A wild game in the Superdome ends with San Francisco winning 48-46, for the Saints, the defense and offense performances were on opposite sides of the spectrum.
Sunday's game was probably the best offensive game of the year, facing the No. 1 defense in the NFL.
The Saints threw up 46 points. Quarterback Drew Brees' performance was outstanding throughout the game, but the defense gave up more than 500 yards of total offense to the 49ers offense, which hasn't been great all year.
Sean Payton told a reporter he didn't feel encouraged after the tough loss.
"I feel frustrated because we had opportunities earlier in the game, offensively, to take advantage of field position," the Saints coach said. "We had a number of opportunities. We had missed assignments, so no I'm not encouraged that way."
The defense was not good overall; it took a step backward after having been good all year.
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers head coach, called really a masterful game. We did see a lot of missed directions — a lot of utilizing speed from their skill positions Sunday.
It really put the Saints off balance. After the game, Craig Robertson said this is something they've seen from the 49ers all year long.
It's one thing to see it on tape and another to actually play against it. If these two teams end up matching up again, I think the Saints will be more in tune with what the 49ers do offensively, but Sunday the 49ers showed the rest of the league why they were the second-ranked rushing team in the NFL: They can move the ball with the best.
Although the Saints said the defense was prepared for it, at times, it didn't look like it. On the other side of the field, the offense showed, so many encouraging signs.
Drew Brees was outstanding for the most part. He got pretty good pressure against a terrific pass rush. This was probably the Saints' best overall offensive game of the season.
All year, fans have been waiting for the Saints offense to have that breakout game, and what a way to do it against the No. 1 defense in the NFL.
Drew Brees in this offense came out on fire: Four touchdowns in the first four possessions. He ended up with six touchdowns in this game, and usually, when the Saints offense performs that well, they're in the win column. But the 49ers defense in the second half were able to get off the field and shut down the run.
In that last Saints drive, when they perhaps scored too quickly, the Saints gave the 49ers the ball. In the game Sunday, whoever had the ball last would win, and the 49ers got the ball last. That's why they ended up winning.
If the Saints had the ball last and took more time, it would've been a different story.
It is encouraging news that the offense was able to have a performance like they had Sunday against one of the better defenses in the NFL.
It was an encouraging game for the Saints despite it being a tough loss. The Saints are still in the thick of the NFC playoff race.
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