49ers vs. Saints: Key matchups that’ll decide Week 12 outcome
By Peter Panacy
49ers vs. Saints matchup No. 2: Mike McGlinchey vs. Cameron Jordan
Plenty of defenses are putting together what many a San Francisco fan has known for some time: Right tackle Mike McGlinchey struggles in pass protection.
Granted, McGlinchey might not be quite as bad in this department as fans think, but it is an area for improvement, particularly acknowledging his former teammate and friend, Joe Staley, encouraged him to get better at protecting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
McGlinchey is going to have his hands full on Sunday against one of New Orleans’ best pass-rushers, defensive end Cameron Jordan, whose 5.5 sacks this year rank second on his team and only behind linebacker Demario Davis’ 6.5.
Jordan might be having a down year, yes, but the perennial Pro Bowler is a massive threat and one of the few players on defense the Saints can look to help take over a game.
To date, according to Pro Football Focus, McGlinchey has given up five sacks on the year. Even if he allows another to Jordan, it wouldn’t be a disaster.
Instead, McGlinchey merely needs to be effective enough.