NEW ORLEANS -- Leading by a 24-13 count here Sunday afternoon, and with only a shade more than 16 minutes remaining after a Garrison Hearst eight-yard touchdown burst had boosted San Francisco into a seemingly comfortable advantage, 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia never saw the bottom about to fall out of his offense.

	Garcia

"We had just answered their (field goal) drive with a touchdown drive and were having success in just about every facet," Garcia said. "Most of what we were doing was working pretty well. And then …"

And then the San Francisco offense went thud.

The same offense that had scored three touchdowns and a field goal on its first five possessions, which rolled to 19 first downs and 303 yards over that stretch, self-imploded on the next three series. A fumble by the historically butterfingered tailback Kevin Barlow set up one New Orleans touchdown and a Garcia interception led to another Saints visit to the end zone.

Game set and match to the Saints in a contest billed as being critical to the pecking order in the NFC. Not even the cerebral Garcia, who had warned his teammates of the New Orleans propensity for creating late game turnovers, could accurately assess the reasons for the 180-degree turnaround that left the Niners tied with the surprising Arizona Cardinals for first place in the reconfigured NFC West.

In a 10-minute catastrophe, though, a San Francisco attack uncannily on target for nearly three quarters set dead aim on its own feet thereafter. And the aim was both true and tragic as the 49ers fell to 4-2, exiting into the night dealing with the reality of self-inflicted wounds.

It would diminish the tremendous effort and true grit of the surging Saints to suggest that the 49ers squandered this contest with their offensive meltdown. But until Barlow put the ball on the ground, as he has been prone to do in his short career, the 49ers had proven to be every bit as explosive as ballistic attack the Saints trot out on a regular basis.

San Francisco still led 24-19 when Barlow coughed up the ball on a six-yard run. Two plays later, compliments of a 20-yard touchdown snatch by Saints wide receiver Joe Horn, the 49ers were in arrears. And the Saints spent the balance of the game essentially kicking their rears.

"You certainly don't count on them to turn the ball over," said the venerable Bryan Cox, who started for the Saints at middle linebacker. "They certainly don't count on turning it over, either, man. When they do give it up, it's like a little bit of a shock to them."

	“	I've never done it before. Has anyone ever seen it? It doesn't happen very often, but it made sense at the time and with the situation. Unfortunately, it became (moot), huh? ”
		— 49ers coach Steve Mariucci, on declining a penalty and allowing the Saints to score in the final two minutes

If that's indeed the case, someone should have handed out blankets to the Niners, so deep into shock did their offense go. Actually, one San Francisco veteran suggested the attack went into "a deep chill" and he's right.

In the three possessions following Hearst's touchdown, San Francisco eked out just two first downs, 44 yards and a field goal. The 49ers managed to add five first downs and 71 yards on their final possession, but time expired with San Francisco at the New Orleans 20-yard line.

The final San Francisco series came after a brainy decision by coach Steve Mariucci, who permitted Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks to score on a one-yard run with 1:56 remaining, rather than have New Orleans simply run out the clock. The Saints led 28-27 at the time and, essentially, the 49ers' lone hope was to let New Orleans score, then hope for a touchdown of its own, with a two-point conversion.

It was hardly a difficult call for Mariucci, who even declined a five-yard penalty against the Saints on Brooks' scoring run, just to gain possession of the football. While an unusual gamble, one rarely seen at this level, it was a masterstroke on Mariucci's part.

"I've never done it before," said Mariucci of the touchdown concession. "Has anyone ever seen it? It doesn't happen very often, but it made sense at the time and with the situation. Unfortunately, it became (moot), huh?"

It did, indeed, because of one last 49ers faux pas. On the kickoff after the Brooks touchdown, San Francisco tight end Justin Swift was called for tripping, and the 49ers were forced to begin their desperation march at their own nine-yard line.

Garcia was unable to complete the miracle, his final pass to Barlow going for 20 yards, but ending well short of the end zone.

"Very, very frustrating," said San Francisco wide receiver Terrell Owens, who did not break out a Sharpie after a first-quarter touchdown catch. "We had it going early and then it went away in a blink."

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.