49ers Focus
By Robert Haugh

Offense vs. Defense.

49ers fans will witness an epic Offense vs. Defensive battle Saturday at Candlestick Park when the 49ers host the New Orleans Saints an epic NFC playoff bout pitting two of the league’s best teams.

The Saints, widely known for record-setting passer Drew Brees and their high-powered aerial attack will come into San Francisco to play the league’s number one Defense in the 49ers.

In recent weeks, the 49ers have been showing that their offense has the tools for making big plays, having improved immensely on third down and in the red zone, areas where they struggled all season.

If the 49ers’ Defensive unit keeps the pressure on Brees, wins the turnover battle, and the special teams unit wins the field position battle, it’ll give 49ers QB Alex Smith and offensive weapons Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore plenty of opportunities at scoring TDs, sending the Saints, a 3.5-point favorite, packing and the 49ers heading to Lambeu Field to play the Packers in the NFC championship game (unless Eli Manning and the Giants defeat the Packers, which would bring the Giants to San Francisco for the NFC championship game).

With the tools available for marching into the Super Bowl, the 49ers must now show up and execute and prove their critics wrong