Coach Jim Harbaugh labeled Tuesday’s team meeting a “normal thing.”

Clearly, it left more than the normal impression on at least two of the San Francisco 49ers’ key offensive performers.

Asked before Wednesday’s first preparation for this weekend’s game against the New Orleans Saints to identify the primary message of the team meeting, quarterback Colin Kaepernick stated, “That we have to win.”

A must-win with still half the regular season to play? That’s the way the 49ers are approaching Sunday’s tough road matchup with the NFC South leader.

Coming off a deflating, 13-10 home loss to the St. Louis Rams, the 49ers found themselves in eighth place in the NFC playoff standings at the midpoint of the season. They must finish in the top six to qualify for the postseason.

It won’t be easy.

The Arizona Cardinals went 10-6 last season and didn’t make the playoffs in the NFC. So at 4-4, the 49ers must go forward with the belief that it will take seven wins in their last eight games to get in.

A loss Sunday would burn the one remaining safety net, with two matchups with defending champion Seattle among the final seven games.

Thus, the “we have to win” approach.

Running back Frank Gore has examined the schedule. He came away from Tuesday’s meeting fired up about the prospects.

“We’re going to the playoffs,” he insisted. “We’re going to do it.

“We have great coaches. We have great guys. The last three years, we’ve been spoiled. That’s where we want to go, to get to the postseason. Once everybody takes care of their jobs, we have a great shot.”

SERIES HISTORY: 74th regular-season meeting. 49ers lead series, 46-25-2. The Saints are known as a great home team, but 49ers’ dominance in the series comes mostly from a 24-14 record in New Orleans. That impressive road mark includes a 31-21 win in Kaepernick’s first road start on Nov. 25, 2012. The Saints got a measure of revenge at home last season when Garrett Hartley kicked three field goals in the final 7:50, including a 31-yarder on the final play of the game, in a 23-20 victory.

MEDICAL WATCH: RB Frank Gore was limited in practice Wednesday as a precaution because of a previous hip injury. … WR Brandon Lloyd was a part-time participant at practice Wednesday after having to be pulled from Sunday’s loss to the St. Louis Rams with a hamstring injury. Lloyd likely will play Sunday at New Orleans. … ILB Patrick Willis did not practice Wednesday because of a toe injury. Willis practiced on a limited basis last week before having been a game-time decision to sit out. The 49ers are likely to take the same approach with him this week. … OLB Dan Skuta sat out Wednesday’s practice with an ankle injury. He was walking around the practice facility with a noticeable limp Wednesday. … CB Tramaine Brock was a part-time participant at practice Wednesday as he, for the second time, attempts to return from a toe injury.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

–49ers secondary vs. Saints QB Drew Brees. The San Francisco secondary is as healthy as it has been all season, and just at the right time. They know what’s coming at them this week — Brees and his 41 well distributed passes a game. Nobody has been better at stalling opposing quarterbacks this season than the 49ers, who have allowed a league-low 1,713 passing yards to quarterbacks through their first eight games. It’s a strength vs. strength matchup of a quarterback who loves to spread the ball around against a defense that is among the league’s best at keeping opposing running backs and tight ends out of the passing game.

–49ers RB Frank Gore vs. Saints run defense. San Francisco offensive coordinator Greg Roman has taken a lot of heat for not getting Gore involved enough in recent weeks. This might not be the best time to flip that switch, however. The Saints have allowed more than 68 yards to only one player this season — and that was to the league’s leading rusher, DeMarco Murray. Meanwhile, Gore has topped 63 yards just twice, and never again after dropping 119 and 107 on Philadelphia and Kansas City in Weeks 4 and 5. Gore has totaled just 107 yards in his last three games.

–49ers linebackers vs. Saints TE Jimmy Graham. Even without, at times, their top three linebackers on the field, the 49ers have been excellent at defending tight ends this season, allowing the sixth-fewest yards (325) in the league and only three touchdowns. Suffice it to say, they haven’t faced the likes of Graham yet. That said, Graham hasn’t been Graham-like most of the season as the Saints have de-emphasized him somewhat in the passing game. He has been targeted a total of just 20 times in the last four games. He does, however, enter the game having scored a touchdown in each of last two outings.