In a game reminiscent of the nightmarish outcomes of the 1980s and early 1990s in this rivalry, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the New Orleans Saints by a 26-21 score in the Superdome on Sunday. The loss dropped the Saints to 0-2, with both losses at home to conference opponents. San Francisco improved to 2-0 with their second straight road victory.
New Orleans faced a 49ers team without quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Yet, the Saints regressed badly from their Week 1 defensive performance. The loss dropped Spencer Rattler to an incredible 0-8 as a starter, with the 21 points representing the second most in the nine games he’s played. Rattler showed some improved play, as did most of the offense outside of Cesar Ruiz. The defense, on the other hand, likely goes back to the drawing board after playing so poorly against the pass.
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There weren’t a ton of positive things to take away from this game, but here were the top two performers on each side of the ball.
Carl Granderson
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 14: Carl Granderson #96 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates a play during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the game at Caesars Superdome on September 14, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
For the second straight week, Granderson was one of the top defenders on the field for either side. He played the run petty well, containing Christian McCaffrey on the ground and continuing to show improvement in that area. Granderson also had a game-high 2 sacks, adding to his 1.5 sacks a week ago against the Cardinals.
Like the rest of the pass rush, Granderson didn’t make any plays against San Francisco quarterback Mac Jones in the second half. However, he’s continuing to show that he is developing into a disruptive presence along the edge in Brandon Staley’s defense.
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Alvin Kamara
Sep 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
After underutilizing Alvin Kamara against Arizona, there was plenty of Kamara in Sunday’s game plan. He carried the ball 21 times for 99 yards and caught 6 passes for 21 yards. Kamara didn’t reach the end zone but led all players on both sides in yards from scrimmage and rushing yardage.
Expect Kamara to be this involved in the game plan most weeks. He still needs better utilized in the passing game, but it’s pretty clear that Kamara’s success will determine the success of the New Orleans offense.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL Week 2: Saints’ game balls from one-score loss vs. 49ers