Here's what writers from around the Internet have to say about the Saints' victory:
- Peter Finney, Times Picayune:
What [Sean Payton's] team did Sunday was arrive, at least for 60 minutes, in the kind of comfort zone it was in much of last year.
Drew Brees threw the ball 39 times, and nine receivers caught at least one of his 31 completions, from Marques Colston's eight all the way down to Lance Moore's one.
There were times when Brees went to some wide-open targets. But there were more occasions when he was threading the ball into tight quarters and the guy on the other end was tucking it away.
- John Crumpacker, San Francisco Chronicle:
With Cool Drew Brees carving up the 49ers like a hapless Halloween pumpkin, this game at Candlestick was over early and often as the Saints scored on their opening drive and built leads of 24-0 by halftime and 31-3 midway through the fourth quarter.
Not for nothing did a group of 49ers fans off the south end zone start chanting "Let's go, Gold Rush!" in the waning minutes, for the costumed cheerleaders were a much more viable entertainment option than the dreadful football team.
- Doug Farrar, Football Outsiders:
New Orleans [...] has seen a renewed offense based on solid blocking — Drew Brees hasn’t been sacked in his last four games — and Reggie Bush’s ability to bounce outside. They’re not trying to make him a Deuce McAllister anymore. Seems obvious, really. When you have a smaller guy with tremendous outside speed, you get him going outside. Brees threw to nine different receivers, and Marques Colston burned just about everyone for three touchdowns. Whatever ailed that Saints’ offense at the start of the season, they appear to have figured it out.
- Sheldon Mickles, The Advocate:
With each passing week, the New Orleans Saints are looking more and more like the team that fell one win short of the Super Bowl last season.
It’s no coincidence the key word is passing.
The Saints hit the San Francisco 49ers early and often Sunday afternoon in a 31-10 victory, with a 43-yard pass from Drew Brees to David Patten on their first play from scrimmage setting the tone for their third straight win.