It was a strip sack and fumble recovery from Bryce Huff that officially ended things, but where the 49ers really took charge was their final drive of the first half of a 26-21 road win over the New Orleans Saints.

With New Orleans having closed to 9-7, the 49ers got the ball back on the 23-yard line with 1:10 left. Nine plays later, Christian McCaffrey had scored his first touchdown since 2023 on a 7-yard pass from Mac Jones and the 49ers led 16-7.

“I was real proud of the guys there,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday in a conference call with local writers. “To be able to go the length of the field in a minute with one tim eout and finish with a touchdown, I thought it was huge. Mac did a hell of a job. All the guys made some plays and they protected well.”

The drive opened with a 13-ya

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