Recap: 49ers ride defense to grind out 13-0 win over Saints

The 49ers may not have gotten the same type of performance from their offense that they saw in their 38-10 win over the Cardinals in Mexico City last Monday night, but their defense more than rose to the occasion on Sunday, pitching a 13-0 home shutout against the New Orleans Saints to send the team to their fourth consecutive win.

The Saints had multiple opportunities to score in the game but were plagued by self-inflicted errors to go with some clutch big plays by the 49ers’ defense. Meanwhile, the 49ers got what they needed on the day from their offense, who missed some opportunities of their own but were led on three scoring drives by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who finished with 222 yards and one touchdown on 26-of-37 passing.

Saints quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 204 yards on 18-of-29 passing with zero touchdowns or interceptions in the loss. The 49ers held the Saints to 63 yards on the ground and 260 overall, while the Saints committed two turnovers to zero from the 49ers.

First Half

After posting second half shutouts in each of their previous three games, the 49ers defense made their presence felt right off the bat this time around, forcing a turnover on the opening possession. Linebacker Fred Warner knocked the ball loose from the hands of running back Alvin Kamara, giving the 49ers possession after defensive end Samson Ebukam recovered the fumble at the Saints’ 43-yard line. The 49ers drove inside the Saints’ 10 after the fumble but were unable to reach the end zone, settling instead for a 24-yard field goal from Robbie Gould and a 3-0 lead.