The 49ers (12-3) travel to the Louisiana Superdome for a a Sunday slot kickoff against the New Orleans Saints (4-11) on Sun December 20, 1981. The regular-season finale.
Guy Benjamin starts at quarterback in place of Joe Montana, with Walsh giving the starter rest before the playoffs. Patton at lead back. Bill Ring rotates in. The Saints start Archie Manning.
Walsh sits Montana for the closer. Guy Benjamin starts; Joe Montana comes off the bench in the second half. The closer's goal is to keep the kind of body health that allows the playoffs to begin from a position of strength.
George Rogers and the Saints have been the year's NFC West story underneath the 49ers; Rogers averages over 25 carries per game and leads the league in rushing yards.
Week sixteen is the regular-season finale. The 49ers (12-3), Cowboys (12-3), and Eagles (10-5) lead the NFC. The Bengals (11-4), Chargers (10-5), and Bills (10-5) lead the AFC. The Saints (4-11) compete in the bottom tier of the NFC West. The 49ers' Sunday at the Superdome is the schedule's final game The schedule's next week is the next test The schedule's closing stretch is the next test.
Through 15 games the 49ers are 12-3 with a plus 97 differential. The Saints are 4-11 with a minus 105. Archie Manning 130 of 230, 1,610, four touchdowns, nine interceptions. Dave Wilson rotates. George Rogers 358 carries for 1,562 (leads the league). The 49ers' defense produced 22 interceptions through 15 games. Montana 302 of 477, 3,459, 15 touchdowns, 12 interceptions through 15.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 11-4 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-7 | L2 |
| Houston Oilers | 6-9 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5-10 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 10-4-1 | W3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 10-5 | W4 |
| New York Jets | 9-5-1 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 2-13 | L8 |
| Baltimore Colts | 1-14 | L14 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 10-5 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 9-6 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8-7 | L3 |
| Oakland Raiders | 7-8 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-10 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 12-3 | W4 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7-8 | L2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6-9 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4-11 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 8-7 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-7 | W3 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-7 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-8 | L4 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-10 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 12-3 | W4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 9-6 | L4 |
| New York Giants | 8-7 | W2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 7-8 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 7-8 | W2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Charle Young 13 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) | 7-0 |
| Saints | George Rogers 6 yard rush (Benny Ricardo kick) | 7-7 |
| Saints | George Rogers 5 yard rush (Benny Ricardo kick) | 7-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Freddie Solomon 2 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) | 14-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | Benny Ricardo 27 yard field goal | 14-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Johnny Davis 3 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) | 21-17 |
Joe Montana came off the bench and threw two touchdowns to Charle Young and Freddie Solomon and the 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints 21-17 at the Louisiana Superdome in the regular-season finale. Guy Benjamin started but was pulled at halftime after going 8 of 14 for 89 with one interception. Bill Ring ran 11 times for 71. The 49ers finished the regular season 13-3.[1][2][3]
Joe Montana came off the bench in the third quarter and threw two touchdowns to Charle Young and Freddie Solomon. The 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints 21-17 in the regular-season finale. The 13-3 finish locked in the NFC's number-one seed and home-field advantage through the playoffs.
Guy Benjamin started and went 8 of 14 for 89 with one interception before being pulled at halftime. Montana finished 9 of 11 for 106 with the two touchdowns. Bill Ring ran 11 for 71. Johnny Davis ran in a 3-yard touchdown to close out the scoring.
George Rogers ran 30 times for 107 yards and two goal-line touchdowns. Archie Manning was relieved by Dave Wilson; the two combined for 14 of 23 for 110 yards. The 49ers' defense produced one interception. The Saints' two-touchdown afternoon was the kind of game-managing line that has defined Rogers' rookie year.
49ers 21, Saints 17. Margin: plus 4. Final 1981 record: 13-3.
A 21-17 regular-season-finale road win at the Louisiana Superdome. The 49ers finish the regular season 13-3 with the NFC's number-one seed.
How it unfolded
Montana sat to start the game with Walsh giving the rest to the starter. Benjamin went 8 of 14 for 89 in the first half and was pulled at halftime. Charle Young caught a 13-yard touchdown from Montana in the third quarter for the 49ers' first score. George Rogers ran in a 6-yard touchdown to give the Saints a 7-7 tie. Rogers ran in a second 5-yard touchdown to make it 14-7. Solomon caught a 2-yard touchdown from Montana to tie it 14-14. Benny Ricardo kicked a 27-yard field goal. Johnny Davis ran in a 3-yard touchdown to give the 49ers a 21-17 lead. The 49ers' defense closed out the rest of the way.
The turning point
Montana's third-quarter touchdown to Young. With Benjamin pulled and the score 0-0 at the half, the relief stint by Montana produced the immediate scoring drive that opened the kind of late-game tightening that allowed the closer to play to a competitive result.
By the numbers
Montana 9 of 11 for 106 (82 percent completion percentage) with two touchdowns. Benjamin 8 of 14 for 89 with one interception. Bill Ring 71 on 11 carries. Patton 36 on eight. Davis 19 on six with a rushing touchdown. Young one catch for 13 with a touchdown. Solomon five for 38 with a touchdown. George Rogers 107 on 30 carries with two touchdowns. Archie Manning 14 of 21 for 110 with one interception.
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 19 | 15 |
| Total Yards | 349 | 222 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 17/25 | 14/23 |
| Pass yards | 195 | 110 |
| Pass TD | 2 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 1 |
| Sacks taken | 0 | 2 |
| Sack yards lost | 0 | 21 |
| Net pass yards | 195 | 89 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 31 | 36 |
| Rush yards | 154 | 133 |
| Rush TD | 1 | 2 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 3 | 1 |
| Fumbles lost | 2 | 0 |
| Penalties | 5 | 3 |
| Penalty yards | 45 | 30 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 9/11 | 106 | 2 | 0 | 146.4 |
| Guy Benjamin | 8/14 | 89 | 0 | 1 | 46.4 |
| NOR | |||||
| Archie Manning | 14/21 | 110 | 0 | 1 | 59.6 |
| Dave Wilson | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Bill Ring #39 | 11 | 71 | 0 | 16 |
| Ricky Patton #27 | 8 | 36 | 0 | 8 |
| Johnny Davis | 6 | 19 | 1 | 4 |
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Walt Easley | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Guy Benjamin | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 1 | -3 | 0 | -3 |
| NOR | ||||
| George Rogers | 30 | 107 | 2 | 9 |
| Jimmy Rogers | 2 | 18 | 0 | 15 |
| Jack Holmes | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Toussaint Tyler | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 5 | 38 | 1 | 22 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 1 | 36 | 0 | 36 |
| Walt Easley | 3 | 35 | 0 | 21 |
| Eason Ramson | 2 | 27 | 0 | 16 |
| Ricky Patton #27 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 11 |
| Dwight Clark #87 | 1 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Charle Young | 1 | 13 | 1 | 13 |
| NOR | ||||
| Toussaint Tyler | 5 | 21 | 0 | 7 |
| Aundra Thompson | 2 | 21 | 0 | 13 |
| Hoby Brenner | 1 | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| Guido Merkens | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Jeff Groth | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Jack Holmes | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Larry Hardy | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Rich Martini | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Jimmy Rogers | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1981 W16 - 49ers at New Orleans Saints - Game Thread