Saints ride another Hartley field goal to victory over 49er’s

Garrett Hartley isn’t afraid to make a big kick.

After all, the kicker banged through the most important field goal in Saints history just last spring to beat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.

The magnitude this time around wasn’t quite the same, but again Hartley is the hero.

With the score tied at 22, Hartley sent the Saints home victorious, hitting a 37-yard-field goal as time expired to push the Saints past the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in a game that saw the defending Super Bowl Champions struggle to find offensive rhythm throughout the final three quarters of the game.

But it didn’t start so bad for the Saints, as they lit up the scoreboard just three plays into the game after 49ers quarterback Alex Smith was unable to control an errant shotgun snap, which went out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

With control of the football for the first time, the Saints offense scored in a more conventional manner when Drew Brees connected with Reggie Bush on a 6-yard touchdown pass to cap a seven-play drive.

But after the quick score, the well ran dry for the better part of the ballgame, as the 49ers kept New Orleans off the scoreboard, while adding a Frank Gore touchdown of their own to push the score to 9-7 at halftime.

The Saints struggled to fight off San Francisco’s brisk winds all throughout the half and gained just 109 total first half yards, while yielding 197 to the 49ers.

The trend continued at least initially in the second half, as the 49ers forced a Saints punt, then drove decisively down the field, taking the ball 86 yards in just six plays to take a 14-9 lead.

But the success was short-lived, as like champions do, the Saints retook control on the very next drive with a three-yard touchdown pass from Brees to tight end David Thomas to go ahead 16-14.

The Saints forced two of their four turnovers to get two other Hartley field goals to go ahead 22-14.

But the 49ers pushed the Saints to the limit and tied the game with just 1:19 to play before giving way to the Saints’ field goal drive and victory.

But even in victory, the Saints did suffer a loss in San Francisco, as Bush was carted off the field in the second half with an apparent knee injury. The severity of his injury is not known as of press time.