Donte Whitner, safety for the 49ers, set the tone for the defense in Saturday's win over the Saints with his physical play. "I told myself that I was going to hit everything moving out there today," Whitner said. "I was going to be extremely physical, even if it was my own guys. "Luckily I didn't have to hit my own guys." Whitner knocked Pierre Thomas out of the game with a hit that forced a fumble. "That just showed what type of defense we are," linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. "It's all about running around, being relentless and playing within the scheme." The hit prevented a red zone scoring opportunity for the Saints and forced them to change their game plan. "Obviously, it's tough to lose Pierre, especially on the first series for the rest of the game, because he's such a big part of what we do," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said.