Some people seemed to be doubting the San Francisco 49ers heading into their showdown with the New Orleans Saints. There have to be more believers now after they managed to pull off a 48-46 win at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

While there was a lot of good that came from the game, there were also some glaring weaknesses that were exposed. Let's breakdown some things we learned about the 49ers in the Week 14 win over the Saints.

Jimmy Garoppolo can lead this team to a Super Bowl

jimmy garoppolo, 49ers
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Even with everything the 49ers have accomplished so far this season, there were still a lot of questions surrounding Jimmy Garoppolo, He displayed inconsistency at times and there were some who even claimed that the team's offense thrived as a result of the players playing alongside him.

After Sunday's game against the Saints, it's clear that Garoppolo can lead the team to a victory, even if it requires getting the job done in a shootout. He threw for 349 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception while going blow for blow with Drew Brees. The best part of all is that Garoppolo didn't just keep up with Brees, he led his team to victory.

They must keep Emmanuel Sanders long-term

Emmanuel Sanders, 49ers
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If the 49ers do win the Super Bowl this year, the trade for Emmanuel Sanders might go down as one of the best in team history. It is clear he has provided a significant boost to San Francisco's offense by making them a more explosive and versatile attack.

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The impact that Sanders has provided was put on full display against the Saints. He hauled in seven receptions resulting in 157 yards and one touchdown. It's clear he has strong chemistry with Garoppolo already and it's going to be hard for any team to slow them down.

Maybe the defense isn't dominant?

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The 49ers defense is considered one of the best in football and maybe they still are, but there have to be some questions asked after how they played on Sunday against the Saints.

The Saints seemingly got whatever they wanted all afternoon with little resistance from a 49ers defense that is heralded as being the league's best by many. Brees completed 29-40 passes for 349 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Latavius Murray also had seven carries for 69 yards.

Maybe this was just a fluke performance against an elite offense. The 49ers will need to get back to their old ways in the next game against the Atlanta Falcons. Even if they can do that, there is a game-plan in place that can beat them, and it's something that other teams can exploit going forward.