49ers vs. Saints as it happened, plus postgame reaction, analysis

In this installment of "49ers Talk," Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan discuss the 16-10 preseason win over the Saints, Brock Purdy taking the field for the first time since the Super Bowl and other takeaways from the game.

Also, "Up and Adams" host Kay Adams stops by the show to discuss her weekly conversations with Deebo Samuel, the 49ers’ ceiling and the vibes she received during her time in Santa Clara.

Listen to the full "49ers Talk" episode in the player below:

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan gave injury updates on two key players who had to sit out the team's 16-10 preseason win over the Saints on Sunday night at Levi's Stadium.

Jake Haener and the Saints drove to the 49ers' 22-yard line, thanks to the quarterback's deep connections, including a fourth-and-5 just across midfield.

However, San Francisco's defense held there, batting away a fourth-and-7 pass into the end zone to put itself in position to kneel down for the win.

49ers rookie quarterback Tanner Mordecai's first drive ended in points, as Jake Moody kicked a 36-yard field goal that gave San Francisco a 16-10 lead with 7:02 left in the fourth quarter.

Mordecai, an undrafted free-agent signee, took the 49ers 62 yards on 13 plays, and completed 4 of 6 passes for 44 yards. Danny Gray made a juggling catch for 13 of those yards and a first down in Saints territory.

Jake Moody could have increased the 49ers' lead to 16-10, but he pushed his field-goal attempt wide right with 2:05 left in the third quarter.

The Saints took over at their 41-yard line, with Danville native Jake Haener replacing Spencer Rattler at quarterback.

Coach Kyle Shanahan, for the second consecutive 2024 NFL preseason game, has given up offensive play-calling to 49ers offensive passing game specialist Klay Kubiak.

FOX Sports' Kristina Pink reported just before the start of the second half Sunday that Shanahan didn't plan to call plays after not doing so during the first half against the Saints.

Shanahan's decision to let Kubiak call plays again created a unique situation in which Klay went against his brother, Klint, who is the Saints' offensive coordinator. Klint Kubiak was the 49ers' passing game coordinator in 2023 and joined the Saints before this season.

Shanahan told reporters after the 49ers' preseason loss to the Titans last week that Kubiak had earned the opportunity. A few days later, the 49ers coach admitted it was a "weird" feeling not being in charge of play-calling.

The 49ers' defense bent but didn't break on the Saints' second half-opening drive, which ended in a 52-yard Blake Grupe field goal that cut San Francisco's lead to 13-10.

New Orleans drove 36 yards on nine plays but stalled after reaching the San Francisco 35.

The 49ers then took possession, with Brandon Allen under center after Josh Dobbs' successful first-half showing. Allen and Co. lasted just six snaps before having to punt the ball back to the Saints, but he impressively escaped a New Orleans sack attempt on the final play of the drive.

If Josh Dobbs wanted to make a statement in the 49ers' backup quarterback competition, he surely did that Sunday.

All three of Dobbs' first-half drives against the Saints ended in points. His last drive was an 11-play, 79-yard march that featured a 38-yard dime to Jacob Cowing down the sideline and ended with Dobbs' 1-yard touchdown run on a fourth-down read-option play just before halftime for a 13-7 San Francisco lead.

Dobbs, an eighth-year pro who has 14 starts in 21 NFL games, ended the half 12-of-21 passing for 132 yards, and also had three carries for 25 yards. Brandon Allen, you're up next.

T.Y. McGill and Alex Barrett made Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler's first series Sunday one to forget, as the 49ers defenders' pressure led to a strip-sack, and Barrett recovered the loose football midway through the second quarter.

That set up Josh Dobbs and the 49ers' offense at the Saints' 38-yard line, but they couldn't crack the end zone against New Orleans' stout defense. Dobbs did convert a third-and-10 with an impressive 13-yard scramble to the Saints' 15, and an ensuing 24-yard Jake Moody field goal cut San Francisco's deficit to 7-6 with 2:42 remaining in the half.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's three series Sunday didn't go as he'd like, as he finished 2-of-6 passing for just 11 yards and then gave way to Josh Dobbs early in the second quarter.

Dobbs, who's competing with Brandon Allen for the 49ers' backup QB job, fared much better on his first drive. He completed all six of his passes for 48 yards on a nine-play drive that ended in a Jake Moody 47-yard field goal to cut San Francisco's deficit to 7-3.

The Saints became the first team to show any life on offense, marching 95 yards on 16 plays and scoring on Taysom Hill's 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal.

New Orleans converted on two third downs and two fourth downs behind starting quarterback Derek Carr, as San Francisco's defense couldn't make the final stop.

Taysom Hill, meet Ji'Ayir Brown.

The 49ers' young safety greeted Hill, the Saints' quarterback/running back/tight end, in the backfield on New Orleans' second drive and decked him for a 1-yard loss on second down.

Brown's picture-perfect hit left the Saints with third-and-7 on their own 9, and after the ensuing pass fell incomplete, New Orleans punted the ball back to San Francisco. Unfortunately for the 49ers, Brock Purdy couldn't move the offense on his third drive and again went three-and-out.

The Saints went three-and-out on their first possession against this 49ers defense:

New Orleans punted to the San Francisco 38, where Brock Purdy and Co. took over for a second drive, but they also went three-and-out.

The 49ers received the opening kickoff, and Brock Purdy and the offense took the field first against the Saints.

The offense stalled at San Francisco's 41-yard line, after a Purdy third-down pass fell incomplete. Purdy was 1-of-3 passing for 6 yards on the five-play drive.

Jordan Mason, who scored a touchdown in the 49ers' preseason opener last week at Tennessee, will sit out Sunday's game against New Orleans, giving two other running backs the opportunity to impress coaches.

Mason, who gained 34 yards on six carries last week while playing all 11 snaps on the 49ers' first drive, isn't the only notable San Francisco player who will sit out Sunday.

Mason, a third-year pro, has a legitimate shot to be the 49ers' No. 2 running back behind All-Pro Christian McCaffrey, since Elijah Mitchell has missed significant practice time this summer with a hamstring injury and struggled to avoid injuries in his first three NFL seasons. Mason, meanwhile, has 464 yards and four TDs on 83 carries over 33 games in his first two NFL seasons.

Injured 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw still is making his presence felt ahead of Sunday's preseason game against the New Orleans Saints at Levi's Stadium.

Greenlaw led the 49ers defense's breakdown, firing up his teammates moments before kickoff.

Greenlaw is on the road to recovery after rupturing his Achilles during the 49ers' Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in February.

The 49ers placed Greenlaw on the physically-unable-to-perform list when training camp opened in late July.

George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and 49ers general manager John Lynch made sure to sign autographs and take pictures with the Faithful as they filed into Levi's Stadium.

Tom Brady, like the rest of us, evidently wants to see how Brock Purdy looks in his first preseason action of 2024.

Brady, who retired before the 2023 season and joined FOX as a color analyst this year, was spotted at Levi's Stadium as 49ers and Saints players began their respective warmups. 49ers legend Frank Gore joined him in what had to be an awesome conversation between two football greats.

Brady could have been on the field as a 49ers quarterback, if coach Kyle Shanahan had his way before the 2023 season, when the two spoke about the possibility with Purdy still recovering from elbow surgery. However, Purdy bounced back nicely, as Shanahan and the team hoped, and led San Francisco to a Super Bowl appearance. No doubt he wants to do even more this season.

Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez and Kristina Pink will be on the 49ers-Saints FOX broadcast, meaning Brady likely is at Levi's to observe the team he grew up rooting for as he starts his next career in football.