The New Orleans Saints handed the San Francisco 49ers several opportunities to steal a road win against a heavily-favored opponent. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers offense, however, seemed uninterested. San Francisco committed four turnovers, including two interceptions thrown by quarterback Nick Mullens, on the way to a 27-13 defeat.
"As a whole, a bright spot is I thought our guys were fighting their ass off," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game. "There's no moral victories here, but I knew there was a big challenge going in. I'm sick at how hard they fought and that we had a chance to win that game, and I think it really came down to turnovers. That was the thing that was most disheartening. I think we take care of that ball with the effort that all those guys gave, I think it could have been a much different result."
The 49ers head into their bye week after losing their third consecutive game and hope to get some reinforcements on the other side. Names like cornerback Richard Sherman and running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman could be returning. Mullens still believes his squad can put together a small run down the stretch.
"Right now, I'm really frustrated by the loss," Mullens said on Sunday. "I feel like we really could have done some special things out there. But we've got a resilient group. We've got a bye week. We've got six games left. And I feel like we can win games. We can win a lot of games."
The 49ers ranked no lower than No. 4 in power rankings leading to Week 1. Below is a sample of some of the more prominent power rankings around the web and where San Francisco currently stands within each.
ESPN
Current Ranking: 17
Previous rank: 17
"The logic behind trading Buckner to the Colts was sound: He was about to land a massive contract extension; the Niners needed to re-sign key players such as Arik Armstead and Jimmie Ward; and San Francisco was were able to use the pick acquired for Buckner to land a cost-effective replacement in Javon Kinlaw. But in this injury-ravaged season, the 49ers miss Buckner's unique combination of durability, productivity and leadership even more than they could have known at the time of the deal." — Nick Wagoner
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 18
Previous rank: 20
"The air finally came out of the balloon a little with lopsided losses to the Packers and the Saints." — Albert Breer
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 19
Previous rank: 20
"The Super Bowl hangover has claimed another victim. The San Francisco 49ers' fading postseason hopes are just about finished after their loss to New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The defending NFC champions are two games under .500 and are three games back of every other NFC West team in the loss column. No team in the league has been hit harder by injuries than the Niners. But as the playoffs become more of a pipe dream than a legitimate goal, San Francisco is running low on reasons to rush back the likes of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, running back Raheem Mostert and tight end George Kittle. This backslide is going to leave the franchise with some big questions to answer in the offseason, including whether Garoppolo is the long-term answer under center." — NFL Staff
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 21
Previous rank: 20
"The 49ers played a nearly perfect first quarter on Sunday at the Superdome, holding the ball for 13 of the 15 minutes and taking a 10-0 lead four seconds into the second period. But Kyle Shanahan's injury-depleted team made too many mistakes -- including two muffed punts and a pair of Nick Mullens interceptions -- in a 27-13 loss to the Saints. Those unforced errors were the difference on a day in which the Niners' defense knocked Drew Brees out of the game and held the New Orleans offense to just 237 yards, the team's lowest total in a win in 22 years. A bye week should allow San Francisco to get some players back for the homestretch -- winning out might be the only path back to the playoffs." — Dan Hanzus
USA Today
Current Ranking: 22
Previous rank: 25
"With Arik Armstead landing on COVID-19 list, Niners don't currently have any of their five first-round D-linemen from 2019 available." — Nate Davis
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 28
Previous rank: 27
"They competed against the Saints, but they just don't have the talent right now. This season is done." — Pete Prisco