San Francisco 49ers vs. New Orleans Saints: Report-Card Grades for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints dropped their first home game of the season Sunday, losing in heartbreaking fashion to the San Francisco 49ers, 27-24, in overtime.
New Orleans (4-5) was just one play from clinching its third straight win when 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick found a wide-open Michael Crabtree for a 51-yard completion on fourth down late in the fourth quarter. This set up a San Francisco field goal, which ultimately sent the game into an extra period.
After the teams traded punts in overtime, Saints quarterback Drew Brees fumbled as he was hit from behind by 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks, and San Francisco recovered.
The 49ers (5-4) wasted no time in kicking the game-winning field goal, as Phil Dawson booted a 35-yard field goal on first down, thus ending the contest.
The Saints got off to a horrendous start in the key NFC contest, as San Francisco surged to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Brees tossed an interception to 49ers safety Antoine Bethea on the game’s third play from scrimmage, and San Francisco ball-carriers Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde both enjoyed wide-open running lanes and poor tackling by the Saints on their way to opening-period touchdown scampers.
Coach Sean Payton’s club clawed its way back in the second quarter, but it blew a golden opportunity just before halftime when Brees threw a second interception, this one into triple coverage, with New Orleans in great position to score.
The Saints trailed 21-10 at the half, but coordinator Rob Ryan’s defense picked it up a notch in the third quarter. New Orleans limited San Francisco to just three points in the second half, although the Saints did surrender the 51-yard pass to Crabtree with the game on the line.
New Orleans’ 11-game home winning streak was snapped with the loss, which was the first time the Saints suffered defeat in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome since December 2012.
The Saints are still in front of the Carolina Panthers for the divisional lead in the NFC South, but the loss dropped New Orleans' win percentage to below .500 again.
Continue reading for report card grades for each Saints position unit, complete with a final grade on the last slide.
Quarterback
1 of 10
After looking like the Drew Brees of old for the past two games, the Saints' star signal-caller reverted back to his early-season habit of turning the ball over. He finished with two picks and a fumble, and his turnovers came at crucial moments of the game.
It took Brees all of three plays to ring up an interception against the 49ers, and his decision to force the ball into coverage at the end of the first half left all-important points on the field.
He did throw for three touchdowns and nearly 300 yards, however, and some of the plays he made shouldn’t go unmentioned. Most noteworthy was his late-third-quarter scoring toss, where he spun between two would-be tacklers and found Jimmy Graham in the end zone to bring the Saints within four.
While Brees made some big plays, turnovers are still turnovers, and the Saints quarterback has had far too many of them this season. Sunday's contest squeezed three more out of the perennial Pro Bowler as New Orleans tasted a rare Superdome defeat.
Grade: C-
Running Back
2 of 10
Once again, Mark Ingram demonstrated his value to the Saints with a strong performance on the ground.
The fifth-year back reached the 100-yard rushing mark for the third straight week, and with Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas out of action again, Ingram made the most of his opportunity as New Orleans’ primary ball-carrier. He carried 27 times for 120 yards while adding 19 receiving yards on three catches.
After getting off to a sluggish start against a stout San Francisco defense, the former Heisman Trophy winner started heating up in the second half. He ran the ball violently against a violent defense, and in doing so, he helped provide the Saints offense with much-needed balance.
Travaris Cadet totaled 27 offensive yards on five touches, as he spelled Ingram for brief periods while contributing in the passing game. He also delivered a fine block in pass protection as Brees was about to be hit.
Fullback Erik Lorig had a nice outing as Ingram’s lead blocker, and he also hauled in a 14-yard reception for a key first down late the game.
Grade: A-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
As he recovers from a shoulder injury, Graham appears to be rounding into form, and he was a thorn in the 49ers’ side Sunday with 10 receptions and two touchdowns.
The 2013 All-Pro would have added a third touchdown were it not for the offensive pass interference call on him with the game on the line at the end of regulation. The acting performance by San Francisco cornerback Perrish Cox may have seemed Oscar-worthy in slow motion, but in real time, the referee most likely made the proper call.
Rookie wideout Brandin Cooks had another quality outing, as he pulled down five balls for 90 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown catch on a deep pass.
Marques Colston also got in on the act with two receptions for 36 yards, although he dropped a perfectly thrown deep ball, and Kenny Stills made some important catches as well.
Backup tight end Benjamin Watson stayed true to form with his weekly first-down reception, but as usual, he made his biggest contribution as a blocker.
Grade: B-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Brees was dropped for sacks twice in the game, and he was hit six times. This doesn’t speak well for the Saints offensive line, as it lost out on numerous battles in pass protection.
New Orleans was able to run the ball well against San Francisco, however, as the Saints averaged 4.4 yards per carry.
For a good chunk of the game, the Saints offensive front was dominant in the ground game, and against the likes of Justin Smith and the 49ers front seven, that’s a significant accomplishment. Ingram ran behind Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs and Co. for multiple big gains, and San Francisco's run defense was on its heels for most of the fourth quarter.
There were some low points as well, though, and the 49ers defensive line won its share of battles up front, particularly in the pass-rushing department.
Grade: C+
Defensive Line
5 of 10
For the first few minutes of the game, the Saints defensive line was bullied and pushed around, as the 49ers pounded out yards on the ground and snagged a 14-0 lead. The group found its footing, however, and started to make things tougher for Kaepernick and Gore in the second and third quarters.
Cam Jordan rang up his fifth sack of the season, while Tyrunn Walker recorded just the second sack of his career in limited action.
Akiem Hicks, John Jenkins and Brodrick Bunkley had their ups and downs against the run, although none were particularly strong rushing the passer. Despite the fact that he was sacked four times, Kaepernick had plenty of time to throw on more than a few occasions, and Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan often had to send blitzes to generate pressure.
Grade: C-
Linebacker
6 of 10
The 49ers frequently ran right at outside linebacker Junior Galette, and they often enjoyed positive results. Galette recorded just one tackle in the game, although he did manage to put a hit on Kaepernick.
With starting inside linebacker David Hawthorne out, Ramon Humber stepped up in a big way to lead the team with 12 tackles, including two for losses. He registered his first sack of the season, and although he missed on some tackles, he delivered an overall solid performance.
Curtis Lofton was also highly active on the inside, and he finished right behind Humber with 10 tackles. Former 49er Parys Haralson came through with a huge fourth-quarter sack that ended a San Francisco drive, and he also chipped in with four tackles.
The Saints linebackers had their moments, but it must be noted that San Francisco averaged 4.5 yards per carry in an inspired performance.
Grade: C
Secondary
7 of 10
Cornerback Keenan Lewis is one of the NFL’s top cover men, and he proved it once again this week.
Lewis provided excellent coverage on San Francisco’s wideouts, and although he was beaten for a touchdown by Anquan Boldin, he still had solid coverage on the play.
His second-quarter knee injury proved costly, however, and while his efforts to continue playing were admirable, he wasn’t able to finish the game and was replaced by rookie Brian Dixon.
As for the other New Orleans defensive backs, they’ve seen better days. Cornerback Corey White was beaten multiple times for 49er first-downs, and it appeared Kaepernick often targeted White no matter which receiver he was covering.
Safety Kenny Vaccaro hasn’t had a very solid season thus far, and he had another subpar showing Sunday. He whiffed on a weak attempt of an arm tackle on a San Francisco touchdown run, and he looked to be largely responsible for the blown coverage on the 51-yard completion to Crabtree late in the fourth quarter.
Rafael Bush, meanwhile, had one of his more physical games of the season from his safety spot, and he delivered some big hits in run support.
It was Kaepernick’s long fourth-down completion over the top of the Saints defense, however, that brings this group’s grade down.
Grade: C-
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Saints special teams wasn't awful Sunday, but it wasn't exactly spectacular, either.
Nick Toon had a great opportunity to down a punt inside the 5-yard line late in the game, but the reserve wideout couldn't pull it off and the play ended with a touchback.
Cadet was solid in the kick return game, as he averaged 24 yards per return, while Cooks continues to struggle in the punt return department.
The Saints punt coverage unit was once again impressive, but the kick coverage team was a bit shakier than usual in tracking down Hyde, who ripped off a 30-yard return.
Kicker Shayne Graham, meanwhile, did all that was asked of him, as he made a field goal from 40 yards out while knocking home all of his extra points.
Punter Thomas Morstead was his usual efficient self, and he boomed six punts for a 49-yard average.
Grade: C+
Coaching
9 of 10
Sean Payton and his staff led the Saints to big wins in the previous two weeks, but there were some questionable decisions in this one.
For starters, there was the decision to not call a timeout with the clock ticking down to under 20 seconds remaining in the first half. Brees ended up tossing a pick, and the Saints went into the locker room without any points on the drive.
Then, there was the puzzling choice to punt on 4th-and-2 in overtime, with the Saints near midfield.
To his credit, Payton never abandoned the ground game, and this began to pay dividends when Ingram started to take over in the fourth quarter.
The bigger picture, however, is that the Saints' season-long habit of blowing games in the final moments reared its ugly head again, and coaching deserves some of the blame for it.
Grade: D
Final Grade
10 of 10
Despite their underwhelming record, the 49ers brought a talented, highly physical football team to the ballpark Sunday, and they proved that they shouldn’t be counted out of any playoff discussions just yet.
That being said, mistakes were ultimately what cost Payton’s squad the game. The Saints bested the 49ers in terms of total yards and time of possession, but they made far too many critical errors. Whether it was an interception (or two), a fumble, a blown coverage or a crucial penalty, New Orleans made blunder after blunder at key moments in the game.
The club certainly played well in spurts against San Francisco, but with the Saints staring victory right in the face, it once again slipped through their grasp in the closing moments thanks to self-inflicted wounds.
Final Grade: C-
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