has the Saints on high alert.
"They probably feel this week like we did a couple weeks ago, where you're just in desperate need for a win," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. "And because of that we know the type of team that's gonna come in here."
Saints head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that the 49ers will be desperate for a win, but was quick to point out that his team is desperate as well.
"Someone's going to 4-5 and the other team's gonna be 5-4," he said. "So obviously we don't delve into that as much as we just talked about understanding the type of game we've got to play this week."
No Aldon Smith
The 49ers will be without linebacker Aldon Smith for a ninth consecutive game Sunday while he finishes serving a suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct and substance abuse policies.
There was some hope Smith's suspension would be reduced for good behavior, but the league ultimately decided not to budge on the matter.
Dan Skuta, who started eight games in Smith’s absence, suffered an ankle injury against the Rams and was held out of practice all week as a result. If he is unable to play, rookie Aaron Lynch will likely get the start.