Recap
AI summary based on verified facts
Joe Montana threw three touchdowns and the 49ers beat the Chicago Bears 28-17 at Candlestick Park. Montana finished 20 of 32 for 287 with scoring throws to Ricky Patton (31), Freddie Solomon (46) and Charle Young (5). Patton added a 12-yard scoring run. Walter Payton ran 27 times for 97 and a touchdown. The 49ers improved to 1-1.[1][2][3]
Columnist recap
AI summary based on verified facts
The home opener produced 28-17 over the Chicago Bears. Joe Montana threw three touchdowns, the first multi-touchdown game of his year, and the offense connected on the kind of explosive passes the Pontiac loss did not produce. Patton caught a 31-yard touchdown out of the backfield on the second play of the game; Solomon caught a 46-yard score later in the first half; Charle Young, the offseason free agent at tight end, caught a 5-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Payton ran 27 times for 97 yards and a touchdown but the Bears never built a sustained scoring drive in the second half. Vince Evans went 19 of 33 for 216 yards and one touchdown. The 49ers' defensive front produced the kind of red-zone resistance that the rebuilt secondary needed in support: Chicago reached the 49ers' end of the field repeatedly in the third quarter and walked away with one Bob Thomas field goal.
Patton added a 12-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to extend the lead. The 49ers' two-back rotation (Patton, Cooper) combined for 28 carries and 123 yards.
By the numbers
AI summary based on verified facts
49ers 28, Bears 17. Margin: plus 11. Record: 1-1.
- Montana: 20 of 32, 287, 3 TDs (Patton 31, Solomon 46, Young 5), 0 INTs.
- Patton: 14 carries for 67, 1 rushing TD (12y), plus 2 catches for 34 and 1 TD reception.
- Solomon: 5 catches for 113, 1 TD.
- Clark: 6 catches for 81.
- Payton (CHI): 27 carries for 97, 1 TD (2y).
- Evans (CHI): 19 of 33, 216, 1 TD.
- Wersching: did not kick (Matt Bahr handled the PATs).
- 49ers 1-1; Bears 0-2.
Film room
AI summary based on verified facts
A 28-17 win in the home opener at Candlestick. The 49ers improve to 1-1 with the first multi-touchdown game of Montana's full-year tenure.
How it unfolded
Montana hit Patton on a 31-yard wheel route on the second play of the game to make it 7-0. Solomon's 46-yard touchdown right before halftime extended the lead. Walter Payton ran in a 2-yard score for Chicago; Bob Thomas added a field goal. Charle Young's 5-yard touchdown in the third quarter made it 21-10. A Robin Earl 12-yard catch from Evans cut it to 21-17. Patton's 12-yard rush in the fourth sealed the home opener.
The turning point
Montana's 46-yard score to Solomon in the second quarter. The play came on a max-protect drop after the Bears stacked the box on early-down looks. Solomon ran behind Mike Richardson, the Bears' rookie corner, and the throw was on the money. The score effectively decided the home half of the game.
By the numbers
Montana 20 of 32 for 287, 9.0 yards per attempt, three touchdowns, no interceptions. Solomon five catches for 113 and the long touchdown. Clark six catches for 81. Patton's combined 67 rushing and 34 receiving plus a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown gave him a four-quadrant line. Cooper added 14 carries for 56. The defense produced no sacks but limited Chicago's offense to one touchdown after the run game's early possession.