On Sunday night, the San Francisco 49ers will host the New Orleans Saints at Levi’s Stadium. The Niners are looking for their first victory of the 2024 NFL preseason, while the Saints will try to win in back-to-back games.
Here’s everything you need to know about this Week 2 preseason matchup between the 49ers and Saints, including how to watch, how to listen, the start time, and more.
New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers
- Start time: Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, 8 p.m. ET
- Channel: FOX
- Live stream options: Hulu + Live TV, Fubo TV, Sling TV
- Radio stations: WWL 870AM/105.3 FM, KNBR 680 AM/1050 AM
- Starting QBs:
- Betting lines:
- Spread: NO -2.5
- Total: 38.5
- Moneyline: NO -148, SF +124
The final matchup of the week features the Saints heading to Levi’s Stadium to take on the 49ers. While both the Saints and Arizona Cardinals’ offenses struggled early, the Saints did score the first points, kicking two field goals before the end of the first half. However, the rookie QB Spencer Rattler secured the win for the Saints in the second half.
After Jake Haener struggled to find the end zone, Rattler stepped in during the second half and led the Saints down the field on their opening possession to punch in a four-yard touchdown, giving New Orleans a 13-7 lead. After the Cardinals answered with a TD late in the fourth to take a 14-13 lead, Rattler stepped up again to execute a perfect two-minute drill to set up the Saints for a game-winning field goal.
On the other hand, the 49ers lost their opening preseason matchup to the Tennessee Titans 17-13. While the 49ers were without most of their starters, they were able to go down the field on the opening drive for a quick score. However, after the Titans scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, the 49ers did not regain the lead.
QBs Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs had a rough outing, failing to get much going outside of a singular drive for both signal-callers. While Purdy is still the starter, ironing out a backup plan in case of injury is always a good idea, and based on the first performance, Dobbs and Allen need to show decent improvement.
Also, outside of Jordan Mason, the rushing attack was lacking, which is a bit strange for a 49ers team that excels on the ground. While Christian McCaffery won’t get much preseason time, the 49ers have always had a stable of backs at the ready to lighten the load. Who will step forward on the roster to give McCaffery and Mason some breathers?
The Saints kept the Cardinals in check all week last week, and with the 49ers’ rough outing, they will look to do the same to San Francisco in Week 2. Can the 49ers perform better and grab a preseason win, or will Rattler continue to show he’s ready for the big stage?