49ers vs Saints: Players To Watch

We will find out Saturday when the defensively superior San Francisco 49ers welcome the high-octane New Orleans Saints to Candlestick Park for an NFC divisional playoff battle.

Their identical records notwithstanding, the Niners and Saints found success through very different means. To understand better, let’s take a position-by-position look at the tale of the tape.

San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith

49ers quarterback Alex Smith, who will forever remind Bay area folks more of Tim Rattay than Brees. The first overall pick of the 2005 draft, Smith has largely underperformed expectations during his NFL career. This has been the signal caller’s best season, however, as the seventh-year pro set career bests with a 61.4 completion percentage, a 90.7 QB rating and a total of 3,199 yards in the air. Most importantly for San Francisco, Smith only threw five interceptions for a team that turned the ball over only 10 times all season — a total that tied the 2010 Patriots for the fewest in league history since 1941.

San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith

Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the San Francisco 49ers. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

San Francisco 49ers: Frank Gore

Frank Gore will likely have to carry the load and keep the Saints’ offense off the field in order for the 49ers to stand a chance on Saturday. San Francisco’s veteran back has the talent to do so, having rattled off a stretch of five straight games over 100 yards rushing en route to a 1,211-yard regular season.

San Francisco 49ers: Frank Gore

San Francisco 49ers: Kendall Hunter

The 49ers also employ a quick change-of-pace rookie in Kendall Hunter, who assumed a larger role in the offense when Gore was nursing various injuries during the season’s second half.

San Francisco 49ers: Kendall Hunter

San Francisco 49ers: Vernon Davis

As was previously written, the Niners’ chances of winning will rest on the ground game’s ability to carry the offensive load. Tight end Vernon Davis is an absolute beast who can catch, run and block

San Francisco 49ers: Vernon Davis

San Francisco 49ers: Justin Smith

The 49ers, who recorded the lowest yards (308.1) and points allowed average (14.3) in the NFC, have four Pro Bowlers on the roster: Defensive end Justin Smith, linebacker Patrick Willis, cornerback Carlos Rogers and safety Dashon Goldson. Linebacker Aldon Smith may win Defensive Rookie of the Year accolades.

San Francisco 49ers: Justin Smith

San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Willis

The 49ers, who recorded the lowest yards (308.1) and points allowed average (14.3) in the NFC, have four Pro Bowlers on the roster: Defensive end Justin Smith, linebacker Patrick Willis, cornerback Carlos Rogers and safety Dashon Goldson. Linebacker Aldon Smith may win Defensive Rookie of the Year accolades.

San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Willis

San Francisco 49ers: Carlos Rogers

The 49ers, who recorded the lowest yards (308.1) and points allowed average (14.3) in the NFC, have four Pro Bowlers on the roster: Defensive end Justin Smith, linebacker Patrick Willis, cornerback Carlos Rogers and safety Dashon Goldson. Linebacker Aldon Smith may win Defensive Rookie of the Year accolades.

San Francisco 49ers: Carlos Rogers

San Francisco 49ers: Dashon Goldson

The 49ers, who recorded the lowest yards (308.1) and points allowed average (14.3) in the NFC, have four Pro Bowlers on the roster: Defensive end Justin Smith, linebacker Patrick Willis, cornerback Carlos Rogers and safety Dashon Goldson. Linebacker Aldon Smith may win Defensive Rookie of the Year accolades.

San Francisco 49ers: Dashon Goldson

San Francisco 49ers: Aldon Smith

The 49ers, who recorded the lowest yards (308.1) and points allowed average (14.3) in the NFC, have four Pro Bowlers on the roster: Defensive end Justin Smith, linebacker Patrick Willis, cornerback Carlos Rogers and safety Dashon Goldson. Linebacker Aldon Smith may win Defensive Rookie of the Year accolades.

San Francisco 49ers: Aldon Smith

Aldon Smith (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

San Francisco 49ers: Andy Lee

49ers punter Andy Lee booted for the best net average of all-time at 44.0 yards per punt. Lee with a net punt average of 43.1 yards.

San Francisco 49ers: Andy Lee

San Francisco 49ers: David Akers

49ers kicker David Akers set new NFL records with 44 field goals and 166 points.

San Francisco 49ers: David Akers

San Francisco 49ers: Ted Ginn Jr.

Ted Ginn opened the season by scoring on both a kickoff and punt — in a 58-second span — against the Seattle Seahawks. He finished it third and fourth in kickoff (27.6 yards) and punt returns (12.3), respectively.

San Francisco 49ers: Ted Ginn Jr.

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees

“The Saints’ signal caller set a new NFL single-season record with 5,476 passing yards, breaking a 27-year-old mark that had been held by the great Dan Marino (5,084 yards in 1984). Brees’ feat is all the more mesmerizing when you consider that he accomplished it without compromising his amazing accuracy; 71.6 percent of his passes were completed, another NFL record).” When the season was all said and done, Brees basically had taken a wrecking ball to the league’s regular-season record books, setting new single-season marks with 468 completions, 278 first-down passes, 13 300-yard games and seven straight 300-yard games. Yeah, he was pretty good.

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees

New Orleans Saints: Pierre Thomas

Pierre Thomas of the New Orleans Saints. (Photo by NFL via Getty Images).

New Orleans Saints: Pierre Thomas

New Orleans Saints: Darren Sproles

Darren Sproles led New Orleans with 603 rushing yards on an impressive 6.9 yards per carry. The diminutive Saint (he’s 5-foot-6) added 86 catches (most among NFL running backs) for 710 yards and seven touchdowns. The all-purpose back, who was also successful at returning kickoffs and punts, amassed an NFL record 2,696 net yards on the year, breaking the mark formerly held by Derrick Mason of the 2000 Titans.

New Orleans Saints: Darren Sproles

New Orleans Saints: Chris Ivory

Chris Ivory, New Orleans’ power back, often ran up the middle and behind an offensive line consisting of three Pro Bowlers. All told, the team effort resulted in the sixth-best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 132.9 yards per week.

New Orleans Saints: Chris Ivory

New Orleans Saints: Marques Colston

Receiver Marques Colston hauled in 80 balls for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in only 14 games.

New Orleans Saints: Marques Colston

New Orleans Saints: Jimmy Graham

The team’s top target in 2011 lined up at tight end, however, as 6-foot-6 Jimmy Graham caught 99 balls for 1,310 yards and 11 scores. The aforementioned Sproles finished second on the Saints with 86 receptions.

New Orleans Saints: Jimmy Graham

New Orleans Saints: John Kasay

Saints kicker John Kasay converted 28 of 32 field goals, and Thomas Morstead finished second to 49ers punter Andy Lee

New Orleans Saints: John Kasay

New Orleans Saints: Thomas Morstead

Saints kicker John Kasay converted 28 of 32 field goals, and Thomas Morstead finished second to 49ers punter Andy Lee