1 - Organization-For Print.indd - Parent Directory - NFL.com

2010 IN REVIEWGAME SUMMARIESGAME2The 49ers welcomed in the visiting defending Super Bowl Champion NewOrleans Saints and kicked off their 2010 home opener in front of a sold outMonday Night Football crowd at Candlestick Park. The energy and atmosphereset the tone for a high intensity game as the 49ers looked to comeout and rebound after their tough loss in week one to their division rivalSeattle. The 49ers elected to receive the opening kickoff, after the Saintsdeferred, and looked to strike first. It was the same excitement and settingthat might have caused a bit of nerves for the 49ers offense to havea miscue as C David Baas snapped the ball over QB Alex Smith’s headon the third play of the game and into the end zone. Smith’s awarenessand quick thinking caused him to bat the ball out of the back of the endzone for a safety rather than potentially giving up 6 points to the Saintsto start the game. Already having 2 points on the board, the Saints lookedto capitalize on an opportunity and found one in RB Reggie Bush. Afterstarting at San Francisco’s 46-yd line, QB Drew Brees found options inhis offense and successfully marched down the field, topping it off witha 6-yd. pass to Bush for the touchdown. After a 9-0 lead for New Orleansto start the game, the 49ers offense and defense put their nerves incheck and went to work. Starting at their own 18 yd. line with 35 secondsleft to go in the first quarter, Smith manufactured an 82-yd. touchdowndrive after a 22-yd. reception by TE Delanie Walker set up a short 12-yd.swing pass to RB Frank Gore, who was able to get into the corner of theend zone for 6. K Joe Nedney would add the extra point making the score9-7 Saints. Gore finished the day with a team-high 7 recepts. for 56 yds.“We will stop Drew Brees” is what head coach Mike Singletary exclaimedearlier in the week and that is exactly what the 49ers defense did for therest of the first half and most of the third quarter. After a 3-and-out with10:38 left to go in the 3rd quarter, Smith stepped in and simply executed.He connected on one pass to WR Michael Crabtree for 32 yds. and then gotdown to the Saints 9-yd. line on another deep throw to TE Vernon Davisfor 41 yds. This set up rookie RB Anthony Dixon’s first career carry and TDfrom 2 yds. out, marking the first time a RB in the NFL scored a TD on hisfirst career carry since Jacksonville Jaguars RB Montell Owens vs. Hou.(9/28/08). The last 49er to score a TD on his first career carry was WR TerrellOwens at StL (10/25/98). The Saints answered right back as they were ableto put together a 61-yd. drive that was marked by a 3-yd. pass by Brees toWR David Thomas for a TD. After a game that saw both teams battle backand forth, it all came down to the fourth quarter. The Saints started out thequarter with a 46-yd. FG by K Garrett Hartley to put them up 19-14. Hartleyhit another 19-yd. FG with 2:17 left to go in the game following a muffedpunt by CB Phillip Adams deep in 49ers territory. With the score 22-14 infavor of the Saints, the 49ers offense put together its most electrifying driveof the season. Smith hit 4 different receivers for 51 yards and scrambledtwo times for 24 yds. With 1:23 left to go in the game, Gore put his headdown and ran up the middle for a 7-yd. TD to make the score 20-22 in favorof the Saints, marking only the second time in his career that he has hada rushing TD and a receiving TD in the same game. After the 2-yd. Daviscatch for 2-pt. conversion was initially ruled no good, it was overturned andtied the game. With 1:19 remaining in the game, the Saints drove down thefield and set up the game-winning 37-yd. FG by Hartley as time expired.MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20NEW ORLEANS 25. SAN FRANCISCO 22CANDLESTICK PARK1st 2nd 3rd 4th PtsNew Orleans 9 0 7 9 25San Francisco 0 7 7 8 22NO - D. Baas, fumble out of bounds in the end zone for a SafetyNO - R. Bush, 6 pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley) (7-46, 3:55)SF - F. Gore, 12 pass from A. Smith (J. Nedney) (12-82, 5:43)SF - A. Dixon, 2 run (J. Nedney) (6-86, 3:36)NO - D. Thomas, 3 pass from D. Brees (G. Hartley) (5:08)NO - G. Hartley, 46 FG (4-7, 1:29)NO - G. Hartley, 19 FG (6-13, 3:15)SF - F. Gore, 7 run (A. Smith - V. Davis pass) (8-82, 0:53)NO - G. Hartley, 37 FG (7-51, 1:19)TEAM STATISTICS NO SFFirst Downs 17 24Net Yards Gained 287 417Rushes/Yards 24/50 26/142Net Yards Passing 237 275Att/Comp/INT 38/28/0 32/23/2Sacked/Yards Lost 2/17 0/0Punts/Average 6/46.7 3/47.0Fumbles/Lost 1/0 4/2Penalties/Yards 5/54 5/40Time of Possession 32:40 27:203rd Down Efficiency 6/14 (43%) 5/9 (56%)RUSHING: 49ERS - F. Gore 20-112-1 TD, A. Smith 4-28, A. Dixon 1-2, B.Westbrook 1-0 ... SAINTS - P. Thomas 18-46, R. Bush 5-4, H. Evans 1-0.RECEIVING: 49ERS - F. Gore 7-56-1 TD, J. Morgan 6-70, V. Davis 4-78,D. Walker 2-26, M. Crabtree 1-32, N. Byham 1-6, M. Norris 1-5, D. Zeigler1-2 ... SAINTS - P. Thomas 8-56, M. Colston 5-67, R. Bush 4-30-1 TD,J. Shockey 3-37, D. Henderson 3-28, D. Thomas 3-10-1 TD, H. Evans1-18, D. Brees 1-7.PASSING: 49ERS - A. Smith 32-23-275-2-1 TD ... SAINTS - D. Brees38-28-254-0-2 TDs.INTs: 49ERS - None ... SAINTS - R. Harper 1-6, T. Porter 1-5.SACKS: 49ERS - A. Brooks 1.0, P. Willis 1.0 ... SAINTS - None.49ERS TURNOVER RATIO: -4 (2 fumbles, 2 INTs/0 fumbles, 0 INTs).Weather: PleasantTemperature: 65 degreesWind: West 10 mphPlaying Surface: GrassTime: 3:21Attendance: 69,732SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS \\190// MEDIA GUIDE