Deuce McAllister isn’t finished after all.

AP / Sean Gardner

New Orleans Saints running back Duece McAllister (26) rushes for a first down in the third quarter off their NFL football game against San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans September 28, 2008. New Orleans won the game 31-17.

And despite injuries and suspensions and previous late-game letdowns, neither are the Saints.

McAllister sent the stadium into a frenzy early in the fourth quarter, diving over a pile at the 1-yard line and into the end zone for his first touchdown of the season.

And with it, McAllister and the Saints served notice they’ll be a team to deal with in the NFC after all.

New Orleans gave its home fans something to cheer about, picking up a much-needed victory over San Francisco 31-17 to end a two-game slide.

“I just want to play,” McAllister said.

Drew Brees threw for three touchdowns and had 363 yards to pace the offense while the defense did enough to San Francisco’s offense, bowing up to the 49ers on several forays into Saints territory, coming up with two interceptions in the end zone in the second half.

McAllister finished with 73 tough yards, each step getting ovations from a packed Superdome.

“It’s flattering,” McAllister said of the Deuuuce chants, “but at the same time, you have a job to do. My most important thing to stay on my reads.”

Lance Moore had a career-best day, finishing with 101 yards and two touchdowns receiving.

San Francisco (2-2) scored first when Joe Nedney converted a 47-yard field goal attempt after the 49ers drive stalled.

The Saints (2-2) answered in the second quarter and it began on the defensive side of the ball. End Will Smith chased down 49ers quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan and forced a fumble that Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma fell on at the San Francisco 32.

Six plays later, Brees hit Moore for a 5-yard touchdown pass and a 7-3 lead.

The play was one that head coach Sean Payton changed the game, making up for a slow start offensively by giving his team momentum.

“It was important that we were able to capitalize off the turnover,” Payton said. “It really put us all of a sudden (up) 7-3 and we hadn’t been playing well on offense. I thought it was a pivotal play, one of those five or six.”

And then the offense got going.

On their next series, Brees drove New Orleans 65 yards in 10 plays, eating nearly five minutes off the clock before he found Moore open in the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown.

San Francisco came back, getting another Nedney field goal, this time from 49 yards and New Orleans’ lead was 14-6 with little time left in the half.

Brees and the offense needed only 52 of the 97 seconds remaining in the second quarter to extend its lead to 21-6 prior to halftime. The quarterback found Robert Meachem open, this time recording a 47-yard touchdown.
“His decision-making and his accuracy and what he’s doing with this offense is pleasing and something else,” Payton said.

The 49ers opened the second half by driving to the Saints’ 15 before stalling. Again it was a play by New Orleans’ defensive line that stalled the series. Charles Grant crashed in from his left end position and sacked O’Sullivan for a five-yard loss.

San Francisco settled for a 38-yard field goal from Nedney and the Saints lead was down to 21-9.

Then it was time for the Saints’ defense to come up big. After allowing the 49ers to drive from their own 21 to the New Orleans 10, safety Kevin Kaesviharn intercepted O’Sullivan in the end zone, ending the threat.

“We had a good beat on what they were going to do, when they were going to pass,” Vilma said.

Four plays later, Meachem thrilled the crowd, catching a flea flicker pass from Brees by stealing the ball from 49ers safety Michael Lewis for a 52-yard gain. Brees then guided the Saints into the end zone when McAllister dove in from the 1.

AP Photo / Bill Haber

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) gets a pass away while being sacked by San Francisco 49ers Patrick Willis (52) in the first half of their NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008.

After Allen Rossum returned the ensuing kickoff to the Saints’ 40, the defense again came up big. Porter intercepted O’Sullivan in the end zone, ending another drive that threatened to cut into the New Orleans lead.

“We just bulked down as a unit,” rookie cornerback Tracy Porter said. “We were going to defend the goal line and not let those guys get in.”

The 49ers tacked on another touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but didn’t recover the onsides kick and New Orleans salted the game away, ending it with a 31-yard field goal by Martin Gramatica.

“We didn’t play well as a team today,” 49ers head coach Mike Nolan said. “You can go from the run game, the pass game and if there’s another game, you can include that one.”

Bradley Handwerger can be reached at bhandwerger@wwltv.com or 504-529-6439.