Garoppolo helps 49ers top Saints, 48-46
NEW ORLEANS — Jimmy Garoppolo decisively delivered a fourth-down pass to George Kittle with time running out, and the veteran tight end vigorously galloped up the sideline, seemingly embracing an opportunity to defiantly jerk his head back and forth as a Saints defender grabbed his face mask.
“Run through people, but have a good time doing it,” Kittle said of his mindset, which seemed to be contagious across his team.
With that adrenaline-fueled play — which netted 53 yards after the Saints’ penalty — Drew Brees’ late-game heroics moments earlier were virtually undone and the 49ers took a crucial step toward securing the top playoff seeding in the NFC.
Robbie Gould kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired, sending San Francisco players streaming onto the Superdome turf to celebrate a 48-46 victory over New Orleans on Sunday.
Garoppolo finished with 349 yards and four touchdowns passing. His clutch connection with Kittle on fourth-and-2 from the San Francisco 33 was his 26th and final completion on 35 attempts.
“I know a lot of people are still looking at him to see what kind of player he is, but I’m telling you he’s a baller,” 49ers receiver Emmanuel Sanders said. “When you’ve got somebody like Jimmy with the personality he has and the hard work he puts in, in the clutch moments, he’s not going to fold.”
The Saints took their last lead on Brees’ fifth touchdown pass of the game — an 18-yarder to Tre’Quan Smith with 53 seconds left. But Brees’ pass on an attempted 2-point conversion fell incomplete, leaving New Orleans’ lead at one point.
“This was like a heavyweight boxing match, just trading punches all game long on both sides,” Brees said. “We had a chance to win, and so did they. Unfortunately they were the ones who came out on top today.”
The victory kept San Francisco (11-2) in strong position to capture the top seed in the NFC playoffs. The Niners left New Orleans knowing they could clinch a playoff berth if Seattle lost to the Rams on Sunday night.
“This was like a heavyweight boxing match, just trading punches all game long on both sides.”
— Drew Brees