SF 49ers vs. Saints: 3 weaknesses Kyle Shanahan must expose in Week 10
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: SF 49ers can capitalize on Saints penalties
In terms of overall penalties, New Orleans is much more disciplined than the Niners. So, at the outset, it would appear this isn’t much of an advantage for San Francisco, which has 52 accepted penalties against (10th most) compared to the Saints’ 47 (17th).
But not all penalties are created equal, and there’s a pretty big discrepancy where Kyle Shanahan can take advantage.
True, the Saints aren’t penalized a lot. But when they are, it hurts.
No team in the league has been penalized more yards than New Orleans (581 yards) through nine weeks, and one of the biggest culprits has been defensive pass-interference calls where the Saints lead the league with 13. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been flagged four times here, while fellow defensive back Marcus Williams is right behind him with three.
It hasn’t been a big part of Shanahan’s offense this season, but he shouldn’t hesitate to let quarterback Nick Mullens air out a deep throw intended for speedy receivers like Richie James or Brandon Aiyuk, at least with the intent of possibly drawing a favorable pass-interference call.
The Saints are prone to giving up these kinds of plays, and it might be one of those X-factors that go in San Francisco’s favor.