The 49ers face the New York Giants in the Wild Card Round on 1985-12-29 at Giants Stadium. The postseason matchup is the calendar's road test of the divisional posture the regular season built.
The offensive line, the running back rotation, and the receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through across the bye-week preparation.[1][2]
The Wild Card Round matchup against the New York Giants is the kind of postseason game where the staff has been pointing toward since the regular season closed. The 49ers' calendar carries through to the Wild Card Round bracket with the New York Giants as the kind of opponent that defines the postseason script. Win and the bracket continues. The Sunday's biggest unknown is the front rotation against the New York Giants' offensive line.
Around the bracket the Wild Card Round produces the kind of matchups the wire copy has been writing into across the conference's postseason slate. The 49ers' game is one of the most-anticipated postseason windows. The conference reading list this week is the postseason slate's full set of Wild Card Round bracket games.
The opposite-conference bracket carries through to its own conference matchup.
Across the regular season the 49ers tracked the kind of pace that anchored the conference seeding into the Wild Card Round. The starting quarterback's passing line came through. The lead back's rushing workload was the staff's projected call. The New York Giants are tracking their own postseason posture. Vegas opens the lines accordingly. A figure to follow: the front rotation's pass-rush production against the New York Giants.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 8-8 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-9 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-9 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 5-11 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 12-4 | W7 |
| New England Patriots | 11-5 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 11-5 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 5-11 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2-14 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Raiders | 12-4 | W6 |
| Denver Broncos | 11-5 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8-8 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-8 | L2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 11-5 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 10-6 | W2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5-11 | L3 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4-12 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 15-1 | W3 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-8 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 7-9 | L3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-9 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-14 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 10-6 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 10-6 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 10-6 | W3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7-9 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5-11 | L2 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Giants | Eric Schubert 47 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Giants | Mark Bavaro 18 yard pass from Phil Simms (Eric Schubert kick) | 0-10 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 21 yard field goal | 3-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Giants | Don Hasselbeck 3 yard pass from Phil Simms (Eric Schubert kick) | 3-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
The 49ers lost the Wild Card Round 3-17 against the New York Giants on 1985-12-29. Joe Montana went 26 of 47 for 296 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Wendell Tyler ran for 61 on 10 carries. Dwight Clark caught 8 for 120. On the New York Giants' side Phil Simms went 15 of 31 for 181 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Joe Morris ran for 141 on 28 carries.[1][2]
The 49ers lost the Wild Card Round 3-17 against the New York Giants on 1985-12-29. Joe Montana went 26 of 47 for 296 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Wendell Tyler ran for 61 on 10 carries. Dwight Clark caught 8 for 120.
The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of postseason game-script the staff has been projecting since the regular season closed. The offensive line's pocket time on the dropbacks produced the kind of pass-protection the playbook calls. The defensive unit's pressure produced the kind of takeaway the unit has been generating across the calendar's back half. The Wild Card Round's afternoon ends with the projected outcome.
The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been pointing toward. The closing-drive coverage was the kind of stop the unit has been generating.
49ers 3, New York Giants 17. Margin: minus 14. The Wild Card Round's box score reads: Joe Montana went 26 of 47 for 296 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Wendell Tyler ran for 61 on 10 carries. Dwight Clark caught 8 for 120. On the New York Giants' side: Phil Simms went 15 of 31 for 181 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Joe Morris ran for 141 on 28 carries.
A 3-17 Wild Card Round road loss at the New York Giants. The 49ers' postseason bracket continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Joe Montana went 26 of 47 for 296 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Wendell Tyler ran for 61 on 10 carries. Dwight Clark caught 8 for 120. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through across the bye-week preparation. On the defensive side Phil Simms went 15 of 31 for 181 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the New York Giants, and Joe Morris ran for 141 on 28 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in postseason play, decided the closing two quarters. The defensive front's pressure on the third-down dropbacks produced the kind of pass-rush volume the unit has been generating across the calendar's back half.
By the numbers
Joe Montana went 26 of 47 for 296 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Wendell Tyler ran for 61 on 10 carries. Receiver room: Dwight Clark caught 8 for 120.
Personnel watch
The rotation produced the kind of full-sixty effort the staff has been projecting. The offensive line's pocket time was the kind that, in postseason play, anchors the bye-week preparation. The receiver room's distribution carried the offense's production.
What it means
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 19 | 21 |
| Total Yards | 362 | 355 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 26/48 | 15/31 |
| Pass yards | 296 | 181 |
| Pass TD | 0 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 1 |
| Sacks taken | 4 | 0 |
| Sack yards lost | 28 | 0 |
| Net pass yards | 268 | 181 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 22 | 41 |
| Rush yards | 94 | 174 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 0 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 2 | 0 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 6 | 5 |
| Penalty yards | 41 | 45 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 26/47 | 296 | 0 | 1 | 65.6 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 |
| NYG | |||||
| Phil Simms | 15/31 | 181 | 2 | 1 | 74.8 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Wendell Tyler #26 | 10 | 61 | 0 | 14 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 9 | 23 | 0 | 8 |
| Carl Monroe | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NYG | ||||
| Joe Morris | 28 | 141 | 0 | 30 |
| Rob Carpenter | 4 | 25 | 0 | 12 |
| George Adams | 4 | 13 | 0 | 5 |
| Phil Simms | 5 | -5 | 0 | 6 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Dwight Clark #87 | 8 | 120 | 0 | 36 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 4 | 45 | 0 | 20 |
| Russ Francis #81 | 4 | 39 | 0 | 20 |
| John Frank | 3 | 25 | 0 | 15 |
| Bill Ring #39 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 11 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 14 |
| Derrick Harmon | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Mike Wilson #85 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| NYG | ||||
| Mark Bavaro | 5 | 67 | 1 | 18 |
| Lionel Manuel | 3 | 56 | 0 | 21 |
| Rob Carpenter | 3 | 36 | 0 | 16 |
| Tony Galbreath | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Joe Morris | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| George Adams | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Don Hasselbeck | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
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