The way they barreled toward the finish line from the thud of the opening kick, it felt predetermined that Sunday's game between two teams duking it out for NFC supremacy would not be decided until the final play.
The New Orleans Saints' offense had done its part all day in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, but especially late in the game, scoring two touchdowns in the final 6:06 to erase a nine-point deficit and take a lead in the last minute of a high-wire contest against the San Francisco 49ers.
This game felt like it would come down to who had the football last. Sunday, it was the 49ers. The Saints' defense missed its chance to make up for a rough day by making the stop when it mattered. Instead, they watched Robbie Gould's 30-yard field goal split the uprights as time expired to give the 49ers a 48-46 win.
"I mean, that was a great game," Saints left tackle Terron Armstead said. "The competition was outrageous, and it just turned into a shootout."
The loss was costly. It put the Saints (10-3) effectively two games behind San Francisco in the chase for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs (although San Francisco still has some work to do to win the NFC West, and the Saints own a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks).
The loss also dropped the Saints out of the top two seeds in the NFC, meaning if the season were to end this week, they would have to play on wild card weekend.
The Saints made Gould's field goal a necessity with another brilliant two-minute drill. They took over from their own 24-yard line with 2:19 remaining in a game they trailed 45-40, and they put the game in the hands of future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees against the 49ers' outstanding defense.
Rod Walker's top takeaways from the Saints' heartbreaking loss to San Francisco.
And Brees did the thing Brees has done so many times throughout his career, leading the Saints on a seven-play, 76-yard touchdown drive that gave them the lead with 53 seconds remaining.
The go-ahead touchdown — Brees' fifth of the game through the air — was an 18-yarder to Tre’Quan Smith, who danced out of a tackle attempt by San Francisco’s superb linebacker, Fred Warner, to reach the goal line.
The only problem was the time left on the clock. A failed 2-point conversion meant the 49ers needed just a field goal to win. And the 49ers have George Kittle to turn to when they need a play.
The 49ers' big, strong and fast tight end hauled in a short pass on fourth-and-2 from the San Francisco 33, ran right through a tackle and then rumbled for 39 yards down the sideline. A facemask penalty tacked on another 15 yards, all but making the game-winning field goal a formality.
It was clear early on what type of game this would be. The first half was an offensive free-for-all, with the Saints and 49ers combining for eight touchdowns and two punts.
San Francisco entered Sunday with the NFL’s top-ranked pass defense, allowing just 134 yards per game. Four teams failed to crack 100 net yards passing against the San Francisco defense. Brees had that number by the end of the first quarter.
The Saints quarterback fired touchdowns of 38 and 26 yards to Jared Cook in the first quarter, then added a 3-yard strike to Josh Hill in the second quarter. He also added one of his patented leaps over the offensive line for a touchdown on a fourth-and-1 play at the goal line.
But the 49ers always had the answer ready.
They followed the Saints’ 73-yard opening drive touchdown march with a 75-yard touchdown drive of their own. When Brees’ touchdown to Hill made it a 20-7 game, Jimmy Garoppolo heaved a pass deep downfield for a 75-yard touchdown to Emmanuel Sanders.
Sanders did the throwing on the 49ers' next touchdown, taking the ball on a reverse and flipping it downfield to a wide open Raheem Mostert for a 35-yard score.
New Orleans Saints starting tight end Jared Cook was off to a hot start in Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers, scoring two touchdow…
The Saints and 49ers combined for 581 yards of offense in the first half. Brees and Garoppolo combined to throw more touchdowns (five) than incomplete passes (four). The 49ers took a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
By the end of the game, the two teams combined for 94 points, 981 yards and 53 first downs. They needed each of their combined 131 offensive plays to decide a winner.
Lagniappe
Injury update: Cook suffered a concussion while making his second touchdown catch of the first quarter, and he did not return. Defensive end Marcus Davenport had to leave the game late in the second quarter, returned to action in the second half, then left the field again in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (ankle) never came out of the locker room after halftime.
Attendance: 73,038
Milestones: Thomas broke his own franchise single-season record for receiving yards on a 21-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Brees threw five touchdown passes, bringing him within two of tying Peyton Manning’s NFL career record of 539.
Saints receiver Michael Thomas set another record on Sunday.
Up next: The Saints (10-3) play their final regular-season game in the Superdome, hosting the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night.
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How the Saints' high-stakes game came down to the last play — and a loss to the 49ers in a thriller - NOLA.com
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