This time, the San Francisco 49ers never gave Morten Andersen a chance.
They raced to a 28-0 lead, ignited by Merton Hanks' 67-yard interception return for a touchdown, and emerged with a 42-7 victory Monday night over the New Orleans Saints.The victory, the fourth straight by San Francisco (7-3), knocked the Saints (6-4) out of a first-place tie in the NFC West and denied their bid to sweep the two-game season series for the first time since 1979. New Orleans won the season's first meeting 16-13 on Andersen's 49-yard field goal in the final seconds.
San Francisco didn't get a chance to answer - until Monday night.
"It felt good to win this football game," said the 49ers' Jerry Rice, who caught two of Steve Young's three touchdown passes. "I recall when we played them down in New Orleans, when Morten Andersen took the field, there was nothing I could do. To have to stand there and watch him kick that field goal was a big disappointment."
"They manhandled us in ever phase of the game," said New Orleans quarterback Wade Wilson, who threw for just 46 yards and was intercepted three times before being yanked for Mike Buck in the third quarter.
The Saints, who had a two-game division lead after a 5-0 start, have now lost four of their last five to fall a game behind San Francisco.
"The defense got us a jump start, and for a week 10 game, that was a great win for us," said Young, who completed 14 of 21 for 205.