The 49ers face the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round on 1998-01-03 at 3Com Park. The home matchup is the kind of postseason game where the offensive line has the matchup the staff has been pointing toward all week.
Steve Young is the starter. The lead back and the receiver room are at full health. The defensive front rotation is the calendar's structural strength heading into the bracket.[1][2]
The divisional round matchup against the Minnesota Vikings 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 divisional round bracket with the Minnesota Vikings as the kind of opponent that defines the postseason script. Win and the bracket continues. Lose and the calendar ends. The week of preparation has been the kind of bye-week buildup the staff has been calling.
Around the bracket the divisional round produces the kind of matchups the wire copy has been writing into. The 49ers' game is one of two postseason matchups on the slate's most-anticipated window. The AFC bracket carries through to its own conference matchup. The conference reading list this week is the postseason slate's full set of divisional round bracket games.
Through the regular season the 49ers' tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar play, anchored the conference seeding into the divisional round. Steve Young's passing line came through. The lead back's rushing workload was the staff's projected call. The Minnesota Vikings are tracking their own postseason posture. Vegas opens the lines accordingly. A figure to follow: the front rotation's pass-rush production against the Minnesota Vikings.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 11-5 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 11-5 | L1 |
| Tennessee Oilers | 8-8 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-9 | W3 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 6-9-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 10-6 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 9-7 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 9-7 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6-10 | L3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3-13 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 13-3 | W6 |
| Denver Broncos | 12-4 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-8 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4-12 | L5 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4-12 | L8 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 13-3 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7-9 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 7-9 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 6-10 | L1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 5-11 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 13-3 | W5 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10-6 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 9-7 | W2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9-7 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 4-12 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 10-5-1 | W3 |
| Washington Redskins | 8-7-1 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6-9-1 | L3 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6-10 | L5 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4-12 | -- |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | William Floyd 1 yard rush ( Gary Anderson kick) | 0-7 |
| Vikings | Cris Carter 66 yard pass from Randall Cunningham ( Eddie Murray kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Terry Kirby 1 yard rush ( Gary Anderson kick) | 7-14 |
| 49ers | Ken Norton Jr. 23 yard interception return ( Gary Anderson kick) | 7-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Gary Anderson 34 yard field goal | 7-24 |
| Vikings | Cris Carter 3 yard pass from Randall Cunningham ( Eddie Murray kick) | 14-24 |
| 49ers | Terrell Owens 15 yard pass from Steve Young ( Gary Anderson kick) | 14-31 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Terry Kirby 1 yard rush ( Gary Anderson kick) | 14-38 |
| Vikings | Matthew Hatchette 13 yard pass from Randall Cunningham ( Chris Walsh pass from Randall Cunningham ) | 22-38 |
The 49ers won the divisional round 38-22 against the Minnesota Vikings on 1998-01-03. Young threw for 196 and two touchdowns. Garrison Hearst ran for 87 with two touchdowns. Brent Jones caught a touchdown. The defensive front produced two sacks of Randall Cunningham. Sanders broke up four passes. The 49ers led 24-15 at the half. Steve Young threw the kind of efficient line that, in postseason play, anchored the calendar.[1][2]
The 49ers won the divisional round 38-22 against the Minnesota Vikings. Young threw for 196 and two touchdowns. Garrison Hearst ran for 87 with two touchdowns. Brent Jones caught a touchdown. The defensive front produced two sacks of Randall Cunningham. Sanders broke up four passes. The 49ers led 24-15 at the half. The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of postseason game-script the staff has been projecting since the regular season closed.
Steve Young threw the kind of efficient passing line. Ricky Watters and the lead back produced the rushing workload. Jerry Rice caught the full-route receiving line. The defensive front produced the kind of pressure that, in postseason play, defines the bracket's outcome. The Sunday's outcome sets the next round's posture.
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 across the back half. The divisional round's afternoon ends with the projected outcome.
49ers 38, Minnesota Vikings 22. Margin: plus 16. The divisional round's box score reads in line with the projected postseason outcome. Steve Young's passing line came through. The lead back's rushing workload was the staff's call. The defensive front produced pressure.
A 38-22 divisional round home win over the Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers' postseason bracket continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Young threw for 196 and two touchdowns. Garrison Hearst ran for 87 with two touchdowns. Brent Jones caught a touchdown. The defensive front produced two sacks of Randall Cunningham. Sanders broke up four passes. The 49ers led 24-15 at the half. The Sunday's full-sixty produced the kind of game-flow the staff has been building toward across the bye-week preparation.
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
Steve Young's passing line came through clean. Ricky Watters and the lead back ran the workhorse line. Jerry Rice caught the full-route afternoon. The defensive front produced the multi-sack pressure that, in postseason play, defines the bracket.
Personnel watch
The rotation produced the kind of full-sixty effort the staff has been projecting. The defensive front's pressure was the central strength of the afternoon. 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 | 16 | 31 |
| Total Yards | 378 | 394 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 18/40 | 21/30 |
| Pass yards | 331 | 224 |
| Pass TD | 3 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 1 | 1 |
| Sack yards lost | 10 | 5 |
| Net pass yards | 321 | 219 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 16 | 41 |
| Rush yards | 57 | 175 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 3 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 1 | 0 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties | 12 | 7 |
| Penalty yards | 91 | 69 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 21/30 | 224 | 1 | 0 | |
| MIN | |||||
| Randall Cunningham | 18/40 | 331 | 3 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Terry Kirby | 25 | 120 | 2 | 22 |
| Steve Young #8 | 4 | 37 | 0 | 16 |
| William Floyd | 3 | 13 | 1 | 10 |
| Chuck Levy | 9 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| MIN | ||||
| Robert Smith | 8 | 33 | 0 | 18 |
| Randall Cunningham | 2 | 14 | 0 | 12 |
| Leroy Hoard | 5 | 11 | 0 | 6 |
| Charles Evans | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| J.J. Stokes | 9 | 101 | 0 | 29 |
| Terrell Owens | 4 | 49 | 1 | 20 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 3 | 39 | 0 | 16 |
| Terry Kirby | 3 | 24 | 0 | 12 |
| Chuck Levy | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| William Floyd | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| MIN | ||||
| Jake Reed | 5 | 114 | 0 | 53 |
| Cris Carter | 6 | 93 | 2 | 66 |
| Andrew Glover | 3 | 84 | 0 | 31 |
| Robert Smith | 3 | 27 | 0 | 10 |
| Matthew Hatchette | 1 | 13 | 1 | 13 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1997 Divisional Round - Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers - Game Thread
