NFL team season (won 3rd Super Bowl)
The 1988 season was the San Francisco 49ers ' 39th in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd overall, and their tenth and final season under head coach Bill Walsh . The season was highlighted by their third Super Bowl victory. They failed to improve on their 13–2 record from 1987, and the 49ers struggled to a 6–5 record at the midway point and were in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1982 , but rose to defeat the Washington Redskins on a Monday night, eventually finishing the season at 10–6. They gained a measure of revenge by thrashing the Minnesota Vikings 34–9 in the first round of the playoffs; the Vikings had upset the #1-seeded 49ers the previous season in the divisional round . The 49ers then traveled to Chicago's Soldier Field, where the wind-chill factor at game time was 26 degrees below zero. They defeated the Chicago Bears 28–3 in the NFC Championship game.
For the 49ers, it was their first Super Bowl appearance since they defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX . They had made the playoffs in the three seasons between Super Bowl XIX and Super Bowl XXIII, but were eliminated each time in the first round, primarily because of the poor performances by their offensive stars in those games; quarterback Joe Montana , receiver Jerry Rice and running back Roger Craig all failed to produce a single touchdown.
The 49ers alternated quarterbacks as Montana and Steve Young both started at various points of the season. The broadcast booth of the 49ers radio network also saw change, as Joe Starkey substituted for longtime 49ers play by play announcer Lon Simmons during several games, mostly in October when Simmons called the Oakland Athletics 1988 American League Championship Series and 1988 World Series games for the Oakland A's flagship station, KSFO–AM . The 1988 season was the last for Simmons as 49ers broadcaster. With the regular season and postseason , the 49ers compiled a total of 13 victories (a .684 win percentage) on the season, a record-low for Super Bowl champions . In 2011, the New York Giants would tie this record (but with a .650 win percentage as they suffered seven losses as opposed to the 49ers six).
NFL Films produced a documentary about the team's season entitled State of the Art ; it was narrated by Jeff Kaye . On March 8, 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions , the 1988 San Francisco 49ers , with team commentary from Bill Walsh , Harris Barton and Roger Craig , and narrated by Ed Harris .
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The 1988 San Francisco 49ers season held training camp at Sierra College in Rocklin, California .
1988 San Francisco 49ers staff Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Physical development coordinator – Jerry Attaway
1988 San Francisco 49ers final roster Quarterbacks Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen Defensive linemen
Linebackers Defensive backs
Special teams
Reserve lists
Rookies in italics 47 active, 7 inactive
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1988 Team Starters
Offense
Defense
Kicking Team
Preseason Game summaries [ edit ] Preseason Week 1: Miami Dolphins vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Dolphins (1–0) 7 6 7 7 27 49ers (0–1) 0 14 7 0 21
at Wembley Stadium • London, England
Team Category Player Statistics MIA Passing Rushing Receiving SF Passing Rushing Receiving
Dolphins Game Statistics 49ers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics RAI Passing Rushing Receiving SF Passing Rushing Receiving
Raiders Game Statistics 49ers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Preseason Week 3: San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total 49ers (1–2) 0 21 3 0 24 Broncos (2–0) 3 21 3 7 34
at Mile High Stadium • Denver, Colorado
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Rushing Receiving DEN Passing Rushing Receiving
49ers Game Statistics Broncos First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Rushing Receiving SD Passing Rushing Receiving
49ers Game Statistics Chargers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics SEA Passing Rushing Receiving SF Passing Rushing Receiving
Seahawks Game Statistics 49ers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
In the 1988 season, San Francisco won the NFC West with a 10–6 regular season record, but it was a long uphill battle; the 49ers, Rams , and Saints all finished 10–6 with the 49ers winning the division on tiebreakers. The team had a quarterback controversy with Montana and Steve Young each starting at quarterback during the season. But after a 6–5 start, Montana led the 49ers to win 4 of their final 5 regular season games.
Montana finished the regular season with 238 completions for 2,981 yards and 18 touchdowns, and also added 132 rushing yards. His favorite target was Rice, who recorded 64 receptions for 1,306 yards (a 20.4 yards per catch average) and 9 touchdowns. Craig was also a key contributor with a total of 2,036 combined rushing and receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, earning him the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award . Fullback Tom Rathman also made a big impact, rushing for 427 yards and catching 42 passes for 387 yards. The 49ers defense was led by defensive backs Ronnie Lott , Eric Wright , Jeff Fuller , and Tim McKyer , who recorded a combined total of 18 interceptions. McKyer led the team with 7, while Lott recorded 5. Linebacker Charles Haley was also a big contributor with 11.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries.
Week Date Opponent Time TV Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 September 4 at New Orleans Saints 10:00 a.m. PDT CBS W 34–33 1–0 Louisiana Superdome 66,357
Recap 2 September 11 at New York Giants 10:00 a.m. PDT CBS W 20–17 2–0 Giants Stadium 75,943
Recap 3 September 18 Atlanta Falcons 1:00 p.m. PDT CBS L 17–34 2–1 Candlestick Park 60,168
Recap 4 September 25 at Seattle Seahawks 1:00 p.m. PDT CBS W 38–7 3–1 Kingdome 62,382
Recap 5 October 2 Detroit Lions 1:00 p.m. PDT CBS W 20–13 4–1 Candlestick Park 58,285
Recap 6 October 9 Denver Broncos 1:00 p.m. PDT NBC L 13–16 (OT) 4–2 Candlestick Park 61,711
Recap 7 October 16 at Los Angeles Rams 1:00 p.m. PDT CBS W 24–21 5–2 Anaheim Stadium 65,450
Recap 8 at Chicago Bears 6:00 p.m. PDT ABC L 9–10 5–3 Soldier Field 65,293
Recap 9 October 30 Minnesota Vikings 1:00 p.m. PST CBS W 24–21 6–3 Candlestick Park 60,738
Recap 10 November 6 at Phoenix Cardinals 1:00 p.m. PST CBS L 23–24 6–4 Sun Devil Stadium 64,544
Recap 11 November 13 Los Angeles Raiders 1:00 p.m. PST NBC L 3–9 6–5 Candlestick Park 54,448
Recap 12 Washington Redskins 6:00 p.m. PST ABC W 37–21 7–5 Candlestick Park 59,268
Recap 13 November 27 at San Diego Chargers 1:00 p.m. PST CBS W 48–10 8–5 Jack Murphy Stadium 51,484
Recap 14 December 4 at Atlanta Falcons 10:00 a.m. PST CBS W 13–3 9–5 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 44,048
Recap 15 December 11 New Orleans Saints 1:00 p.m. PST CBS W 30–17 10–5 Candlestick Park 62,977
Recap 16 December 18 Los Angeles Rams 5:00 p.m. PST ESPN L 16–38 10–6 Candlestick Park 62,444
Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Regular Season Game summaries [ edit ] [ 3]
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Joe Montana 13/23, 161 YDS, 3 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Roger Craig 18 CAR, 67 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Roger Craig 5 REC, 43 YDS NO Passing Bobby Hebert 22/31, 245 YDS, 4 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing Dalton Hilliard 19 CAR, 95 YDS Receiving Lonzell Hill 7 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD
Point spread : 49ers Pick'em Over/Under: 43.0 (over) Time of Game: 3 hours, 7 minutes 49ers Game Statistics Saints 21 First downs 23 32–124 Rushes–yards 31–147 165 Passing yards 245 14–26–1 Passes 22–31–2 0–0 Sacked–yards 5–48 165 Net passing yards 197 289 Total yards 344 128 Return yards 310 1–24.0 Punts 3–40.0 1–1 Fumbles–lost 2–1 2–12 Penalties–yards 10–77 23:50 Time of possession 36:10
Starting Lineups
Individual stats
49ers Passing C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 Rate Montana 13/23 161 3 1 0 0 29 99.8 Young 1/3 4 0 0 0 0 4 42.4
49ers Kick Returns Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng DuBose 4 105 26.3 0 0
49ers Punt Returns Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng Griffin 2 18 9.0 0 0
49ers Punting Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck Runager 1 24 24.0 24 1
49ers Kicking XPM–XPA FGM–FGA Cofer 4–4 2–2
49ers Interceptions Int Yds TD LG PD Lott 1 11 0 11 0 Carter 1 0 0 0 0
The Saints, fresh off the first winning season in franchise history, clawed to a 17–10 halftime lead in the second quarter, but Joe Montana erupted in the third with three touchdown throws. Head coach Bill Walsh , wanting to get playing time for backup Steve Young , put Young in for the fourth quarter; Young was sacked in the endzone for a safety and the Saints scored seven more points after that, nonetheless coming up short 34–33 to the 49ers.
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Point spread : 49ers +2 Over/Under: 44.0 (under) Time of Game: 3 hours, 13 minutes 49ers Game Statistics Giants 25 First downs 17 33–181 Rushes–yards 29–112 263 Passing yards 227 21–37–0 Passes 21–37–0 3–14 Sacked–yards 3–30 249 Net passing yards 197 430 Total yards 309 63 Return yards 133 4–39.0 Punts 5–39.2 4–2 Fumbles–lost 2–0 9–97 Penalties–yards 4–30 30:46 Time of possession 29:14
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 10/18, 148 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 11/18, 115 YDS; Rice – 0/1, 0 YDS Rushing : Craig – 18 CAR, 110 YDS; Young – 5 CAR, 48 YDS; – Rathman – 6 CAR, 21 YDS; DuBose – 3 CAR, 2 YDS, 1 TD; Montana – 1 CAR, 0 YDS Receiving : Craig – 9 REC, 69 YDS; Rice – 4 REC, 109 YDS, 1 TD; Rathman – 3 REC, 27 YDS; Wilson – 2 REC, 25 YDS; Heller – 2 REC, 24 YDS; Chandler – 1 REC, 9 YDS Kickoff Returns : DuBose – 3 KR, 49 YDS Punt Returns : Chandler – 2 PR, 14 YDS Punting : Helton – 4 PUNTS, 156 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 2/2 PAT, 2/4 FG Sacks : Fagan – 1.0; Haley – 1.0; Roberts – 1.0 49ers Missed Field Goals: Cofer 62, 35 Concerned over Montana's health, coach Walsh started Steve Young in his place against the Giants; Young's rawness to the Niners offensive system showed as he was limited to 115 yards passing and the Niners trailed 17–13 in the fourth. Montana came in and fired a 77-yard touchdown in the final minutes to Jerry Rice and a 20–17 Niners win (the play, 76 All Go, had only bern installed that week).
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Team Category Player Statistics ATL Passing Chris Miller 12/24, 175 YDS, 2 INTs Rushing Gerald Riggs 19 CAR, 115 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Gerald Riggs 4 REC, 64 YDS SF Passing Joe Montana 32/48, 343 YDS, 2 TDs, 3 INTs Rushing Roger Craig 13 CAR, 57 YDS Receiving Roger Craig 10 REC, 61 YDS
Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP ATL SF 1 6:12 8 48 49ers 38-yard field goal by Cofer 0 3 2 7:00 13 80 Falcons Riggs 3-yard touchdown run, Davis kick good 7 3 2 2:58 5 70 Falcons Primus 29-yard touchdown run, Davis kick good 14 3 2 0:00 6 54 Falcons Miller 1-yard touchdown run, Davis kick good 21 3 3 13:41 4 –9 Falcons 47-yard field goal by Davis 24 3 3 8:17 10 80 49ers McIntyre 17-yard touchdown reception from Montana , Cofer kick good 24 10 4 11:33 – – – Falcons Interception returned 47 yards for touchdown by Moore , Davis kick good 31 10 4 2:18 10 86 49ers Wilson 13-yard touchdown reception from Montana , Cofer kick good 31 17 4 1:05 5 20 Falcons 41-yard field goal by Davis 34 17 "TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football . 34 17
Point spread : 49ers –14 Over/Under: 44.0 (over) Time of Game: 3 hours, 5 minutes Falcons Game Statistics 49ers 19 First downs 22 41–196 Rushes–yards 19–104 175 Passing yards 343 12–24–2 Passes 32–49–4 1–4 Sacked–yards 3–21 171 Net passing yards 322 367 Total yards 426 101 Return yards 60 4–40.0 Punts 4–41.5 0–0 Fumbles–lost 0–0 5–35 Penalties–yards 4–50 30:44 Time of possession 29:16
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 32/48, 343 YDS, 2 TDs, 3 INTs; Rice – 0/1, 0 YDS, 1 INT Rushing : Craig – 13 CAR, 57 YDS; Rathman – 2 CAR, 23 YDS; Rice – 2 CAR; 20 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR; 4 YDS Receiving : Craig – 10 REC, 61 YDS; Rice – 8 REC, 183 YDS; Rathman – 5 REC, 29 YDS; Chandler – 3 REC, 24 YDS; Wilson – 2 REC, 18 YDS, 1 TD; Heller – 2 REC, 17 YDS; McIntyre – 1 REC, 17 YDS, 1 TD; Nicholas – 1 REC, 14 YDS Kickoff Returns : DuBose – 3 KR, 56 YDS Punt Returns : Chandler – 2 PR, 4 YDS Punting : Helton – 4 PUNTS, 166 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 2/2 PAT, 1/1 FG Sacks : Stubbs – 1.0 Interceptions : Fuller – 1 INT, 0 YDS; Holmoe – 1 INT, 0 YDS The 49ers lost to the Falcons for only the fourth time since 1981 as Joe Montana was intercepted three times and sacked three times in a 34–17 rout. Gerald Riggs of the Falcons rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown.
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Week 4: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total 49ers (3–1) 7 10 14 7 38 Seahawks (2–2) 0 0 7 0 7
at The Kingdome • Seattle, Washington
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Joe Montana 20/29, 302 YDS, 4 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Roger Craig 21 CAR, 107 YDS Receiving Jerry Rice 6 REC, 163 YDS, 3 TDs SEA Passing Kelly Stouffer 11/15, 133 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Curt Warner 9 CAR, 29 YDS Receiving Ray Butler 2 REC, 52 YDS, 1 TD
49ers Game Statistics Seahawks 27 First downs 8 48–239 Rushes–yards 12–29 351 Passing yards 139 24–35–1 Passes 12–27–4 2–10 Sacked–yards 3–14 341 Net passing yards 125 580 Total yards 154 56 Return yards 180 3–37.3 Punts 7–43.9 1–0 Fumbles–lost 2–1 6–70 Penalties–yards 3–17 42:50 Time of possession 17:10
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 20/29, 302 YDS, 4 TDs, 1 INT; Young – 4/6, 49 YDS, 1 TD Rushing : Craig – 21 CAR, 107 YDS; Rathman – 15 CAR, 79 YDS; DuBose – 8 CAR, 38 YDS; Sydney – 3 CAR, 16 YDS; Young – 1 CAR, –1 YD Receiving : Rice – 6 REC, 163 YDS, 3 TDs; Craig – 6 REC, 38 YDS; Wilson – 4 REC, 62 YDS; Rathman – 3 REC, 37 YDS; DuBose – 3 REC, 29 YDS; Frank – 1 REC, 13 YDS, 1 TD; Sydney – 1 REC, 9 YDS Kickoff Returns : DuBose – 2 KR, 28 YDS Punt Returns : Chandler – 2 PR, 10 YDS; Griffin – 1 PR, 10 YDS Punting : Helton – 3 PUNTS, 112 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 5/5 PAT, 1/4 FG Sacks : Haley – 2.0; Carter – 1.0 Interceptions : Fuller – 1 INT, 10 YDS; Holmoe – 1 INT, 0 YDS; McKyer – 1 INT; 0 YDS; Wright – 1 INT, –2 YDS 49ers Missed Field Goals: Cofer 31, 52, 55 The Niners rebounded by putting up 580 yards of offense in a 38–7 rout of the Seahawks. Joe Montana threw four touchdowns and Steve Young added a fifth while Roger Craig and Tom Rathman accounted for 186 rushing yards. The Seahawks' Jeff Kemp was intercepted three times and Kelly Stouffer added a fourth pick.
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Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP DET SF 2 10:39 13 80 49ers Rice 11-yard touchdown run, Cofer kick good 0 7 2 1:58 13 54 Lions 24-yard field goal by Murray 3 7 2 0:03 10 68 49ers 29-yard field goal by Cofer 3 10 3 12:35 – – – 49ers Taylor 77-yard punt return for a touchdown, Cofer kick good 3 17 3 3:32 10 73 Lions 34-yard field goal by Murray 6 17 4 8:08 12 64 49ers 29-yard field goal by Cofer 6 20 4 5:32 8 88 Lions Mandley 11-yard touchdown reception from Long , Murray kick good 13 20 "TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football . 13 20
Lions Game Statistics 49ers 18 First downs 19 21–49 Rushes–yards 35–176 275 Passing yards 182 21–37–0 Passes 19–30–0 4–27 Sacked–yards 2–19 248 Net passing yards 163 297 Total yards 339 86 Return yards 171 6–39.2 Punts 6–36.8 3–2 Fumbles–lost 2–1 2–15 Penalties–yards 4–25 31:19 Time of possession 28:41
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 19/30, 182 YDS Rushing : Craig – 18 CAR, 90 YDS; Rathman – 12 CAR, 74 YDS; Rice – 1 CAR, 11 YDS, 1 TD; Montana – 4 CAR, 1 YD Receiving : Wilson – 6 REC, 59 YDS; Craig – 5 REC, 31 YDS; Rathman – 4 REC, 38 YDS; Rice – 2 REC, 35 YDS; Heller – 2 REC, 19 YDS Kickoff Returns : Taylor – 2 KR, 41 YDS; Dubose – 1 KR, 24 YDS; Craig – 1 KR, 17 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 4 PR, 89 YDS, 1 TD Punting : Helton – 6 PUNTS, 221 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 2/2 PAT, 2/2 FG Sacks : Carter – 1.0; Griffin – 1.0; Haley – 1.0; Roberts – 1.0 [ 14]
Team Category Player Statistics DEN Passing John Elway 21/39, 210 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Sammy Winder 17 CAR, 100 YDS Receiving Vance Johnson 8 REC, 85 YDS, 1 TD SF Passing Joe Montana 12/24, 191 YDS, 1 INT Rushing Roger Craig 26 CAR, 143 YDS Receiving Tom Rathman 5 REC, 27 YDS
Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP DEN SF 1 3:42 5 32 49ers 37-yard field goal by Cofer 0 3 2 14:47 14 69 Broncos 27-yard field goal by Karlis 3 3 2 6:50 8 95 49ers Montana 6-yard touchdown run, Cofer kick good 3 10 3 5:18 10 61 Broncos 27-yard field goal by Karlis 6 10 3 1:09 12 55 49ers 27-yard field goal by Cofer 6 13 4 6:23 9 58 Broncos Johnson 8-yard touchdown reception from Elway , Karlis kick good 13 13 OT 7:49 2 0 Broncos 22-yard field goal by Karlis 16 13 "TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football . 16 13
Broncos Game Statistics 49ers 24 First downs 21 31–147 Rushes–yards 48–246 210 Passing yards 191 21–39–2 Passes 12–28–3 5–43 Sacked–yards 3–20 167 Net passing yards 171 357 Total yards 417 91 Return yards 102 6–45.2 Punts 4–43.3 2–1 Fumbles–lost 2–1 5–40 Penalties–yards 14–93 32:44 Time of possession 35:27
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 12/24, 191 YDS, 1 INT; Young – 0/3, 0 YDS, 2 INTs; Sydney – 0/1, 0 YDS Rushing : Roger Craig – 26 CAR, 143 YDS; Rathman – 11 CAR, 55 YDS; Rice – 2 CAR, 27 YDS; Montana – 6 CAR, 13 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 3 CAR, 8 YDS Receiving : Rathman – 5 REC, 27 YDS; Rice – 3 REC, 78 YDS; Craig – 2 REC, 18 YDS; Taylor – 1 REC, 55 YDS; Wilson – 1 REC, 13 YDS Kickoff Returns : DuBose – 3 KR, 55 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 3 PR, 45 YDS; Griffin – 1 PR, 0 YDS Punting : Helton – 4 OUNTS, 173 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 1/1 PAT, 2/3 FG Sacks : Haley – 2.0; Fuller – 1.0; Stubbs – 1.0; Walter – 1.0 Interceptions : Turner – 1 INT, 2 TDS; McKyer – 1 INT, 0 YDS 49ers Missed Field Goals: Cofer 47 Joe Montana ran in a six-yard touchdown and threw for 191 yards and an interception; he was sacked three times and replaced by Young as John Elway tied the game 13–13 on a touchdown to Vance Johnson . Wind gusts up to 40 mph suddenly hit Candlestick Park and made passing more difficult; in overtime a Steve Young pass was intercepted (Young's second pick of the game), setting up Rich Karlis ' winning field goal (16–13 final for the Broncos).
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Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Joe Montana 21/31, 203 YDS, 1 INT Rushing Roger Craig 22 CAR, 190 YDS, 3 TDs Receiving Roger Craig 5 REC, 12 YDS LARams Passing Jim Everett 20/33, 199 YDS, 3 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing Greg Bell 13 CAR, 28 YDS Receiving Henry Ellard 7 REC, 83 YDS, 1 TD
49ers Game Statistics Rams 24 First downs 14 40–245 Rushes–yards 17–42 203 Passing yards 199 21–33–1 Passes 20–33–2 2–19 Sacked–yards 1–5 184 Net passing yards 194 429 Total yards 236 61 Return yards 154 7–34.3 Punts 7–43.9 4–1 Fumbles–lost 4–2 7–73 Penalties–yards 5–35 36:11 Time of possession 23:49
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 21/31, 203 YDS, 1 INT; Young – 0/2, 0 YDS Rushing : Craig – 22 CAR, 190 YDS, 3 TDs; Rathman – 9 CAR, 19 YDS; DuBose – 5 CAR, 16 YDS; Sydney – 1 CAR, 13 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 7 YDS; Young – 1 CAR, 0 YDS Receiving : Craig – 5 REC, 12 YDS; Rice – 4 REC, 65 YDS; Rathman – 4 REC, 44 YDS; DuBose – 2 REC, 22 YDS; Jones – 2 REC, 4 YDS; Greer – 1 REC, 31 YDS; Taylor – 1 REC, 14 YDS; Wilson – 1 REC, 11 YDS; Heller – 1 REC, 0 YDS Kickoff Returns : Taylor – 2 KR, 31 YDS; DuBose – 1 KR, 0 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 6 PR, 26 YDS Punting : Helton – 7 PUNTS, 240 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 3/3 PAT, 1/2 FG Sacks : Stubbs – 1.0 Interceptions : Lott – 2 INTs, 4 YDS 49ers Missed Field Goals: Cofer 47 Roger Craig had one of his greatest games in a 190-yard stampede where he scored three touchdowns, highlighted by a dramatic 46-yard score in the first quarter. Despite three Jim Everett touchdowns the Rams fell to San Francisco 24–21, the tenth 49ers win in the rivalry's previous 14 games.
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Week 8: San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total 49ers (5–3) 7 0 2 0 9 Bears (7–1) 0 10 0 0 10
at Soldier Field • Chicago, Illinois
49ers Game Statistics Bears 12 First downs 14 21–78 Rushes–yards 41–122 169 Passing yards 132 14–30–1 Passes 10–22–1 4–34 Sacked–yards 3–17 135 Net passing yards 115 213 Total yards 237 103 Return yards 58 8–37.2 Punts 7–33.4 1–0 Fumbles–lost 1–0 10–57 Penalties–yards 2–14 23:29 Time of possession 36:21
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 13/29, 168 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT; Young – 1/1, 1 YD Rushing : Craig – 10 CAR, 31 YDS; Rathman – 6 CAR, 21 YDS; Montana – 1 CAR, 15 YDS; Rice – 2 CAR, 8 YDS; Young – 2 CAR, 3 YDS Receiving : Craig – 6 REC, 39 YDS; Rice – 4 REC, 86 YDS, 1 TD; Heller – 3 REC, 31 YDS; Rathman – 1 REC, 13 YDS Kickoff Returns : Taylor – 3 KR, 36 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 4 PR, 57 YDS Punting : Helton – 8 PUNTS, 293 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 1/1 PAT, 0/1 FG Sacks : Haley – 3.0 Interceptions : McKyer – 1 INT, 0 YDS 49ers Missed Field Goals: Cofer 51 The Niners struggled to a 10–9 loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football . The Niners incurred ten penalties for 57 yards and Joe Montana was sacked four times.
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Team Category Player Statistics MIN Passing Wade Wilson 18/30, 243 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Rick Fenney 6 CAR, 35 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Hassan Jones 6 REC, 81 YDS SF Passing Steve Young 14/25, 232 YDS, 1 TD Rushing Steve Young 7 CAR, 72 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Roger Craig 3 REC, 37 YDS
Vikings Game Statistics 49ers 15 First downs 16 31–92 Rushes–yards 28–130 243 Passing yards 232 18–30–2 Passes 14–25–0 2–14 Sacked–yards 4–23 229 Net passing yards 209 321 Total yards 339 160 Return yards 148 6–42.2 Punts 7–43.6 1–1 Fumbles–lost 3–2 8–53 Penalties–yards 5–51 30:49 Time of possession 29:11
Individual stats
Passing : Young – 14/25, 232 YDS, 1 TD Rushing : Young – 7 CAR, 72 YDS, 1 TD; Roger Craig – 19 CAR, 56 YDS; Rathman – 2 CAR, 2 YDS Receiving : Craig – 3 REC, 37 YDS; Wilson – 3 REC, 31 YDS; Jones – 3 REC, 26 YDS; Taylor – 2 REC, 88 YDS, 1 TD; Rice – 1 REC, 22 YDS; Greeg – 1 REC, 18 YDS; Rathman – 1 REC, 10 YDS Kickoff Returns : DuBose – 2 KR, 54 YDS; Taylor – 2 KR, 46 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 4 PR, 44 YDS Punts : Helton – 7 PUNTS, 305 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 3/3 PAT, 1/2 FG Sacks : Fagan – 1.0; Haley – 0.5; Roberts – 0.5 Interceptions : McKyer – 2 INTs; 4 YDS 49ers Missed Field Goals: Cofer 45 The Vikings' playoff win at San Francisco the previous season hung over Candlestick Park as Coach Walsh started Steve Young in Joe Montana's stead. Young struggled and was booed repeatedly by the crowd ("They were running him out of town", lineman Harris Barton said). Just before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter the Vikings led 21–17 with the Niners at Minnesota's 49-yard line; Young escaped a sack and ran in the game-winning touchdown, earning applause from the same audience that had been booing him; the NFL Films clip with Lon Simmons ' call of the score is among the most replayed in retrospectives on Young's career.[ 23]
[ 24]
Week 10: San Francisco 49ers at Phoenix Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total 49ers (6–4) 3 13 7 0 23 Cardinals (6–4) 0 0 7 17 24
at Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, Arizona
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Steve Young 14/27, 145 YDS, 1 TD Rushing Roger Craig 26 CAR, 162 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Tom Rathman 4 REC, 45 YDS PHO Passing Neil Lomax 25/41, 323 YDS, 3 TDs Rushing Earl Ferrell 12 CAR, 54 YDS Receiving Roy Green 6 REC, 93 YDS, 2 TDs
49ers Game Statistics Cardinals 22 First downs 21 38–240 Rushes–yards 19–67 145 Passing yards 323 14–27–0 Passes 25–41–0 4–28 Sacked–yards 7–35 117 Net passing yards 288 357 Total yards 355 94 Return yards 172 7–46.6 Punts 5–45.2 0–0 Fumbles–lost 3–3 14–106 Penalties–yards 3–30 34:31 Time of possession 25:29
Individual stats
Passing : Young – 14/27, 145 YDS, 1 TD Rushing : Craig – 25 CAR, 162 YDS, 1 TD; Rathman – 5 CAR, 33 YDS; Young – 3 CAR, 26 YDS; Sydney – 1 CAR, 8 YDS; Flagler – 2 CAR, 6 YDS; Rice – 1 CAR, 5 YDS Receiving : Rathman – 4 REC, 45 YDS; Rice – 3 REC, 37 YDS; Heller – 2 REC, 24 YDS; Wilson – 2 REC, 24 YDS; Greer – 1 REC, 12 YDS; Jones – 1 REC, 3 YDS, 1 TD; Craig – 1 REC, 0 YDS Kickoff Returns : DuBose – 3 KR, 48 YDS; Craig – 1 KR, 15 YDS; Thomas – 1 KR, 5 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 3 PR, 26 YDS Punts : Helton – 7 PIUNTS, 326 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 2/2 PAT, 3/3 FG Sacks : Roberts – 2.5; Holt – 2.0; Carter – 1.5; Stubbs – 1.0 With Young still starting, the 49ers raced to a 23–0 lead in the third quarter, and Coach Bill Walsh felt it was the sharpest the offense had looked all season. The Cardinals, however, began clawing back as Neil Lomax rifled a pair of touchdowns; making matters worse for San Francisco was a whopping 14 penalties for 106 yards. On a kick return Walsh was blindsided by a runner and suffered two cracked ribs; he then had to watch as the Cardinals raced down field in the final minute and scored on a nine-yard Lomax score to Roy Green . It turned out to be the last road loss for the 49ers until Week One of the 1991 season.
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Raiders Game Statistics 49ers 17 First downs 15 45–159 Rushes–yards 26–83 112 Passing yards 112 8–22–0 Passes 16–31–0 2–20 Sacked–yards 4–24 92 Net passing yards 88 251 Total yards 219 31 Return yards 72 6–39.0 Punts 8–38.2 1–1 Fumbles–lost 3–2 6–48 Penalties–yards 8–85 35:33 Time of possession 24:27
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 16/31, 160 YDS Rushing : Craig – 17 CAR, 58 YDS; Rathman – 3 CAR, 15 YDS; Montana – 4 CAR, 12 YDS; Rice – 2 CAR, –2 YDS Receiving : Rice – 5 REC, 61 YDS; Craig – 5 REC, 29 YDS; Wilson – 4 REC, 44 TDS; Heller – 1 REC, 15 YDS; Rathman – 1 REC, 11 YDS Kickoff Returns : DuBose – 3 KR, 44 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 3 PR, 28 YDS Punting : Helton – 8 PUNTS, 306 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 1/1 FG Sacks : Ellison – 1.0; Holt – 1.0 The low point for the 49ers season came against the Raiders as Joe Montana started despite continuing concern by Walsh over his health; Montana had lost eight pounds and was coming off a stomach illness. Montana was held to 160 passing yards as the Raiders clawed out a 9–3 win. The 49ers’ final drive stalled when officials did not call a pass interference penalty on the Raiders over a play to Jerry Rice inside the 10-yard line.
As a result, it was the second game of the season they didn't score a touchdown. Following the loss, amid chatter from players interpreted as them giving up on the season, Ronnie Lott called a players-only meeting; Harris Barton called it "a ‘screw the coaches’ meeting" and said that it worked to refocus the players on playing better ("They usually don't work, but this one did.")
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Team Category Player Statistics WSH Passing Doug Williams 27/41, 271 YDS, 3 TDs, 2 INTs Rushing Mike Oliphant 4 CAR, 29 YDS Receiving Art Monk 9 REC, 89 YDS, 1 TD SF Passing Joe Montana 15/23, 218 YDS, 2 IDs, 1 INT Rushing Roger Craig 24 CAR, 75 YDS Receiving Roger Craig 5 REC, 37 YDS
Redskins Game Statistics 49ers 20 First downs 18 25–56 Rushes–yards 30–112 271 Passing yards 218 27–42–2 Passes 15–25–2 0–0 Sacked–yards 2–10 271 Net passing yards 208 327 Total yards 320 150 Return yards 177 4–39.2 Punts 5–36.6 4–2 Fumbles–lost 0–0 5–51 Penalties–yards 10–65 33:28 Time of possession 26:32
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 15/23, 218 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Young – 0/2, 0 YDS, 1 INT Rushing : Craig – 24 CAR, 75 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 20 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 1 CAR, 12 YDS; Rathman – 2 CAR, 5 YDS, 1 TD; DuBose – 1 CAR, 0 YDS Receiving : Craig – 5 REC, 37 YDS; Rice – 3 REC, 105 YDS, 1 TD; Wilson – 2 REC, 18 YDS; Rathman – 2 REC, 12 YDS; Taylor – 1 REC, 22 YDS; Jones – 1 REC, 18 YDS, TD; DuBose – 1 REC, 6 YDS Kickoff Returns : Taylor – 2 KR, 44 YDS; DuBose – 1 KR, 13 YDS; Wilson – 1 KR, 2 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 4 PR, 113 YDS Punting : Helton – 5 PUNTS, 183 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 4/5 PAT, 1/1 FG Interceptions : Fuller – 1 INT, 5 YDS; Lott – 1 INT, 0 YDS The refocused Niners erupted on the defending champion Redskins , racing to a 23–7 halftime lead and winning 37–21. Joe Montana threw two touchdowns (including an 80-yarder to Jerry Rice ) and ran in a third. Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams of the Redskins threw three touchdowns while Timmy Smith was held to just six rushing yards.
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Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Joe Montana 14/22, 271 YDS, 3 TDs Rushing Roger Craig 17 CAR, 87 YDS, 2 TDs Receiving Jerry Rice 6 REC, 171 YDS, 2 TDs SD Passing Mark Malone 17/32, 136 YDS, 2 INTs Rushing Gary Anderson 14 CAR, 61 YDS Receiving Rod Bernstine 9 REC, 80 YDS
Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP SF SD 1 4:43 1 96 49ers Rice 96-yard touchdown reception from Montana , Cofer kick good 7 0 2 12:01 3 23 49ers Craig 11-yard touchdown run, Cofer kick good 14 0 2 10:20 4 65 Chargers DeLine 36-yard touchdown run, Cofer kick good 14 7 2 5:49 10 75 49ers Craig 2-yard touchdown reception from Montana , Cofer kick good 21 7 2 0:00 5 35 49ers 45-yard field goal by Cofer 24 7 3 13:30 5 76 49ers Rice 41-yard touchdown reception from Montana , Cofer kick good 31 7 3 7:09 11 54 Chargers 21-yard field goal by DeLine 31 10 3 2:32 12 72 49ers Craig 7-yard touchdown run, Cofer kick good 38 10 4 12:47 8 29 49ers 32-yard field goal by Cofer 41 10 4 2:52 10 90 49ers DuBose 46-yard touchdown run, Cofer kick good 48 10 "TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football . 48 10
49ers Game Statistics Chargers 24 First downs 21 36–203 Rushes–yards 23–136 285 Passing yards 179 16–25–0 Passes 23–45–2 2–13 Sacked–yards 1–3 272 Net passing yards 176 475 Total yards 312 126 Return yards 172 3–42.3 Punts 4–42.8 1–0 Fumbles–lost 1–1 8–79 Penalties–yards 9–93 28:20 Time of possession 31:40
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 14/22, 271 YDS, 3 TDs; Young – 2/3, 14 YDS Rushing : Craig – 17 CAR, 87 YDS, 2 TDs; DuBose – 7 CAR, 60 YDS, 1 TD; Rathman – 5 CAR, 20 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 14 YDS; Sydney – 3 CAR, 13 YDS; Young – 2 CAR, 9 YDS Receiving : Rice – 6 REC, 171 YDS, 2 TDs; Rathman – 3 REC, 35 YDS; Greer – 2 REC, 19 YDS; Craig – 2 REC, 8 YDS, 1 TD; Frank – 1 REC, 38 YDS; Sydney – 1 REC, 9 YDS; Taylor – 1 REC, 5 YDS Kickoff Returns : DuBose – 2 KR, 36 YDS; Taylor – 1 KR, 17 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 3 PR, 22 YDS Punting : Helton – 3 PUNTS, 127 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 6/6 PAT, 2/2 FG Sacks : Stubbs – 1.0 Interceptions : Lott – 1 INT, 44 YDS; McKyer – 1 INT, 7 YDS The Niners' scoring explosion continued at Jack Murphy Stadium as Joe Montana threw three touchdowns (the first a 96-yarder to Jerry Rice ) and Roger Craig had two rushing scores and a touchdown catch, while Doug DuBose added a rushing score. Four Niners backs plus both quarterbacks (Montana and Steve Young ) rushed for 203 yards, crushing the Chargers 48–10.
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Point spread : 49ers –7 Over/Under: 41.0 (under) Time of Game: 2 hours, 52 minutes 49ers Game Statistics Falcons 20 First downs 8 37–140 Rushes–yards 21–43 244 Passing yards 156 21–35–0 Passes 13–27–1 1–6 Sacked–yards 3–22 238 Net passing yards 134 378 Total yards 177 73 Return yards 41 3–44.7 Punts 6–44.8 2–0 Fumbles–lost 1–0 7–65 Penalties–yards 2–21 36:49 Time of possession 23:11
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 20/34, 230 YDS, 1 TD; Rice – 1/1, 14 YDS Rushing : Craig – 23 CAR, 103 YDS; Rathman – 7 CAR, 20 YDS; Rice – 1 CAR, 9 YDS; Montana – 5 CAR, 8 YDS; Sydney – 1 CAR, 0 YDS Receiving : Craig – 7 REC, 73 YDS; Rice – 5 REC, 63 YDS, 1 TD; Wilson – 3 REC, 49 YDS; Frank – 3 REC, 33 YDS; Greer – 1 REC, 16 YDS; Taylor – 1 REC, 10 YDS; Flagler – 1 REC, 0 YDS Kickoff Returns : DuBose – 1 KR, 30 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 5 PR, 40 YDS Punts : Helton – 3 PUNTS, 134 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 1/1 PAT, 2/4 FG Sacks : Haley – 1.0; Holt – 1.0; Stubbs – 1.0 Interceptions : Fuller – 1 INT, 3 YDS 49ers Missed Field Goals: Cofer 23, 40 The Niners traveled to Fulton County Stadium and limited the Atlanta Falcons to 177 yards of offense in a 13–3 win.
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Team Category Player Statistics NO Passing Bobby Hebert 19/30, 170 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Dalton Hilliard 9 CAR, 35 YDS Receiving Eric Martin 7 REC, 61 YDS SF Passing Joe Montana 18/29, 233 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Roger Craig 22 CAR, 115 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Jerry Rice 6 REC, 78 YDS
Point spread : 49ers –6 Over/Under: 41.0 (over) Time of Game: 3 hours, 1 minute Saints Game Statistics 49ers 15 First downs 20 24–70 Rushes–yards 35–152 197 Passing yards 233 20–35–1 Passes 18–29–1 2–15 Sacked–yards 2–12 182 Net passing yards 221 252 Total yards 373 127 Return yards 79 5–38.2 Punts 3–36.7 2–1 Fumbles–lost 1–1 2–11 Penalties–yards 1–0 26:35 Time of possession 33:25
Starting Lineups
Individual stats
49ers Passing C/ATT1 Yds TD INT Sk Yds LG3 Rate Montana 18/29 233 3 1 2 12 68 84.4
49ers Kick Returns Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng DuBose 3 66 22.0 0 0
49ers Punt Returns Ret Yds Y/Rt TD Lng Taylor 2 13 6.5 0 0
49ers Punting Pnt Yds Y/P Lng Blck Helton 3 110 36.7 0 0
49ers Kicking XPM–XPA FGM–FGA Cofer 3–3 3–3
49ers Interceptions Int Yds TD LG PD Wright 1 0 0 0 0
The Niners hosted the Saints with both teams at 9–5 but going in opposite directions following two straight Saints losses. Led by Roger Craig 's 115 yards, the Niners rushed for 152 yards and two scores while Joe Montana threw for 233 yards and a score in San Francisco's 30–17 win. At halftime, the 49ers retired number 87, which was worn by Dwight Clark from 1979 to 1987.
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Team Category Player Statistics LARams Passing Jim Everett 19/38, 201 YDS, 4 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Greg Bell 21 CAR, 88 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Henry Ellard 6 REC, 74 TDS, 1 TD SF Passing Joe Montana 15/26, 171 YDS Rushing Roger Craig 16 CAR, 51 YDS Receiving John Taylor 5 REC, 54 YDS
Rams Game Statistics 49ers 23 First downs 20 30–121 Rushes–yards 21–70 201 Passing yards 291 19–38–1 Passes 22–37–0 0–0 Sacked–yards 9–45 201 Net passing yards 246 322 Total yards 316 84 Return yards 159 5–38.2 Punts 6–35.3 1–0 Fumbles–lost 2–1 5–33 Penalties–yards 7–58 31:28 Time of possession 28:32
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 15/26, 171 YDS; Young – 7/11, 120 YDS Rushing : Craig – 16 CAR, 51 YDS; Rathman – 2 CAR, 11 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 1 CAR, 9 YDS; Helton – 1 CAR, 0 YDS; Flagler – 1 CAR, –1 YD Receiving : Taylor – 5 REC, 54 YDS; Flagler – 3 REC, 72 YDS; Craig – 3 REC, 32 YDS; Rathman – 3 REC, 29 YDS; Wilson – 2 REC, 34 YDS; Rice – 2 REC, 29 YDS; Greer – 2 REC, 24 YDS; Heller – 1 REC, 10 YDS; Frank – 1 REC, 7 YDS Kickoff Returns : Rodgers – 6 KR, 98 YDS; Sydney – 1 KR, 8 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 3 PR, 53 YDS Punting : Helton – 6 PUNTS, 212 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 1/1 PAT, 3/3 FG Interceptions : McKyer – 1 INT, 0 YDS The Niners clinched the NFC West despite a three-way tie with the Rams and New Orleans (all finishing 10–6) and despite a 38–16 slaughter by the Rams that put them into the playoffs. Jim Everett threw four touchdowns while Montana and Young combined for 291 yards but no scores. San Francisco won the division on tiebreakers and the Rams were the wild card, while the 10–6 Saints were eliminated from playoff contention on the conference record tiebreaker.
Regular Season Stats [ edit ] Passing
Passing Player Pos G GS QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate Sk Yds NY/A ANY/A Sk% 4QC GWD Montana QB 14 13 8–5–0 238 397 59.9 2981 18 4.5 10 2.5 96 7.5 7.3 12.5 212.9 87.9 34 223 7.9 6.40 6.19 2 2 Young QB 11 3 2–1–0 54 101 53.5 680 3 3.0 3 3.0 73 6.7 6.0 12.6 61.8 72.2 13 75 11.4 5.31 4.65 1 1 Rice WR 16 16 1 3 33.3 14 0 0.0 1 33.3 14 4.7 –10.3 14.0 0.9 9.7 0 0 0.0 4.67 –10.33 Sydney RB 16 0 0 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 39.6 0 0 0.0 0.00 0.00 Team Total 16 10–6–0 293 502 58.4 3675 21 4.2 14 2.8 96 7.3 6.9 12.5 229.7 83.5 47 298 8.6 6.15 5.77 3 3 Opp Total 16 292 530 55.1 3284 25 4.7 22 4.2 67 6.2 5.27 11.2 205.3 72.2 42 297 7.3 5.2 4.4
Rushing
Rushing Player Pos G GS Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G Craig RB 16 15 310 1502 9 46 4.8 93.9 19.4 Rathman FB 16 16 102 427 2 26 4.2 26.7 6.4 Young QB 11 3 27 184 1 49 6.8 16.7 2.5 Montana QB 14 13 38 132 3 15 3.5 9.4 2.7 DuBose RB 14 0 24 116 2 37 4.8 8.3 1.7 Rice WR 16 16 13 107 1 29 8.2 6.7 0.8 Sydney RB 16 0 9 50 0 13 5.6 3.1 0.6 Flagler RB 3 0 3 5 0 4 1.7 1.7 1.0 Helton P 15 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.1 Team Total 16 527 2523 18 49 4.8 157.7 32.9 Opp Total 16 441 1588 8 3.6 99.3 27.6
Receiving
Receiving Player Pos G GS Rec Yds Y/R TD Lng R/G Y/G Ctch% Craig RB 16 15 76 534 7.0 1 22 4.8 33.4 0.0% Rice WR 16 16 64 1306 20.4 9 96 4.0 81.6 0.0% Rathman FB 16 16 42 382 9.1 0 24 2.6 23.9 0.0% Wilson WR 16 11 33 405 12.3 3 31 2.1 2.53 0.0% Frank TE 7 6 16 195 12.2 3 38 2.3 27.9 0.0% Taylor WR 12 3 14 325 23.2 2 73 1.2 27.1 0.0% Heller TE 16 9 14 140 10.0 0 22 0.9 8.8 0.0% Greer WR 10 0 8 120 15.0 0 31 0.8 12.0 0.0% Jones TE 11 0 8 57 7.1 2 18 0.7 5.2 0.0% DuBose RB 14 0 6 57 9.5 0 13 0.4 4.1 0.0% Flagler RB 3 0 4 72 18.0 0 57 1.3 24.0 0.0% Chandler WR 4 4 4 33 8.3 0 9 1.0 8.3 0.0% Sydney RB 16 0 2 18 9.0 0 9 0.1 1.1 0.0% McIntyre RG 16 12 1 17 17.0 1 17 0.1 1.1 0.0% Nicholas WR 7 0 1 14 14.0 0 14 0.1 2.0 0.0% Team Total 16 293 3675 12.5 21 96 18.3 229.3 Opp Total 16 292 2987 10.2 25 18.3 186.7
Kicking
Kicking Games 0–19 20–29 30–39 40–49 50+ Scoring Player Pos G GS FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM Lng FG% XPA XPM XP% Cofer K 16 0 1 1 10 9 11 9 11 7 5 1 38 27 52 71.1% 41 40 97.6% Team Total 16 1 1 10 9 11 9 11 7 5 1 38 27 71.1% 41 40 97.6% Opp Total 16 24 18 75.0% 34 34 100.0%
Punting
Punting Player Pos G GS Pnt Yds Lng Blck Y/P Helton P 15 0 78 3069 53 1 39.3 Runager P 1 0 1 24 24 0 24.0 Team Total 16 79 3093 53 1 39.2 Opp Total 16 86 3522 0 41.0
Kick Return
Kick Return Player Pos G GS Rt Yds TD Lng Y/Rt DuBose RB 14 0 32 608 0 44 19.0 Taylor WR 12 3 12 225 0 29 18.8 Rodgers RB 1 0 6 98 0 24 16.3 Craig RB 16 15 2 32 0 17 16.0 Sydney RB 16 0 1 8 0 8 8.0 Thomas C 16 0 1 5 0 5 5.0 Wilson WR 16 11 1 2 0 2 2.0 Team Total 16 55 978 0 44 17.8 Opp Total 16 73 1362 0 18.7
Punt Return
Punt Return Player Pos G GS Rt Yds TD Lng Y/R Taylor WR 12 3 55 556 2 95 12.6 Chandler WR 4 4 6 28 0 13 4.7 Griffin RCB 10 6 4 28 0 10 7.0 Team Total 16 54 612 2 95 11.3 Opp Total 16 47 426 0 9.1
Sacks
Interceptions
Fumbles
Tackles
Scoring Summary
Team
San Francisco 49ers Opponents First downs 326 277 First downs rushing 141 90 First downs passing 167 160 First downs penalty 18 27 Third down efficiency 94/225 88/225 Fourth down efficiency 5/10 6/16 Net yards rushing 2523 1588 Rushing attempts 527 441 Yards per rush 4.8 3.6 Passing – Completions/attempts 293/502 292/530 Times sacked-total yards 47–298 42–297 Interceptions thrown 14 22 Net yards passing 3377 2987 Yards per pass 6.2 5.2 Total net yards 5900 4575 Punt returns-total yards 54–612 47–426 Kickoff returns-total yards 55–978 73–1362 Interceptions-total return yards 22–88 14–185 Punts-average yardage 79–39.2 86–41.0 Fumbles-lost 27–12 30–14 Penalties-total yards 115–986 76–603 Time of possession 30:31 29:29 Turnovers 26 38
Quarter-by-quarter
Quarter-by-quarter Team 1 2 3 4 OT T 49ers 54 140 95 80 0 369 Opponents 31 92 77 91 3 294
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Team Category Player Statistics MIN Passing Wade Wilson 23/47, 255 YDS, 2 INTs Rushing Rick Fenney 6 CAR, 20 YDS Receiving Hassan Jones 7 REC, 71 YDS SF Passing Joe Montana 16/27, 178 YDS, 3 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Roger Craig 21 CAR, 135 YDS, 2 TDs Receiving Jerry Rice 5 REC, 61 YDS, 3 TDs
Vikings Game Statistics 49ers 20 First downs 20 19–54 Rushes–yards 34–201 255 Passing yards 177 23–47–2 Passes 17–28–1 6–47 Sacked–yards 1–6 208 Net passing yards 171 262 Total yards 372 123 Return yards 76 7–39.3 Punts 5–36.2 1–1 Fumbles–lost 2–1 9–90 Penalties–yards 6–60 28:13 Time of possession 31:47
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 16/27, 178 YDS, 3 TDs, 1 INT; Young – 1/1, –1 YDS Rushing : Craig – 21 CAR, 135 YDS, 2 TDs; Rathman – 3 CAR, 29 YDS; Rice – 1 CAR, 21 YDS; Montana – 3 CAR, 18 YDS; Sydney – 1 CAR, 1 YD; Young – 3 CAR, 1 YD; Flagler – 2 CAR, –4 YDS Receiver : Rice – 5 REC, 61 YDS, 3 TDs; Taylor – 3 REC, 42 YDS; Craig – 3 REC, 26 YDS; Rathman – 2 REC, 20 YDS; Jones – 2 REC, 17 YDS; Wilson – 1 REC, 12 YDS; Harry Sydney – 1 REC, –1 YD Kickoff Returns : Rodgers – 3 KR, 39 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 2 PR, 27 YDS Punts : Helton – 5 PUNTS, 181 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 4/5 PAT, 0/1 FG Sacks : Roberts – 2.5; Haley – 1.5; Holt – 1.0; Stubbs – 1.0 Interceptions : Lott – 2 INTs, 10 YDS 49ers Missed Field Goals: Cofer 60 For the third time in some 365 days the 49ers hosted the Vikings , and for the second time in that span it was in the playoffs. Minnesota entered having shot down the Rams 28–17 and boasting an offense fourth in scoring with a defense second in fewest points allowed with a plus-23 turnover differential – and none of it made any difference as Joe Montana threw three touchdowns in the first half and Jerry Rice caught all three. Wade Wilson was picked off twice as the Niners won 34–9, their first playoff win since Super Bowl XIX .
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NFC Championship Game: San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total 49ers (2–0) 7 7 7 7 28 Bears (1–1) 0 3 0 0 3
at Soldier Field • Chicago, Illinois
49ers Game Statistics Bears 21 First downs 15 37–138 Rushes–yards 25–91 288 Passing yards 176 17–27–0 Passes 20–41–1 2–20 Sacked–yards 0–0 268 Net passing yards 176 406 Total yards 267 60 Return yards 90 6–34.5 Punts 7–31.4 1–1 Fumbles–lost 2–1 0–0 Penalties–yards 3–35 31:03 Time of possession 28:57
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 17/27, 288 YDS, 3 TDs Rushing : Craig – 18 CAR, 68 YDS; Rathman – 10 CAR, 36 YDS, 1 TD; Montana – 3 CAR, 12 YDS; Sydney – 2 CAR, 12 YDS; Flagler – 3 CAR, 7 YDS; Rice – 1 CAR, 3 YDS Receiving : Rice – 5 REC, 133 YDS, 2 TDs; Rathman – 5 REC, 51 YDS; Taylor – 3 REC, 51 YDS; Craig – 2 REC, 33 YDS; Frank – 2 REC, 20 YDS, 1 TD Kickoff Returns : Taylor – 1 KR, 22 YDS Sydney – 1 KR, 14 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 4 PR, 24 YDS Punting : Helton – 6 PUNTS, 207 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 4/4 PAT Interceptions : Fuller – 1 INT, 0 YDS The Niners traveled to frigid Soldier Field a week after the Bears succeeded in the Fog Bowl against the Eagles and less than three months after San Francisco's ugly Monday Night loss in that same venue. The Niners put the game away in the third quarter following Joe Montana 's third touchdown of the game as the Niners limited the Bears' sluggish offense (18th in scoring) to just one Kevin Butler field goal. The win was doubly personal for Walsh between returning to the Super Bowl and also quieting hecklers in the Soldier Field crowd, including one in particular who'd persisted in what Walsh delicately described as "remarks about my body parts and my preferences in life", but who was reduced to futile stuttering as the game got out of hand.
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Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP CIN SF 1 3:14 13 73 5:02 49ers 41-yard field goal by Cofer 0 3 2 1:15 6 28 2:49 Bengals 34-yard field goal by Breech 3 3 3 5:39 13 61 9:21 Bengals 43-yard field goal by Breech 6 3 3 0:50 4 8 1:30 49ers 32-yard field goal by Cofer 6 6 3 0:34 — — — Bengals Jennings 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Breech kick good 13 6 4 14:03 4 85 1:31 49ers Rice 14-yard touchdown reception from Montana , Cofer kick good 13 13 4 3:20 11 46 5:27 Bengals 40-yard field goal by Breech 16 13 4 0:34 11 92 2:46 49ers Taylor 10-yard touchdown reception from Montana , Cofer kick good 16 20 "TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football . 16 20
Point spread : 49ers –7 Over/Under: Time of Game: 3 hours, 24 minutes Bengals Game Statistics 49ers 13 First downs 23 28–106 Rushes–yards 28–111 144 Passing yards 357 11–25–1 Passes 23–36–0 5–21 Sacked–yards 3–14 123 Net passing yards 343 229 Total yards 454 137 Return yards 133 5–44.2 Punts 4–37.0 1–0 Fumbles–lost 4–1 7–65 Penalties–yards 4–32 32:43 Time of possession 27:17
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 23/36, 357 YDS, 2 TDs Rushing : Craig – 17 CAR, 71 YDS, Rathman – 5 CAR, 23 YDS; Montana – 4 CAR, 13 YDS; Rice – 1 CAR, 5 YDS Receiving : Rice – 11 REC, 215 YDS, 1 TD; Craig – 8 REC, 101 YDS; Frank – 2 REC, 15 YDS; Rathman – 1 REC, 16 YDS; Taylor – 1 REC, 10 YDS, 1 TD Kickoff Returns : Rodgers – 3 KR, 53 YDS; Taylor – 1 KR, 13 YDS; Sydney – 1 KR, 11 YDS Punt Returns : Taylor – 3 PR, 56 YDS Punting : Helton – 4 PUNTS, 148 YDS Kicking : Cofer – 2/2 PAT, 2/4 FG Sacks : Haley – 2.0; Carter – 1.0; Fagan – 1.0; Stubbs – 1.0 Interceptions : Romanowsi – 1 INT, 0 YDS 49ers Missed Field Goals: Cofer 19, 49 The game is remembered for the 49ers' fourth-quarter game-winning drive. Down 16–13, San Francisco got the ball on their own eight-yard line with 3:10 on the clock and marched 92 yards down the field in under three minutes. They then scored the winning touchdown on a Joe Montana pass to John Taylor with just 34 seconds left in the game.
49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice was named the Super Bowl MVP. He caught 11 passes for a Super Bowl record 215 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing once for 5 yards.
This was also the final NFL game coached by the 49ers' Bill Walsh. This was also the final Super Bowl that Pete Rozelle presided over as NFL Commissioner.
Passing
Passing Player Pos G GS QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate Sk Yds NY/A ANY/A Sk% 4QC GWD Montana QB 3 3 3–0 56 90 62.2 823 8 8.9 1 1.1 61 0.1 7.3 12.5 274.3 117.0 7 42 7.9 6.40 1 1 Young QB 2 0 1 1 100.0 –1 0 3.0 0 0.0 -1 6.7 –1.0 12.6 –1.0 79.2 0 0 11.4 5.31 Team Total 3 3–0 57 91 822 8 1 61 7 42 1 1 Opp Total 3 54 113 575 1 4 23 11 68
Rushing
Receiving
Kicking
Punting
Kick Return
Punt Return
Sacks
Interceptions
Fumbles
Tackles
Scoring Summary
Team
San Francisco 49ers Opponents First downs 64 48 First downs rushing 22 19 First downs passing 39 27 First downs penalty 3 2 Third down efficiency 18/39 12/44 Fourth down efficiency 0/0 3/6 Net yards rushing 451 251 Rushing attempts 98 72 Yards per rush 4.6 3.5 Passing – Completions/attempts 57/91 54/113 Times sacked-total yards 7–42 11–68 Interceptions thrown 1 4 Net yards passing 780 501 Yards per pass 9.0 5.0 Total net yards 1231 752 Punt returns-total yards 9–107 6–33 Kickoff returns-total yards 10–152 14–317 Interceptions-total return yards 4–10 1–0 Punts-average yardage 15–35.7 19–37.7 Fumbles-lost 7–3 4–2 Penalties-total yards 6–60 19–190 Time of possession 30:02 29:58 Turnovers 4 6
Quarter-by-quarter
Quarter-by-quarter Team 1 2 3 4 T 49ers 17 21 10 34 82 Opponents 3 3 13 3 22
Mike Cofer, Led NFC, 27 Field Goals Mike Cofer, Led NFC, 121 Points Roger Craig, Offense, UPI NFC Player of the Year Roger Craig, Led NFC with 2068 total yards Jerry Rice, Most Valuable Player, Super Bowl XXIII 1989 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl [ edit ] [ 44]
Pre season Local TV
Flagship station Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Sideline reporter (s) Studio host KGO–AM 810 Lon Simmons (Pre Season, Week 1–5 and 8–16, Playoffs and Super Bowl XXIII)Joe Starkey (Week 6–7) Wayne Walker (Pre Season Week 1–2, Regular Season, Playoffs and Super Bowl XXIII)Joe Starkey (Pre Season Weeks 3–5) Joe Starkey (Pre Season Week 1–2, Week 1–5 and 8–16, Playoffs and Super Bowl XXIII) Joe Starkey