Halftime report: 49ers 28, Saints 27 — Studs and duds
NEW ORLEANS — An offensive, big-play slugfest broke out in today’s high-stakes matchup between the 49ers and host New Orleans Saints. It was arguably the greatest first half of a game since, well, find me a better one. Here are the highs and lows as the 49ers lead 28-27 at halftime:
STUDS
QB Jimmy Garoppolo: This was his best half as a 49er considering the stats and magnitude. Touchdown passes to Kendrick Bourne and Emmanuel Sanders were perfect responses to Saints’ TDs. A career-long, 75-yard touchdown strike to Emmanuel Sanders was urgently needed after the Saints went ahead 20-7. Garoppolo opened with arguably his best drive of his career, at least opening drive. With the 49ers in a 7-0 hole, he diced up the Saints defense by completing 4-of-5 passes for 81 yards and throwing a 6-yard, third-and-goal scoring strike to Kendrick Bourne.
WR Emmanuel Sanders: He kept swing the momentum back to the 49ers with big plays — catching and passing. Sanders took a Garoppolo handoff and then heaved a 35-yard touchdown pass to Raheem Mostert 5:59 before halftime. Earlier in the quarter, Sanders caught a 75-yard touchdown pass. As Marcus Williams stumbled in coverage, Sanders made the catch, fell on his back at the 20, then got up and beat Williams and Vonn Bell to the goal line. Sanders also produced 19- and 31-yard receptions to spark the opening touchdown drive.
Coach Kyle Shanahan: He’s unleashed an array of phenomenal calls, such as the Garoppolo bomb to Sanders, the Sanders-to-Mostert touchdown and the Kyle Juszczyk pitch to Mostert, who scored a go-ahead touchdown on the next play.
DE Nick Bosa: His third-down stop on Taysum Hill for a 6-yard loss (after being held) was spectacular and forced the first Saints’ punt (after four touchdown drives). Two plays earlier, Bosa chased down Hill on a tackle and appeared dinged.
RB Raheem Mostert: A 35-yard touchdown reception and a 10-yard touchdown run are making quite the encore from last Sunday’s career-best 146-yard rushing effort. He set up the 10-yard touchdown with an 18-yard run off the Juszczyk pitch.
WR Kendrick Bourne: He scored his team-leading fourth touchdown to cap the opening drive. That’s great production out of the unquestioned No. 3 receiver; Dante Pettis and Marquise Goodwin were inactivated before the game.
TE George Kittle: His 20-yard reception on third-and-10 was clutch 2 1/2 minutes before halftime, and it came after a catch for a 7-yard
DUDS
Defense: Missed tackles, injuries and four touchdowns on the first four series have the 49ers defense reeling. After completing 15 of his first 18 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns, Drew Brees scored on a fourth-and-1 dive over center for the 27-14 lead.
SS Marcell Harris: His missed tackle put the 49ers in a 7-0 hole as tight end Jared Cook scored on a third-and-10, 38-yard touchdown catch on the opening drive. He also whiffed on Latavius Murray’s 7-yard run to the 3-yard line to end the first quarter, drawing the wrath of Witherspoon.
NFL replay system: Jared Cook’s second touchdown catch was not a catch. That ball came loos after Ahkello Witherspoon hit him and Cook went to the ground. The Saints left guard committed a false start on the play and that wasn’t called, either.
Special teams: The coverage units gave up a 51-yard kickoff return and 25-yard punt return.
False starts: Right tackle Mike McGlinchey and left tackle Joe Staley drew false-start penalties in the first quarter. That’s not surprising with the Superdome’s noise. It’s also not acceptable.
LB Azeez Al-Shaair: His apparent zone coverage defense left Cook too much room to make that second touchdown “catch.”