The Niners make their way to New Orleans to face the Saints, playing their third consecutive home game, in position to sweep this NFC West rivalry for the fourth straight season.

In Week 2 at 3Com Park, Saints QB Billy Joe Hobert threw for 223 yards and three scores but was also intercepted twice, his second miscue returned 64 yards for a touchdown by 49ers' FS Lance Schulters with just 1:31 remaining as Mike Ditka's team squandered a 21-14 fourth-quarter advantage enroute to a 28-21 setback.

The Niners own an imposing 43-15-2 advantage in this series (including a 30-8 mark vs. the Saints since 1980) and have really dominated as of late, prevailing in seven straight and 19 of the last 23 meetings between the clubs dating back to 1988.

As for San Francisco's last trip to the Superdome (Week 6 of '98), 49ers QB Steve Young threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns and the San Francisco defense limited New Orleans to just 167 total yards and sacked Saints QBs Danny Wuerffel and Billy Joe Tolliver seven times in a convincing 31-0 triumph, their second straight shutout of the Cajuns in New Orleans.

The Niners have won five straight road games in this series dating back to 1994, and own a 15-3 mark at the Superdome (16-3 if you include San Francisco's 55-10 win over Denver in Super Bowl XXIV) dating back to 1980.

Numbers: Including playoffs, Saints head coach Mike Ditka owns a 3-10 record vs. the 49ers (3-5 with Chicago, 0-4 with New Orleans) and his teams have been shutout in 5 of those 10 losses. Including playoffs, Ditka has lost 8 straight to San Francisco (0-3 with Bears, 0-5 with Saints), by a combined score of 252-65, and 7 of those setbacks by double digits (28-3, 26-0, 52-14, 33-7, 23-0, 31-0, 31-20, 28-21). The Saints are 2-13 in their last 15 meetings with the 49ers dating back to 1992. In their 2 victories, New Orleans has committed 0 turnovers and allowed three sacks, while in their 13 losses they've committed 39 turnovers and allowed 28 sacks...

In 27 games vs. the Saints, 49ers WR Jerry Rice has totaled 134 receptions for 1,904 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 49ers have rushed for 2,137 yards rushing in their last 15 games vs. New Orleans (142.5 YPG) dating back to 1992. In their last four games (0-4), the 49ers' offense has scored two touchdowns, while their defensive unit has scored four touchdowns. They have not scored an offensive touchdown in two straight games and a total of eight consecutive quarters. The 49ers have committed two or more turnovers in four straight games. They have committed two turnovers in three wins, 15 turnovers in five losses in '99.San Francisco has been outscored a combined 62-6 in the third quarter in eight games in '99.

The Saints committed just four turnovers in their first five games of '93 but have committed 233 turnovers in their last 99 regular-season games (1993-99), committing two or more turnovers in five straight games and 34 of their last 49 contests. The Saints have allowed 63 points in 7 wins (17 or fewer points in each contest), 475 points in 17 losses (30 or more points in 10 of those contests) dating back to '98. They have committed two or more turnovers in five straight games, and have been limited to 16 or fewer points in three straight games. Saints quarterbacks have thrown two or more interceptions in five straight games. They have allowed two or more touchdown passes in four straight games and 6-of-8 contests in '99.

Things to look for: When the decade started, the 49ers and Saints could be found battling for the NFC West title and making their share playoff appearances. But as the 1990s come to an end, both clubs have fallen on hard times, which may not be very shocking for New Orleans but is still hard to believe in the case of the usually-formidable Niners, who appear to be in a major free fall with little relief in sight.

Etc.: The 49ers are 3-5 for the first time since the strike-shortened season of 1982, when they finished 3-6 and missed the playoffs under since-departed head coach Bill Walsh. They are 3-5 in a non-strike season for the first time since 1980, when they opened 3-8 and finished 6-10 under Walsh. San Francisco has lost four straight games for the first time since 1980, when they dropped eight straight games.

The Saints are 1-7 for the first time since 1980, when they opened 0-14 and finished 1-15 under since-departed head coaches Dick Nolan (0-12) and Dick Stanfel (1-3). Including playoffs, the 49ers are 50-16 vs. NFC West foes since 1990 (1-2 in '99)...49ers have not been shutout in an NFL-record 346 consecutive games. WR Jerry Rice has caught at least one pass in an NFL-record 201 straight games. The Saints have lost seven straight games. They are just 8-27 vs. divisional competition since 1995 (1-2 in '99), this after compiling a 29-19 record (including playoffs) vs. NFC West rivals from 1987-94. The Saints are just 18-32 in their last 50 contests at the Superdome dating back to 1993.