Putting together an impressive touchdown-scoring drive that spanned 13-plays to open the game, the 49ers took an early 7-0 lead on a short 4-yard pass from backup quarterback Nick Mullens to rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk. In what would be a forgetful game all around in the special-teams department for both teams, the Saints were first to make a gaffe when their defense forced San Francisco to punt on a three-and-out, only to witness return man Deonte Harris muff a fair-catch attempt that gave the 49ers the ball back and another opportunity to score. Cashing in on the Saints' miscue, the 49ers were able to get a field goal out of it to take a 10-0 lead. But Harris would redeem himself on the very next kick which he turned into a 75-yard return to setup the Saints with their first field goal to help put New Orleans on the board. San Francisco's woes on special-teams would then take effect as Ken Webster was unable to get out of the way after an aborted fair-catch call by Trent Taylor as the ball was recovered by the Saints. The head-scratching miscue would allow New Orleans to have another crack at tying the game.
While the Niners' muffed punt didn't necessarily play a role in turning the tide, there would be a huge momentum shift on the same drive when San Francisco was penalized for a bogus "roughing the passer" call at the 8:42 mark in the second quarter that had everyone up in arms, including injured 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman who was following the game on Twitter and took to his social media account to express just how atrocious the call was. The would-be sack by Niners defensive-end Kentavius Street went from being a Saints 3rd and 18 deep in their own territory, to an automatic first down that breathed new life into the New Orleans offense and ultimately led to them capitalizing with a game-tying touchdown just three plays later. Hoping not to let the game slip away from their grasp, the 49ers turned the ball over on downs near midfield following a failed 4th and 1 attempt that allowed the Saints to take their first lead of the ballgame as Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara added to his busy day with his second of three touchdowns on the afternoon. Erasing a 10-point first quarter deficit, New Orleans suddenly found themselves heading into the locker room at the half with a 17-10 advantage and a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way.
For San Francisco, it would certainly be a game of missed opportunities as their first possession of the second half ended in an interception that halted what was shaping out to be a successful drive. Instead, the Saints continued to add to their lead despite QB Drew Brees sitting out the entire second half with what x-rays would later reveal to be five fractured ribs and a collapsed long suffered on the negated sack by Kentavius Street. A second muffed punt by San Francisco would help put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter as the Saints rode their Pro Bowl running back to victory as he found the end zone for a third time. With New Orleans pouring in 27 unanswered-points, the 49ers finally stopped the bleeding when Robbie Gould converted on a 40-yard field goal attempt to make it 27-13. In need of some late-game heroics, San Francisco forced a fumble after stripping backup QB Taysom Hill of the ball, but a Nick Mullens interception on a jump-ball in the end zone would seal the victory for the Saints and wipe out any chances of the Niners pulling off the come-from-behind miracle.
Having terrible luck all season long in keeping healthy running backs on the field, the 49ers lost another one on Sunday as JaMycal Hasty suffered a broken collarbone. While there was no one player that jumped out via the run game, it was the catching ability by Saints running back Alvin Kamara that led the way for New Orleans as he caught 7 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown, compared to his 8 carries for 15 yards, though he did make them count with another two touchdowns on the ground. San Francisco's Brandon Aiyuk logged another solid performance by hauling in 7 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. Nick Mullens led all quarterbacks with 247 yards, but threw only one touchdown to his two interceptions. Before departing at the end of the first half, Drew Brees threw for 76 yards and a touchdown on 8 of 13 pass attempts. In spite of the win, the Saints had put up only 237 yards of offense, their lowest total in a win since Week 11 of the 1998 season. Also worth noting is the first career sack for 49ers rookie and first round pick -- Javon Kinlaw who finished the game with 1.5 sacks.
Week 11 - Receiving a much needed BYE Week in Week 11, the 49ers can only hope having a week away from the playing field will finally mean a week without any additional injuries suffered to the roster. However, they'll be keeping a close eye on defensive-end Arik Armstead who was placed on the team's Reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday. When the team returns from the BYE, they'll head to southern California to take on the (6-3) Los Angeles Rams. Having already beaten the Rams this season in their Week 6 meeting, L.A. will have a chance to avenge the loss when they play host to San Francisco in their new multi-billion dollar facility -- SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
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