The 49ers offense has its work cut out for it Sunday in New Orleans. The Saints, once a dominant offensive juggernaut, now has a terrific defense to compliment an offense that may have taken a step back.

New Orleans’ defensive talent is good enough to match an equally talented 49ers offense. The room for error Sunday on offense is minimal against a Saints defense that’ll take full advantage of miscues.

San Francisco’s offense is at its best when it’s running the ball effectively. Here are the six players the 49ers need playing well to maximize their offensive production:

RB Matt Breida

The 49ers have sorely missed Breida’s explosiveness while he’s been out with an ankle injury. He’s missed the last three games, and until Raheem Mostert broke out last week, the rushing attack has suffered greatly from a lack of big-play ability on the ground. Breida has game-changing speed that can turn a short gain into a long touchdown with one missed tackle. He leads the team with 542 rushing yards, and he’s going at 5.0 yards per carry in his third season. Breida may only get 10 or 12 carries, but the 49ers should benefit a lot from having him back.