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Saints prove they can compete with the best

There was at least as much good to take away from the Saints' wild loss to San Francisco as there was bad.

NEW ORLEANS — There was at least as much good to take away from the Saints' wild loss to San Francisco as there was bad.

Here's the most concerning takeaway from Sunday's game in the Superdome.

No.4 Kamara didn't look like Kamara

Four weeks ago against Tampa, Kamara was either performing 100% as well as he used to or close to it, but against Carolina and Atlanta, Kamara didn't play as well as he did earlier in the season.

It's likely we won't find out what wasn't right with No. 41 until after the season, but until then Kamara's performance seems to be missing something.

When his performance is 100%, Kamara is a superstar, and the Saints need that superstar back.

No. 3 Deonte Harris is back

Deonte Harris was electric on the field Sunday, and Sean Payton turned up the sparks.

In the best game of his rookie season by far, Harris had five kickoff returns, two punt returns, and a rush catch, totaling out to 213 yards.

He is a game-changer, making him another weapon in the Saints' offensive arsenal that can be used in the playoffs.

No. 2 Shanahan was the games MVP

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was the most valuable player in the game Sunday for the offensive plays he called.

The game was brilliantly coached. The Saints have been giving up 323 yards a game, but San Francisco took 516 on Sunday.

They surgically used the Saints' aggression to their advantage many times. The Saints were No. 6 in the NFL in third-down defense, giving up conversions only 34% of the time.

The 49ers converted half of their third downs and all of their fourth-downs.

George Kittle's last-minute play to set up the game-winning kick was a great call. Sean Payton had a great game too, but the 49ers won. 

No. 1 Losing to 49ers is the wake-up call we need

The Saints' Superbowl chances are better after losing to the 49ers because of the Saints' wins since the bye have been sloppy. 

New Orleanians know what a Superbowl winning team looks like, and the Saints haven't looked like one in the last month.

Two weeks ago, San Francisco destroyed Green Bay, and that game was the yardstick. Green Bay couldn't keep up with the 49ers, and the question was could the Saints compete with the 49ers.

Obviously, the answer to that question was a resounding yes. The game could have gone either way. The Saints carved up the 49ers defense, unlike any other team they've played this season.

The loss means the Saints have to win on the road during the playoffs, but after a month of not playing great football, this game proved the Saints can compete with San Francisco, making them formidable against any team in the NFC.

Dennis Allen will get a second shot to stop the 49ers offense, and that'll be fun to watch.

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