For the 49ers to come good they need Alex Smith to actually start playing like a top 10 QB, not a scrub. He's really the only glaring weakness on the team.
To echo the sentiments of Steve Young in the post game show, that last TD drive by Smith was great (& what he's being paid ridiculous amounts of money to do) but he still left more than enough time on the clock for the Saints to get back up the field.
You just can't give Brees that much time when the Saints are behind by less than a FG. Hartley is a good kicker as well.
49ers should win their division purely because NFC West is so weak atm. When your biggest threats are the Seahawks you really need to take the season by the scruff of the neck.