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Saints vs 49ers: Live From Twitter

The 2014 New Orleans Saints have kept their fans healthy this year by making their heart beat faster every week. Twitter is one place where you can capture the agony and the ecstasy in real time. Here's a Twitter game recap of yesterday's riveting Saints-49ers contest.

By JR Ella
Saints thought they had won the game on this catch. Alas, they hadn't.
Saints thought they had won the game on this catch. Alas, they hadn't.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Another intense afternoon of angst, anger, elation and eventually intense misery for Saints fans. Here's how the craziest social media of the moment, Twitter, reacted to every crucial moment of the NFC showdown between the Saints and the 49ers that ended with San Francisco pulling out a 27-24 victory.

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Minutes Before the Game

As is always the case prior to the start of Saints games, the Who Dat Nation was exicted, lubricated and ready to go!

They came in droves, from every corner of the land

Tradition

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Taste the Pain

After receiving the opening kickoff, Brees quickly reminded us that he'll throw it to both teams this season, with an interception on just the third play from scrimmage.

The 49ers would quickly convert the turnover into a touchdown

Dave was not even worried, he was more interested in much more serious matters.

After another pitiful drive by the Saints offense, San Francisco was back on the field and driving again.

Before we knew it, it was 14-0 San Francisco with running back Carlos Hyde getting into the endzone.

Dave still wasn't worried none.

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Fight Like A Brave

The Saints finally realized that there was a game being played in the Superdome. The defense finally forced a 49ers punt early in the second quarter, and the offense came alive.

Trailing 14-3 following a Shayne Graham field goal, the Saints would firmly get back in the game with a touchdown reception by rookie Brandin Cooks.



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Can't Stop


Alas for Saints fans, New Orleans' defense was just teasing them. Another 49ers drive in which they seemed to convert 10 third down plays resulted in yet another touchdown for a 21-10 San Francisco lead.










The Superdome siren didn't seem to help the defense





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Give it Away


Down 21-10, the Saints had two shots at narrowing the gap before halftime. On one drive, wide receiver Marques Colston dropped a deep throw dime from Drew Brees.







After the Saints defense forced a Niners fumble in San Francisco territory, Brees would quickly drive the Saints into the red zone, only to throw a pick trying to hit a triple-covered Jimmy Graham. Ecstasy, followed by agony.













The Who Dat Nation in France was just as disgusted





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Slow Cheetah


At the start of the second half, the Saints would slowly get back into the game, holding San Francisco scoreless for most of the half while scoring the next 14 points of the game through the third and fourth quarters.


There were guts




There were near misses and big injuries.





Brees would bring back the Saints to within four points with an incredible spin to avoid a sack and a touchdown throw to tight end Jimmy Graham at the goal line.







The little timely over half of the fourth quarter left in the game, the Saints got the ball again, down four, trying to take the lead for the first time.



Running back Mark Ingram rushed for over 100 yards for the third game in a row. Ingram has shown that the coaching staff can trust him to carry the load and he did it again with 27 carries for 120 yards.



The tension was palpable as the Saints faced a second fourth down play in the game to try and keep their drive alive.




After the brutal loss by LSU to Bama on Saturday night, some Saints/LSU fans had had enough.


Wide receiver Marques Colston redeemed himself from his first half egregious drop by catching a Brees' pass and rumbling down to near the 49ers' 10-yard line.






Some Saints fans were still hoping LSU would win vicariously through the Saints







Finally, the Saints broke through, taking the lead with a touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Jimmy Graham.







***

Scar Tissue

Stop me if you've heard this one before this year: Saints take the lead late. Defense gives it up late. Eventually, Saints find a way to blow it. With New Orleans ahead 24-21 with under two minutes to go, the Saints defense had the 49ers on the ropes, facing a 4th and 10 in their own territory. Then...it happened.

All of a sudden, the 49ers were in field goal range and a touchdown away from winning the game.

The 49ers made the tying field goal and the Superdome siren still had no friends.

The game was seemingly headed to OT, to the displeasure of already traumatized Saints fans. But New Orleans had a little over 40 seconds to try and win the game in regulation.

***

Suck My Kiss

As if there hadn't been enough emotions and roller coaster insanity in this game, Brees heaved a Hail Mary pass to to end zone. Jimmy Graham, unfortunately, pushed 49ers cornerback Perrish Cox a bit too demonstratively. Cox used a veteran, soccer-style flop to make sure he got the call. It was the right call, but it hurt all the same.

***

Fortune Faded

The rest, as they say, is history. The Saints go to OT, win the toss, stall, get the ball back, fumble and lose 24-27. The Who Dat Nation absorbs yet another 2014 heartbreaking loss. It wasn't a good weekend to be a football fan in Louisiana. Interestingly, the resemblance with a certain weekend in 2011 is striking: LSU back then, got defeated by Alabama in the National championship game and the Saints lost to the Niners in the divisional playoffs.

The final word goes to Dusty who has some wisdom to impart to all of us: we still love our Saints, on to the Bengals!

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