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SANTA CLARA – The 49ers chose wisely.

The team focused its bye-week preparations on the New Orleans Saints, and they will come marching into Candlestick Park next weekend after beating Detroit 45-28 Saturday in an NFC wild-card game.

The 49ers could have faced one of three teams – the Saints, New York Giants or Atlanta Falcons – and they raised eyebrows by singling out the Saints as the team they expected to host next Saturday in an NFC divisional playoff game. Most teams in that situation would avoid zeroing in on one opponent to not motivate the others.

The tack, like everything coach Jim Harbaugh does, likely had a bit of strategy behind it.

Looking ahead to the Saints served to not only flatter – and soften – the New Orleans squad, it might have been aimed to inspire their opponent, the Lions, to topple perhaps the league's hottest team. The Saints have won nine straight games. Had the Lions won, they would have played at Green Bay next weekend.

Harbaugh on Friday said he and his staff would watch the game from team headquarters, where they ostensibly were working on the game plan against the Saints.

"The team is playing at as high a level as anybody in football," Harbaugh said of New Orleans. "The quarterback (Drew Brees) – it's just a master of the obvious stating something like this – is playing as well or better than anybody who has ever played the game. It's a great team."

His players echoed that sentiment last week. Defensive end Justin Smith said he and teammates watched game film of the Saints on Friday.

"Their timing routes, their back-shoulder fades – we paused the film, and the ball's halfway down the field, and the guy's still running straight," Smith said of the Saints' proficiency in the passing game. "So they do some pretty awesome stuff on offense.

"Defensively, we know we're going to have to pressure Brees, hit him, make him uncomfortable."

Read more here: Harbaugh's hunch about Saints pays off for 49ers - Sacramento Sports - Kings, 49ers, Raiders, High School Sports | Sacramento Bee

SloMotion

Congratulations on the win 'Who Dat' Nation, you left no doubt. I'm glad to see you guys aren't taking too much time celebrating and focusing on the next task at hand, San Francisco. That's how winners do things. I have the unique perspective of being beat by both teams and look forward to kicking around the pigskin a bit with ya'll this week if it's alright . . . play a little 'devil's advocate', so to speak, but as a Saints supporter, not a SFran troll . . . and boy, do they got 'em . . . forewarned is forearmed.

Harbaugh was a Michigan boy, and I've known about him since the '80s . . . he is definitely a douchebag, but he's a smart douchebag and one helluva gamer. When we (Lions) were 5-0 and the 49ers were coming to town, I warned the Lions' boards, "An army of sheep, led by a lion, is far more dangerous then an army of lions led by a sheep ~ Sun Tzu" . . . I got nothing but grief from my fellow Lions' fans . . . Harbaugh is that "lion" and darned if they didn't bring us back to reality.

I'll let you get back to your celebration . . . again, congratulations, you guys really know how to put on a show.

gone fishin'.

Choupique

I've been to Michigan. My sister went to college there. I'm not a fan of Michigan, but that is just the perspective of someone who has been there.

Your coach is a whiner. Your team has some skill. Your QB is from Dallas so many of us will never like him simply due to that fact. :^p

You seem like a nice person. Why are you a Lions fan? lol :-/

SloMotion

. . . hehe . . . well, I've lived here all my life and this team was given to me by my father, as it was given to him by his father and as I have passed it on to my son . . . I died back in 1970 when the Lions lost the wildcard to Dallas 5-0 and have been numb ever since . . . only they didn't call it 'the wildcard' back then . . . IDK, the Lions are just something that stays with you I suppose, and I'm the kind of guy that feels that you dance with the girl you brought and you don't leave her when something new & exciting comes along . . . call me old-fashioned . . . I can only be what I am . . . thanks for listening, I know Saints Nation understands.

gone fishin.'

DjBlueBeast

much respect slo. thank you bro. again much respect

jeanpierre

Lions won't be sneaking up on anyone the next couple of seasons...

halloween 65

Thanks SlowMo!! Detroit has a good young team and I'm sure you guys will make some good if not great runs at the Superbowl in the near future. You have been really cool on this sight while still defending your team, hope you come back soon!!

Saint_LB

Yeah...SloMo, I think your day is coming. You will go further in the playoffs in the near future. Maybe next year we won't knock you off until the NFCCG...lol.

In all seriousness, you guys have great potential. Good luck next year!

ScottF

So Harbaugh chose wisely and played his hunch?
We were an 11 point favorite, at home, on an eight game win streak against a team we beat a month earlier.
I wouldn't call the guy Nostradamus for picking us.

nutria

I am a long suffering Saints fan, since 1967, when winning 2 games was a good season. Detroit is very close to having a contender--Suh, Fairly, Stafford and Johnson are an extremely good core of players. Couple of more players and another year experience for Stafford and you guys are scary.