Niner Noise
FanSided

Why 49ers are serious NFC contenders after hot 2019 start

By Robert Morrison

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates beating the Pittsburgh Steelers at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates beating the Pittsburgh Steelers at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 29: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the New Orleans Saints hands the ball off to Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints during the second half of a NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 29, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 29: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the New Orleans Saints hands the ball off to Alvin Kamara #41 of the New Orleans Saints during the second half of a NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 29, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

NFC South contenders

New Orleans Saints

More than likely, the New Orleans Saints are the team with the best chance of representing the NFC South in the playoffs. But so much depends upon the health of quarterback Drew Brees after his recent thumb surgery.

Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has led the team to two victories since taking over for Brees during their loss to the Rams in Los Angeles. But he hasn’t been asked to do very much in either victory.

He’s thrown for a combined 42-of-57 for 370 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and passing charts that more or less look like this:

The game plan of getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers isn’t a bad one. It just doesn’t strike a lot of fear into the hearts of opponents, especially if the Saints allow pressure like they did against the Rams.

Their defense has been good, and is coming off its best game of the year in holding the Dallas Cowboys to 10 points on Sunday Night Football, coming out with a 86.7 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus.

If Brees can get healthy, however, and is able to play as well as he did in a Week 1 win over the Houston Texans, then the Saints will catapult back to the top of the NFC contenders list.

As is, however, their flaw at quarterback will be tough to overcome, and the same could be said if Brees doesn’t come back to full health.