Niner Noise
FanSided

Position grades, analysis from 49ers narrow, thrilling victory over Saints

By Akshaj Dwivedula

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 08: Robbie Gould #9 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after kicking the game winning field goal during a NFL game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on December 08, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 08: Robbie Gould #9 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after kicking the game winning field goal during a NFL game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on December 08, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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Jimmy Garoppolo, Mike Person, 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo #10 and Mike Person #68 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco 49ers pulled out a nail-biting victory over the New Orleans Saints, winning 48-46 in a game that could very well decide the first overall seed in the NFC playoff picture. Time to grade it out.

Back in 2013, locked in a battle for the division with the Seattle Seahawks, the San Francisco 49ers lost a close game to the Saints, eventually leading them to a Wild Card spot and that eventual postseason loss at Centurylink Field to the Seahawks.

The 2019 iteration of the Niners has had several similarities to that 2013 team, and the situation holds the same coming into what proved to be an epic Week 14 showdown between San Francisco and New Orleans. The 49ers needed to win to keep pace in a divisional race, and a victory over the Saints would result in the Niners holding the tiebreaker for the first overall seed in the NFC.

And what a win it was, as San Francisco pulled off a crazy, back-and-forth 48-46 win on Sunday, which had plenty of insane moments from both sides.

If the Niners’ Week 13 game was supposed to be a sign of how exciting a Super Bowl with the Niners and Baltimore Ravens would be, this game showed exactly why a 49ers-Saints NFC Championship game would be electric.

Although the Niners did pull away with a victory, the manner of which was surprising and worrying. Quarterback Drew Brees had a field day against the Niners secondary, which lost two members throughout the game after not being with star safety Jaquiski Tartt. It was an offensive showcase reminiscent of the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs thriller last year.

There’s a lot to unpack from this game: a lot of positives from head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive unit and a lot of room for growth for coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense.

Time to hand out some grades.