GAME REVIEW

OFFENSE

Apparently this unit had trouble clearing customs out of Mexico City, but it also seemed as if every 49er on this side of the ball dealt with an injury at some point Sunday. Jimmy Garoppolo was under constant pressure, but he completed 26 of 37 passes for 222 yards and had his fourth consecutive no-interception game. The ground game struggled, gaining 96 yards (3.3 average). The story in the next week might be the health of RB Elijah Mitchell and WR Deebo Samuel.

DEFENSE

This is getting serious. The Saints had five possessions inside the 49ers’ 43-yard-line and came away with bupkis. It was the 49ers’ first complete-game shutout since Week 7 of the 2019 Super Bowl season and was the fourth straight game in which they didn’t allow a second-half point. This victory had several parents: Talanoa Hufanga and Fred Warner each forced fumbles, and Nick Bosa’s weekly sack gave him 11.5 in 11 games. The Saints managed just 14 first downs and 260 yards, including 63 rushing on 22 carries (2.9 average). The last time the Saints were shut out? Week 17 of 2001 (pre-Drew Brees) by the 49ers.

SPECIAL TEAMS

A quiet day, although without Robbie Gould (field goals of 24 and 46 yards) it would have been a one-score game down the stretch. The Saints’ lone field goal try went wide left, but it’s hard to credit the 49ers for that. Mitch Wishnowsky averaged 43.8 yards on his four punts.

COACHING

In the first half, Kyle Shanahan successfully challenged a completion that would have put the Saints on the 49ers’ 8-yard line. On the same drive, he accepted a holding call and allowed the Saints to replay third down instead of possibly kicking a field goal; an incompletion left the Saints too far back to try a kick. Pregame, the 49ers deferred after winning the coin toss, which worked to perfection as the 49ers scored with 19 seconds left in the second quarter to make it 10-0, then kicked a field goal on the opening drive of the third quarter.

OVERALL

Only the Chiefs and Dolphins (with five straight wins) are hotter than the 49ers right now, and Miami (8-3) is next up on the dance card. QB Tua Tagovailoa will present a tougher test for the defense than Arizona’s Colt McCoy last Monday or Andy Dalton on Sunday. The key takeaway against the Saints? The 49ers’ defense is strong enough to carry the team to victory even when the offense hits the snooze button.