The San Francisco 49ers have some breathing room atop the NFC West after they shutout the New Orleans Saints in a 13-0 victory in Week 12.
San Francisco’s fourth successive win marked the franchise’s first shutout since a 2019 triumph over Washington. That season ended with the Niners contesting the Super Bowl and, while the offense was unconvincing, the continuation of a hot streak in which the 49ers have found various ways to win will breed further confidence they can return to that stage.
Having improved to 7-4, the 49ers hold a one-game lead over the Seattle Seahawks, who lost in overtime to the Las Vegas Raiders. With San Francisco holding the head-to-head edge over Seattle following their Week 2 matchup, the 49ers theoretically have some room for error.
The 49ers, though, will be eager to press home advantage, but what did we learn about the team after they took another step towards a third postseason trip in four years.
49ers have a championship caliber defense
After their offensive explosion in Mexico City, the 49ers found another way to win, and it involved leaning on defense that demonstrated its championship pedigree in remarkable fashion.
The shutout the Niners pitched was the first suffered by the Saints since San Francisco last held them scoreless way back in Week 17 of the 2001 season and was achieved despite New Orleans spending a significant amount of time in the red zone in the second half.
New Orleans had six plays inside the 49er five-yard line in the fourth quarter and still failed to come away with points as San Francisco refused to give the Saints anything easy.
The 49ers have now gone four straight second halves without conceding a point and, since conceding 44 to the Chiefs in Week 7, have given up only 40 across a four-game win streak.
There should be no question this is the premier defense in football and, though the 49ers will hope to get more from their offense down the stretch, DeMeco Ryans’ unit made it clear in Week 12 that it is one capable of carrying the 49ers in their Super Bowl push.
San Francisco will need running back depth
The 49ers suffered a key injury at the running back position as Elijah Mitchell, who has been their best runner since his return from an MCL sprain suffered in Week 1, sustained the same injury in his other knee.
With Christian McCaffrey dealing with what Kyle Shanahan described as “irritation” in his knee, the Niners needed rookie Jordan Mason to take carries in the second half and pick up the game-sealing first down on the ground in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Mitchell will now miss more time in a frustrating season and, with McCaffrey not 100 percent healthy, the 49ers may need to turn to Mason and the rookie back they drafted, Tyrion Davis-Price, to shoulder some of the burden on the ground.
Shanahan said special teams play is what has prevented Davis-Price from being active on gameday in recent weeks. Yet the Niners will now likely need their third-rounder for a critical stretch of the season and, if Davis-Price is able to step up and deliver in the coming weeks, few will question San Francisco’s decision to select him.
Third and Jauan proves crucial
Jauan Jennings has to be patient and wait for his opportunities as at best the fifth pass-catching option on the 49er offense.
Yet when his opportunities do come, the 2020 seventh-round pick is adept at making the most of them.
He made two third-down receptions that moved the sticks on the sole touchdown drive of the game, which he then capped with a spectacular catch of a Jimmy Garoppolo pass that was tipped by Tyrann Mathieu to put the Niners up 10-0.
Jennings also came up with a six-yard reception on third down on the final drive that allowed the 49ers to kill the clock and clinch the game.
In big moments, Jennings is frequently the receiver to whom Garoppolo turns, and it would be no surprise to see him deliver more critical plays down the stretch and in the postseason.
Red-zone offense still a conundrum
The 49ers’ issues on red-zone offense clearly weren’t fixed by the success in Mexico City, as San Francisco went one of three inside the 20 against New Orleans.
This week, it appeared to be less a failure of execution by the Niners and more a struggle to find answers to the challenges posed by the Saints when San Francisco got into the congested area.
Most frustrating was the offensive series that ended with Garoppolo bemusingly tucking the ball and running after taking a shotgun snap on fourth down from the one-yard line in the second quarter, and the Niners’ issues creating space in the red zone given the level of talent they possess is a concern Shanahan must solve for San Francisco to realize its potential in 2022.
Strong spine key to shutout
The 49ers’ defensive dominance was defined by the swarming performances of their studs at the linebacker and safety positions
Fred Warner was electric in pursuit, typically superb in coverage and forced a first-half fumble from Alvin Kamara, while his fellow linebacker Dre Greenlaw also registered a pass breakup and recovered a fumble as his strong season continued.
At safety Talanoa Hufanaga’s physicality was a theme throughout and saw him jar another fumble free from Kamara as the Saints running back attempted to stretch to the goal-line to get the Saints on the board, Greenlaw instead recovering possession for San Francisco.
His running mate Tashaun Gipson, made a pair of excellent plays in coverage to prevent New Orleans getting cheap completions to Tayson Hill.
The 49ers have the corners to frustrate opposing wideouts on the outside and this game reaffirmed the point that they are also remarkably strong up the middle. When the Niners’ linebackers and safeties play like this, they are a nightmare for any offense in the NFL.
Defensive line quietly effective, with key reinforcement coming
The 49er defense was held to just one sack, though it was a hugely important one, as Nick Bosa tore around the edge to bring down Andy Dalton and secure a fourth-down stop in the red zone, all but ending any realistic hopes for New Orleans.
San Francisco’s goose egg prior to that point was not reflective of the push its defensive line continually created as the 49ers dictated the matchup up front.
The Niners’ superiority in that sense was most evident in the run game, where the Saints were held to just 2.9 yards per carry.
San Francisco held the Saints in check despite still being without defensive tackle Arik Armstead, their best player on the interior of the defensive line and a force against both the run and the pass.
However, Armstead did return to practice in the lead-up to Week 12, indicating he may be nearing a return that would perhaps give what looks like one of the best defenses of the modern era to the potential to make even further strides. A scary thought for opponents and a very exciting one for the 49ers.
