NEW ORLEANS -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the San Francisco 49ers' 27-24 overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome:

• Nose tackle Ian Williams was wearing a boot on his left foot after suffering an injury that knocked him out of the game in the second quarter. Coach Jim Harbaugh said he thought Williams might have a “small fracture” above the ankle, which is what Williams broke last year in Week 2 that ended his 2013 season. Paging Glenn Dorsey. Again.

• Linebacker Ahmad Brooks was surrounded by reporters and cameras after his strip-sack of Drew Brees preceded Phil Dawson's game-winning 35-yard field goal. Brooks, whose penalty for unnecessary roughness on Brees last year negated a strip-sack and allowed the Saints' drive to continue in an eventual New Orleans victory, said he did not believe in karma. Still, Brooks said he did feel as though his late father, who is buried in Louisiana, “talks” to him in New Orleans, offering that as a reason for his big games in the Big Easy.

• Fittingly enough, the last two 49ers players in the locker room were the guys who made the biggest plays at the beginning of the day (Frank Gore, who had 57 of his 81 rushing yards in the first half as the Niners built leads of 14-0 and 21-10) and the end of the day (Brooks, whose sack and forced fumble enabled the Niners to escape with the victory). Call them the alpha and the omega of the Niners' victory.