San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants

Phil Simms threw four touchdowns and Joe Morris ran for 159 yards, and the New York Giants crushed the 49ers 49-3 at Giants Stadium in the NFC Divisional Round. Joe Montana finished 8 of 15 for 98 yards before being benched in the third quarter. Jeff Kemp came in for relief. Mark Bavaro and Stacy Robinson caught two touchdowns each. The 49ers fell to 10-6-1 and the franchise's worst playoff loss in history.[1][2]

A 49-3 NFC Divisional Round road loss at Giants Stadium. The 49ers' season ends with the franchise's worst playoff defeat in history. Joe Montana exited in the third quarter. Phil Simms threw four touchdowns; Joe Morris ran for 159 yards.

Montana finished 8 of 15 for 98 yards with no touchdowns and one interception before exiting. Jeff Kemp came in for relief and went 5 of 13 for 49 yards. Rice three catches for 28. Roger Craig 9 carries for 31. The 49ers' offense produced one Ray Wersching 30-yard field goal across four quarters.

Phil Simms finished 19 of 27 for 271 with four touchdowns (Bavaro 24, Bavaro 15, Robinson 28, Robinson 29). Joe Morris ran 24 for 159. Mark Bavaro caught five for 87 with two touchdowns. Stacy Robinson three for 96 with two touchdowns. The Giants' offense produced six touchdown drives. The defensive front produced six sacks of the 49ers' two quarterbacks.

Giants 49, 49ers 3. Margin: minus 46 (franchise worst playoff defeat). NFC Divisional Round.

• Montana: 8 of 15, 98, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 4 sacks (benched Q3).
• Kemp (relief): 5 of 13, 49, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 2 sacks.
• Rice: 3 catches for 28.
• Francis: 1 catch for 12.
• Craig: 9 carries for 31.
• Rathman: 5 carries for 18.
• Wersching: 1 FG (30).
• Phil Simms (NYG): 19 of 27, 271, 4 TDs (Bavaro ×2, Robinson ×2).
• Joe Morris (NYG): 24 carries for 159, 2 rushing TDs.
• Mark Bavaro (NYG): 5 catches for 87, 2 TDs.
• Stacy Robinson (NYG): 3 catches for 96, 2 TDs.
• Lawrence Taylor (NYG DEF): 3 sacks.
• 49ers 10-6-1; eliminated. Giants advance to NFC Championship.

A 49-3 NFC Divisional Round road loss at Giants Stadium. The 49ers finish 10-6-1 with the franchise's worst playoff defeat in history. The Giants go on to win Super Bowl XXI.

How it unfolded

The Giants led 28-3 at the half. Phil Simms threw three touchdowns in the first half. The 49ers' offense produced one Wersching field goal. The third quarter and fourth quarter produced three more Giants touchdowns; the 49ers' offense produced no further scoring.

The turning point

The first half. The Giants' offense scored on four consecutive possessions while the 49ers' offense produced two punts plus the Wersching field goal. The 28-3 halftime score ended the kind of close-game possibility the 49ers might have produced.

By the numbers

Montana 8 of 15 for 98 with one interception before exiting in the third quarter. Jeff Kemp 5 of 13 for 49 in relief. Rice three catches for 28; the receiver's lowest single-game playoff total. Craig 31 on nine carries. Six sacks taken combined.

Personnel watch

Lawrence Taylor's three sacks were the kind of single-game playoff performance the franchise had not given up before. Joe Montana's third-quarter exit was his first playoff benching. The 49-3 score is the largest single-game playoff defeat in franchise history. The 16th season under Walsh and the 8th in his run produces the worst single-game performance the franchise has put together in any game in any season.

What it means

10-6-1. Season over. The Giants advance to the NFC Championship at home against Washington. The 49ers' offseason will begin with the kind of front-office introspection a 46-point playoff blowout produces. Joe Montana's recovery from back surgery and the kind of two-game playoff disasters (1985 wild-card road loss to the Giants, 1986 divisional-round road loss to the Giants) become the year's defining narrative.