Saints Had Real Fire in Their Eyes

The only fireworks the New Orleans Saints created came from the halftime show, but their defense again was good enough to beat the San Francisco 49ers.

Steve Walsh, ineffective most of the game, passed to Eric Martin on an eight-yard play for the game’s only touchdown in the second quarter and the Saints went on to beat the San Francisco 49ers, 10-3, Sunday.

Play was stopped for eight minutes in the third quarter while a fire in the scoreboard hanging 160 feet above the field was extinguished.

A halftime fireworks display ignited some burlap padding, and a worker climbed up in the rafters to throw blankets on the fire. Part of the burning material fell onto the field below.

A bucket of water and ice was thrown on the fire on the field, and firemen also went on the field, creating a rather odd scene.

“I was looking for some weenies. We had time enough for a little barbecue,” said Saint kicker Morten Andersen, who had lined up to try a 21-yard field goal before the delay.

Andersen ended up kicking the field goal.

The 49ers, with former UCLA quarterback Steve Bono starting in place of injured Steve Young, struggled against the Saints’ defense, which was led by Pat Swilling.

Swilling had two sacks and forced a fumble.

The 49ers’ only points came less than two minutes into the game on a 32-yard field goal by Mike Cofer.

The field goal was set up when Walsh, who completed 10 of 25 passes for 116 yards, threw his only interception of the game.

Dave Waymer, a Saint for 10 seasons before being released in Plan B, intercepted Walsh’s first pass and returned it 42 yards to the Saints’ 17.

Three plays gained two yards before Cofer’s field goal.

Cofer later missed a 44-yard attempt to end the 49ers’ best drive of the first half. The 49ers drove from their own 22 to the Saints’ 27, where Cofer missed his fifth try in six attempts. He missed all four of his attempts against Atlanta last week.

The Saints (9-1) hold a four-game lead in the NFC West. The 49ers (4-6) fell five games off the pace with six games to go, almost eliminating them from the division championship picture for the first time since 1985.

The Saints were in the middle of a 69-yard drive when the fire was noticed. At first, the teams continued to play.

“We had a couple of plays right under it,” Walsh said. “I threw that little pass to Gill Fenerty, and I saw something fall right behind my shoulder.”

The pass, a middle screen that went for 14 yards, got the Saints from under the falling sparks, and practice squad graduate Fred McAfee carried three times for 24 yards as the Saints got to a first-and-goal at the nine. Three plays got five yards before Andersen kicked the field goal.

“A delay like that can be bad, if your mind isn’t disciplined,” said Andersen, who stayed on the field during the delay. “I thought about coming off and kicking a few into the net, but I decided against that.

“I just visualized the kick, did a little gardening--there were some scraps of tape and things like that from halftime, and I cleared them out of my path.

“You have to be careful when you’re spending a lot of time out there. Your mind wanders, and doubt can enter your head.”

Walsh started all of last season, but this was the first time he knew a week in advance that he would start this year. He had two starts earlier this season, but he wasn’t told he would replace starter Bobby Hebert until just before game time.

“Maybe it was a little bit of butterflies,” Walsh said. “I was trying to force some things.”

“It was definitely a frustrating day offensively,” he said. “It will be a short highlight film offensively.”

It was a short drive to the only touchdown of the game.

The only touchdown of the game came after Sam Mills hit Tom Rathman at the San Francisco 33, and Rathman fumbled. Vince Buck recovered, and the Saints drove for the score, with McAfee getting 19 yards on three carries.

Walsh passe to Martin for the score on third and six at the 49er eight.

Rickey Jackson preserved the victory by forcing the 49ers’ Harry Sydney to fumble after Bono completed four of five passes to move the 49ers from their 39 to the Saint nine.

Jackson hit Sydney, knocked the ball loose, and Brett Maxie recovered for the Saints with 3:41 left in the game, and the Saints ran out the clock.

Bono finished with 15 completions in 32 attempts for 109 yards.

“It was a tough for Bono to come into an environment like this,” 49er Coach George Seifert said. “He did a good job.

“You could say that without a fumble or two, it’s a different ball game. He played with poise.”

Rathman gained 34 yards in seven carries for the 49ers, who rushed for 114 yards.

49er receiver Jerry Rice caught four passes for 24 yards.