The 49ers (2-2) travel to RFK Stadium for a 1:00 PM ET kickoff against the Washington Redskins (0-4) on Sun October 4, 1981.
Montana continues at quarterback. The Redskins are winless under first-year head coach Joe Gibbs. Joe Theismann starts at quarterback. John Riggins at running back. The 49ers' defense has held George Rogers without a rushing touchdown and is looking to extend that line.
Washington has scored 67 points through four games.[1][2][3]
Joe Gibbs in his first year. Washington opens 0-4. Theismann throws for 207 a game but has six interceptions through four starts. Riggins runs but the line is the league's worst at picking up first-and-ten. The 49ers' Sunday at RFK is the kind of road game where the favorite has to do the work without expecting a soft target.
The defense, off the Lott pick-six and the Hicks interception, faces a Washington passing game that has been giving up turnovers on a weekly basis.
Week five is the early-October sort. The Eagles (4-0), Cowboys (3-1), Falcons (3-1) and Rams (3-1) lead the NFC. Around the AFC the Chargers (4-0), Bills (4-0), Bengals (4-0), and Steelers (4-0) compete at the top. Washington (0-4) is the conference's bottom-tier team. The 49ers' Sunday at RFK is the kind of road game the schedule has produced for a 2-2 team to climb back to even or above.
Through four games the 49ers are 2-2 with a minus 6 differential. The Redskins are 0-4 with a minus 41. Theismann 71 of 130, 855, four touchdowns, six interceptions. Riggins 51 carries for 187, 3.7 per attempt. Montana 78 of 116, 931, five touchdowns, four interceptions through four. Wersching three field goals on six attempts.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3-1 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2-2 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-2 | W2 |
| Houston Oilers | 2-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 4-0 | W4 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2-2 | L2 |
| Baltimore Colts | 1-3 | L3 |
| New York Jets | 1-3 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 3-1 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-1 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 3-1 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2-2 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 1-3 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-1 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2-2 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-2 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-3 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 2-2 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2-2 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-2 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 1-3 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-3 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-0 | W4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-0 | W4 |
| New York Giants | 2-2 | L1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 1-3 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 0-4 | L4 |
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| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ricky Patton 16 yard rush (Matt Bahr kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | Dwight Hicks 80 yard defensive fumble return (Matt Bahr kick) | 14-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Matt Bahr 43 yard field goal | 17-0 |
| Redskins | Mark Moseley 34 yard field goal | 17-3 |
| 49ers | Johnny Davis 1 yard rush (Matt Bahr kick) | 24-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Dwight Hicks 32 yard interception return | 30-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redskins | Mike Nelms 58 yard punt return (Mark Moseley kick) | 30-10 |
| Redskins | Joe Washington 5 yard rush (Mark Moseley kick) | 30-17 |
Dwight Hicks returned an 80-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown and added a 32-yard interception return, and the 49ers crushed the Washington Redskins 30-17 at RFK Stadium. Joe Montana finished 15 of 28 for 193 yards with one interception. Ricky Patton ran 9 times for 43 and a 16-yard score. Johnny Davis ran in a 1-yard touchdown. The 49ers improved to 3-2 with two defensive touchdowns.[1][2][3]
Dwight Hicks produced two defensive scores Sunday afternoon at RFK. An 80-yard fumble recovery touchdown and a 32-yard interception return touchdown gave the 49ers' free safety a two-defensive-touchdown game and the road team a 30-17 win.
Montana went 15 of 28 for 193 with one interception, his most efficient road outing of the year by yards-per-attempt. Patton ran 9 for 43 and a 16-yard score. Davis added a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The two-back rotation produced 80 yards on 22 carries combined, a steady-but-not-explosive line that paired with the defense's pressure rhythm.
Joe Theismann was pulled in the fourth quarter for Tom Flick. The two combined for 22 of 46, 241 yards, no touchdowns, four interceptions. Mike Nelms returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown to give Washington its only second-half score. The 49ers' defense produced three takeaways in the half (two interceptions, one forced fumble) and converted both of Hicks' into points.
49ers 30, Redskins 17. Margin: plus 13. Record: 3-2.
A 30-17 road win at RFK Stadium. The 49ers improve to 3-2 with two defensive scores from Dwight Hicks.
How it unfolded
Mark Moseley kicked an early Washington field goal. Patton's 16-yard rush in the second quarter gave the 49ers a 7-3 lead. Hicks recovered a fumble and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-3. Bahr added a 43-yard field goal. Moseley made a 34-yard field goal. Davis' 1-yard rush in the third made it 24-6. Hicks intercepted Theismann and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 30-7. Nelms returned a punt 58 yards for a Washington touchdown to cut it to 30-14. Joe Washington's 5-yard rush in the fourth made the final 30-17.
The turning point
Hicks' 80-yard fumble return touchdown. Washington was driving in the second quarter and the strip-sack by the 49ers' defensive line came inside Washington territory. Hicks scooped and ran 80 yards for the touchdown that turned a possible Washington field goal into a seven-point 49ers swing.
By the numbers
Montana 15 of 28 for 193, 6.9 yards per attempt, one interception. Solomon five catches for 77. Lenvil Elliott six catches for 69, his largest target line of the year. Patton 43 on nine with the rushing touchdown. Theismann and Flick combined for 22 of 46 with four interceptions. Hicks' two-touchdown defensive line was the highest individual scoring afternoon of the 49ers' year.
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 16 | 19 |
| Total Yards | 296 | 304 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 6 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 15/28 | 22/46 |
| Pass yards | 193 | 241 |
| Pass TD | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 4 |
| Sacks taken | 2 | 2 |
| Sack yards lost | 25 | 20 |
| Net pass yards | 168 | 221 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 35 | 23 |
| Rush yards | 128 | 83 |
| Rush TD | 2 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 1 | 4 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 2 |
| Penalties | 3 | 7 |
| Penalty yards | 27 | 50 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 15/28 | 193 | 0 | 1 | 60.6 |
| WAS | |||||
| Joe Theismann | 10/24 | 123 | 0 | 2 | 23.4 |
| Tom Flick | 12/22 | 118 | 0 | 2 | 32 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ricky Patton #27 | 9 | 43 | 1 | 16 |
| Johnny Davis | 13 | 37 | 1 | 5 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 6 | 21 | 0 | 12 |
| Amos Lawrence | 2 | 14 | 0 | 8 |
| Lenvil Elliott #35 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| Walt Easley | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| WAS | ||||
| John Riggins | 13 | 47 | 0 | 8 |
| Joe Washington | 7 | 30 | 1 | 7 |
| Terry Metcalf | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Joe Theismann | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 5 | 77 | 0 | 40 |
| Lenvil Elliott #35 | 6 | 69 | 0 | 19 |
| Charle Young | 2 | 24 | 0 | 19 |
| Dwight Clark #87 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| WAS | ||||
| Joe Washington | 8 | 49 | 0 | 18 |
| Terry Metcalf | 3 | 44 | 0 | 33 |
| Art Monk | 4 | 42 | 0 | 13 |
| Ricky Thompson | 2 | 42 | 0 | 33 |
| Rick Walker | 2 | 29 | 0 | 23 |
| Greg McCrary | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Don Warren | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Clarence Harmon | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
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