A finer playoff game you could never hope to see. This game had it all, big plays, stifling defense, periods of yo-yo scoring and a final two minutes that will live long in the memories of partisan and neutral fans alike. In the game the San Francisco 49ers couldn’t win they did just that–and in absolutely spectacular fashion. The 49ers had a narrow margin for error in this game and in a game they dominated with five takeaways and led by as many as 17 points, they only just edged out the victory with a touchdown in the final 10 seconds. The 49ers needed every advantage they gave themselves in this game and just scraped out victorious with some new heroes crowned in the great folklore of 49er playoff history.
For the defeated New Orleans Saints, the franchise is still without a road playoff victory and even though the offense came alive late, it was mistakes by the offense early that proved costly. The defense was unable to pick up the slack for the offense this week as the Saints inability to cut off the big play, cover the middle of the field or prolong the 49ers' red zone struggles ultimately cost them.
The 49ers now sit and wait, do they host their first home conference title game since January 1998? … or will they visit the team that beat them on that day, the Green Bay Packers? We will know before too long.
New Orleans – Three Performances of Note
Giving it Away… and Nearly Stealing it Back
The New Orleans Saints have been pushing the envelope on aggression for the last month of the season and this week the mistakes came in spades. In spite of that, Drew Brees (+3.9) was almost able to pull an ace out of his sleeve and become only the second man in league history to win a playoff game with a -4 turnover differential. Brees was baited into one interception by FS Dashon Goldson and was fortunate not to throw more than two early in the game, but he showed his class and the power of this offense late in the game. The 49ers had the measure of Brees’ offense for much of this game, but at the end Brees showed that if they are within a score they aren’t out of the game until the clock is at 0:00. What will Sean Payton do in planning for next season to allow the talent on this team to give Brees a more balanced attack–so the entire offense doesn’t have to run through him?
Lack of Pressure
If ever a single play encapsulated the failings of an entire unit it was the 49ers' opening score throwing a magnifying glass on the frailties of the New Orleans defense. The Saints blitzed, something they do too much of. The Saints got no pressure, something that happens all too often even when they do blitz. The Saints failed to cover the middle of the field, something that the Lions and 49ers have put them to the sword on it this postseason. The Saints missed a tackle, after five today, they hit 114 this season. The lack of pressure has to be the greatest concern and the biggest focus for the Saints on defense this offseason. New Orleans defensive linemen rushed the passer 159 times in this game while registering none of the Saints’ four sacks, three hits, and seven pressures. For the Saints to re-establish this defense, they need to upgrade their pass rush to allow themselves to put their back seven into better situations to cover.
Not Finishing Strong
Facing up against the Smith connection on the right side of the San Francisco defense, this was always likely to be one of the sternest tests of the season for Saints’ Pro Bowl LT Jermon Bushrod and it was not one that he dealt well with. Bushrod had only two positively graded plays in the entire game, blocking NaVorro Bowman and Tarell Brown and simply couldn’t handle the 49ers' pass rushers. Bushrod yielded pressure to Ahmad Brooks (one pressure), Aldon Smith (sack, two hits, one pressure), and Justin Smith (hit and three pressures) as on the day he couldn’t cope with the variety of pass rushers the 49ers offered. This was a solid season for Bushrod (not worthy of his Pro Bowl nod, but a good season nevertheless), but he will not look back fondly on a postseason during which he delivered two of his worst three games of the year (-3.8 vs. Detroit, -4.0 at San Francisco).
San Francisco – Three Performances of Note
Stepping up to the Mark
He announced his intentions on only his second target of the day and by the end of an emotional performance had come up with the most prolific playoff performance from a tight end in league history and an iconic performance for the franchise. The 49ers made a bold decision cutting Braylon Edwards just before the postseason and it put the pressure on Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis (+7.1) to perform if the 49ers weren’t to be one-and-done. Davis took full advantage of a matchup with a player in a dreadful vein of form as he took New Orleans FS Malcolm Jenkins to task. Jenkins missed tackle set Davis loose for the 49ers' first touchdown and would in the end yield in excess of 130 yards to Davis while in primary coverage. The Saints almost had the last laugh by escaping with a victory while giving the 49ers the ball on five occasions, but Davis’ tough catch at the goal line in the dwindling seconds ensured a home victory.
Just Another Fine Game
We crowned Justin Smith our Defensive Player of the Year on our awards day ahead of Wildcard Weekend and in his first career playoff win he showed the form (+4.6) that saw him earn that honor. Smith worked against a variety of New Orleans offensive linemen and none of them could keep him quiet, not even Pro Bowlers Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks. Smith tied his season high, set in Week 1, with 10 total pressures by registering one sacks, four hits and five pressures, LT Jermon Bushrod was simply found wanting against a player of Smith’s caliber. Smith’s big play came stunting to the outside of Evans at the 8:43 mark in the third to get the 49ers off the field but his contributions were game long and even on offense Smith was doing the ground work for the 49er victory. Another performance like this from Smith in the engine room of the San Francisco defense could propel them to the franchise’s first Superbowl since Steve young and Deion Sanders were in town.
Delivering When it Matters
As the game began to unravel in the final five minutes and the lead changed hands you wondered whether this would be a game of nearly but not quite for Alex Smith in his long awaited playoff debut. When Smith broke away on a QB keeper just ahead of the two minute warning you wondered would he take a knee and let the 49ers grind the clock out and kick a field goal leaving the Saints around 30 seconds to drive for their own game winner. Smith’s decision to take it in granted the fans a thriller and set Smith up as a hero. Until the final act of the game Smith’s game was marred by a pair of fumbles that the Saints failed to capitalize on and when it counted Smith delivered. Two touchdowns in the final 2:30 including a howitzer for the game winner were pivotal and memorable but his early strikes may have told us as much about Smith’s poise in this game. His early strike which Davis broke open gave the 49ers the much needed big play against the middle of the New Orleans defense and the second was a red zone conversion that the 49ers simply couldn’t afford to spurn as they had done too often this season.
Game Notes
– The 49ers got the job done in the middle of the field just like the Lions last week. Alex Smith was 13-of-18 for 199 yards and three scores on passes targeted beyond the line of scrimmage and between the numbers in this game.
– Adrian Arrington was targeted more times in this game (five times) than in three prior games with offensive snaps this season (four times), but only yielded a solitary catch just as he did in those first three games.
– The contribution of Alex Smith and the gravitas of the play drew more attention but two players made the 28 yard scoring run for the 49ers in the fourth. Joe Staley tearing downfield to get a block on Isa Abdul-Quddus and Patrick Robinson misreading the play which gave Smith the corner for the first down and more.
PFF Game Ball
Coming into the game, the whole world knew that one of Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis had to come up big for the 49ers with a lack of depth in the passing game. Davis did just that, coming up with one of the iconic playoff performances from a tight end in league history.
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