49ers at New Orleans Saints

Mike Cofer kicked a 38-yard field goal with 1:23 left and the 49ers held on to beat the New Orleans Saints 13-12 at the Louisiana Superdome in the season opener. Joe Montana finished 26 of 43 for 210 with one touchdown to Brent Jones (4 yards) and one interception. John Taylor caught five passes for 75. The 49ers' defense intercepted John Fourcade three times. The 49ers improved to 1-0 in the title defense.[1][2]

A 13-12 road opener in the Louisiana Superdome. Mike Cofer's 38-yard field goal with 1:23 remaining was the difference, and Montana's third-quarter touchdown throw to Brent Jones the only seven-point possession either side produced. The defending champions opened on a one-point margin in a stadium where they entered as eight-point favorites.

Montana finished 26 of 43 for 210, his lowest yards-per-attempt opener since 1986. The 43 attempts traced the kind of afternoon the offense did not produce explosive plays on. Roger Craig ran 12 times for 23. Rathman caught nine balls for 43, a check-down line that says the Saints' pass rush kept Montana inside the pocket. Taylor had five catches for 75 including a 25-yarder; Rice caught two for 26. The line gave up six sacks.

The defense produced the win. Three interceptions of Fourcade, no touchdowns allowed on five Saints possessions inside 49ers territory, and Morten Andersen kept to four field goals (he made all four). The title defense opens with a defensive performance that did not need the offense to put up a number it did not have.

49ers 13, Saints 12. Margin: plus 1. Record: 1-0. • Montana: 26 of 43, 210, 1 TD (Brent Jones 4y), 1 INT, 6 sacks. • Brent Jones: 3 catches for 29, 1 TD. • Taylor: 5 catches for 75. • Rathman: 9 catches for 43, plus 4 rushes for 16. • Craig: 12 carries for 23. • Rice: 2 catches for 26. • Cofer: 2-for-2 on field goals (52, 38). • Defense: 3 INTs of Fourcade. • Fourcade (NO): 12 of 34, 186, 0 TDs, 3 INTs. • Hilliard (NO): 15 carries for 59.

A 13-12 road win in the Louisiana Superdome to open the title defense. The defending champions take Week 1 by a single point.

How it unfolded

Cofer opened with a 52-yard field goal in the first quarter. Morten Andersen answered with a 41-yarder. Andersen made it 3-6 with a 39-yard kick before the half and added a 28-yarder to push the Saints ahead 3-9 at the break. Montana hit Brent Jones on a 4-yard touchdown in the third quarter to make it 10-9. Andersen's 32-yard field goal in the fourth put the Saints back ahead 10-12. Cofer's 38-yarder with 1:23 left was the eventual margin.

The turning point

The Cofer field goal with 1:23 remaining. After the Andersen 32-yarder gave the Saints a 12-10 lead, Montana managed the kind of drive that turns into points without producing yards. The 49ers moved from their 30 to the New Orleans 21, took the snap with the play clock under five each time, and Cofer's 38-yarder split the uprights to win it.

By the numbers

Montana 26 of 43 for 210, 4.9 yards per attempt, one touchdown and one interception. Six sacks taken. Rathman nine catches for 43 on intermediate routes. Taylor five for 75 with a 25-yard long. Brent Jones three for 29 and the touchdown. Rice two for 26. Craig 12 carries for 23. The defense intercepted Fourcade three times and held the Saints to four field goals on four trips inside the red zone.

Personnel watch