The 49ers (5-1) host the New Orleans Saints (4-2) at Candlestick Park for a 1:15 PT kickoff in the NFC West home game.
Aaron Brooks starts at quarterback for the Saints. Ricky Williams runs the ball. Joe Horn leads the receivers. Jeff Garcia starts for the 49ers; Garrison Hearst at running back; Terrell Owens at receiver.
Aaron Brooks and the 4-2 New Orleans Saints come to Candlestick Sunday afternoon. The 49ers (5-1), off the cross-conference road win over Detroit, host the kind of division home game where the year's identity tape gets the kind of NFC West contender it has been waiting for.
Jeff Garcia stays the starter. Garrison Hearst the lead back. Terrell Owens the WR1. The Saints come in with Brooks at quarterback, Ricky Williams as the lead back, and Joe Horn as the WR1.
Favored by 3 at home. The kind of division home game where 6-1 puts the 49ers atop the NFC West.
Week 9 across the NFC sees the contenders pulling away. The Rams (7-0), Bears, Saints (4-2), Giants, Vikings, and Eagles compete for division titles and wild-card spots. The 49ers (5-1) compete in the NFC West. Around the AFC the Patriots, Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers dominate. The Sunday home game is the kind of week where two NFC playoff contenders meet at home.
Through six games the 49ers are 5-1 with a +23 point differential. Jeff Garcia averages 7.7 yards per attempt with 12 TDs and six INTs. Garrison Hearst averages 60 rushing yards a game with one TD. Terrell Owens averages 113 receiving yards a game with eight TDs. The defense allows 18.5 points per game. The Saints are 4-2 with Aaron Brooks averaging 250 passing yards a game and 11 TDs/4 INTs. Ricky Williams averages 100 rushing yards a game. Joe Horn leads the team in receiving. Vegas opens the 49ers as 3-point home favorites; total 47.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5-2 | L1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 5-3 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-3 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-3 | L1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 3-4 | W1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 5-2 | W2 |
| New York Jets | 5-3 | W2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 4-3 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 4-4 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1-6 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 6-1 | W5 |
| San Diego Chargers | 5-3 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 4-4 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3-4 | L2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-6 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Rams | 6-1 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5-2 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4-3 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-4 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1-7 | L7 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 6-1 | W6 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5-2 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3-4 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-4 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 0-7 | L7 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-3 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 4-4 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 3-5 | W3 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 2-5 | -- |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-5 | L1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | John Carney 43 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| 49ers | Terrell Owens 25 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jose Cortez kick) | 3-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Terrell Owens 5 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jose Cortez kick) | 3-14 |
| Saints | Joe Horn 22 yard pass from Aaron Brooks ( Willie Jackson pass from Aaron Brooks ) | 11-14 |
| 49ers | Kevan Barlow 61 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jose Cortez kick) | 11-21 |
| Saints | John Carney 42 yard field goal | 14-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | John Carney 35 yard field goal | 17-21 |
| Saints | Joe Horn 6 yard pass from Aaron Brooks ( John Carney kick) | 24-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Eric Johnson 10 yard pass from Jeff Garcia ( Jose Cortez kick) | 24-28 |
| Saints | John Carney 36 yard field goal | 27-28 |
Jeff Garcia threw four touchdown passes and Garrison Hearst ran for 145 yards and the 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints 28-27 at Candlestick Park. Garcia finished 21-of-34 for 252. Terrell Owens caught eight for 100 with two touchdowns. Aaron Brooks threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Ricky Williams ran for 121. The 49ers improved to 6-1 in the kind of division home win the year's identity tape has been building.[1][2][3]
Jeff Garcia threw four touchdown passes Sunday afternoon at Candlestick. Garrison Hearst ran for 145 yards. The 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints 28-27 in the kind of division home win where the year's identity tape produced the kind of multi-TD passing and grind-it-out rushing the staff has been promising.
Garcia was 21-of-34 for 252 with the four touchdowns. Hearst ran for 145 (his most productive game since the 1998 injury). Owens caught eight for 100 with two touchdowns. Aaron Brooks threw for 347. Ricky Williams ran for 121. The 49ers' defense kept making the right stops late.
6-1. The kind of division home win where the year's identity tape, with the Hearst-Garcia-Owens combination all producing, gave the 49ers the kind of statement performance the offseason has been building toward. The Carolina Panthers at home in Week 10. The kind of November where the 49ers' competitive identity has the kind of season arc the playoff race requires.
49ers 28, Saints 27. Margin: +1. Seven-game record: 6-1, +24 differential.
* Jeff Garcia: 21-of-34 for 252, 4 TDs (Owens x2 + 2), 0 INTs.
* Garrison Hearst: 17 carries for 145 (most productive since 1998 injury).
* Terrell Owens: 8 catches for 100, 2 TDs.
* Aaron Brooks: 22-of-37 for 347, 2 TDs, 0 INTs.
* Ricky Williams: 24 carries for 121.
* Joe Horn: receiving production.
* 49ers 6-1; Saints 4-3.
A 28-27 division home win over the New Orleans Saints at Candlestick. Jeff Garcia's four touchdowns. Garrison Hearst's 145-yard rushing game. The 49ers improve to 6-1.
How it unfolded
The 49ers scored on their opening drive with a Garcia touchdown to Owens to make it 7-0. The Saints answered with a touchdown to tie at 7-7. The 49ers added a Garcia second touchdown to push the lead to 14-7. The second quarter was an Aaron Brooks touchdown and a 49ers field goal. Halftime 17-14 49ers. The second half was three more touchdowns (one from each offense). The 49ers added a Hearst touchdown in the third quarter and Garcia's fourth TD pass in the fourth quarter to make it 28-27. The defense closed it out.
The turning point
The 49ers' second-half Garcia touchdown to Owens. With the score 21-21 and the year's identity tape on the verge of producing the kind of division home win the playoff race requires, Garcia's fourth TD gave the 49ers the kind of one-score lead the defense closed out.
By the numbers
Garcia 252 passing on 34 attempts with four TDs. Hearst 145 rushing on 17 carries. Owens 100 receiving on 8 catches with two TDs. Brooks 347 on 37 attempts with two TDs. Ricky Williams 121 rushing.
Personnel watch
Garrison Hearst's 145-yard rushing game (his most productive since the 1998 injury). Jeff Garcia's four-touchdown passing game. Terrell Owens's two-TD receiving day. The defense's late-game stops despite Brooks's 347 yards. The kind of division home win where everything the year's identity has been promising actually worked.
What it means
6-1 with the Carolina Panthers at home next Sunday. The kind of division home win where the year's identity tape, with Hearst's productive return, has the kind of season arc the playoff-bound team has been building.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jeff Garcia | 21/34 | 252 | 4 | 0 | |
| NOR | |||||
| Aaron Brooks | 22/37 | 347 | 2 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Garrison Hearst | 17 | 145 | 0 | 23 |
| Terrell Owens | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Kevan Barlow | 3 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| Terry Jackson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jeff Garcia | 4 | -6 | 0 | -1 |
| NOR | ||||
| Ricky Williams | 24 | 121 | 0 | 18 |
| Aaron Brooks | 4 | 16 | 0 | 10 |
| Deuce McAllister | 4 | 15 | 0 | 11 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Terrell Owens | 8 | 100 | 2 | 26 |
| Kevan Barlow | 3 | 80 | 1 | 61 |
| Eric Johnson | 3 | 35 | 1 | 19 |
| Garrison Hearst | 3 | 15 | 0 | 6 |
| Tai Streets | 2 | 11 | 0 | 12 |
| Fred Beasley | 2 | 11 | 0 | 6 |
| NOR | ||||
| Willie Jackson | 11 | 167 | 0 | 63 |
| Joe Horn | 6 | 99 | 2 | 44 |
| Ricky Williams | 3 | 52 | 0 | 34 |
| Deuce McAllister | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Terrelle Smith | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2001 W9 - 49ers vs New Orleans Saints - Game Thread