Howell, 49ers Surge Past Saints in Wild Card Rout

SANTA CLARA, CA - The San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket to the NFC Divisional Round with a commanding 31-14 victory over the New Orleans Saints at Levi’s Stadium. Fueled by explosive plays, a stout defensive showing, and a near-flawless outing from quarterback Sam Howell, the 49ers never trailed after halftime and secured a postseason win that leaves their next opponent dependent on the outcome of the Vikings-Buccaneers game.

The 49ers, seeded fourth in the NFC, delivered a statement performance. Howell carved up the Saints’ defense with 276 passing yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard bomb to Brandon Aiyuk, who finished with a game-high 167 receiving yards on seven catches.

"We've been building toward this moment all year," Howell said. "When you've got guys like Aiyuk and [Christian McCaffrey] making plays, it makes my job easy. The energy from the crowd was electric."

McCaffrey was just as dominant on the ground, rushing for 110 yards on 16 carries while also hauling in a short touchdown catch that tied the game at 7 late in the second quarter. Rookie running back Isaac Guerendo added a fourth-quarter touchdown to cap a physical, time-consuming drive that sealed the win.

For the fifth-seeded Saints, quarterback Spencer Rattler threw for 200 yards and a touchdown but was plagued by two interceptions and four sacks, as San Francisco's pass rush harassed him throughout the second half. Rattler's lone bright spot came in the third quarter with a 21-yard strike to A.T. Perry, briefly cutting the deficit to seven.

"We didn't do enough to protect the quarterback, and against a team like the Niners, that's going to hurt you," Saints head coach [insert coach name] said. "You can't give them extra possessions and expect to win on the road."

The 49ers' defense rose to the occasion, forcing two turnovers and racking up five sacks, with standout performances from Khaleke Harper (1.5 sacks), Marvin Batten (interception), and Julius Brown (interception, 22 return yards).

"We had a chip on our shoulder coming into this one," Brown said. "The game plan was to make them one-dimensional, and once we did that, it was over."

Up Next

With the Chicago Bears defeating the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers' Divisional Round destination now depends on the result of the Vikings vs. Buccaneers game. If the Buccaneers win, San Francisco will head to Dallas to face the top-seeded Cowboys. If the Vikings pull off the upset, the Niners will travel to Chicago for a rematch with the Bears.