The 49ers (1-1) travel to Busch Stadium for a 1:00 PM CT kickoff against the St. Louis Cardinals (1-1) on Sun September 18, 1983.
Joe Montana continues after the Thursday night blowout. Wendell Tyler at running back. The Cardinals start Neil Lomax at quarterback with Ottis Anderson and Stump Mitchell in the backfield. Roy Green at receiver.
The 49ers face a Cardinals team that has been a division rival threat since the early 1980s.[1][2][3]
Neil Lomax is one of the conference's most productive young passers. Roy Green and Pat Tilley give him two legitimate receivers. Montana just threw four touchdowns Thursday; the 49ers come to Busch with momentum nowhere in evidence two weeks ago.
Tyler ran for 107 at Minnesota on 19 carries. If that repeats in St. Louis, the 49ers force the Cardinals to commit the secondary to the run — which is exactly when Solomon and Francis find space over the top.
Week three in the NFC continues the early sorting. The Redskins (2-0), Cowboys (1-1), and Eagles (1-1) lead the NFC East. The 49ers and Falcons lead the NFC West. The Cardinals and Saints compete in the NFC South. The AFC's Dolphins and Raiders are the conference's 2-0 teams. The 49ers' Sunday road game in St. Louis tests whether the Minnesota blowout was the norm or the outlier.
Through two games the 49ers are 1-1 with a plus 26 differential. The Cardinals are 1-1 with a plus 3. Lomax is 40 of 72, 487 yards, four touchdowns through two games. Anderson ran for 99 in Week 1. Montana is 27 of 44, 348 yards, four touchdowns, one interception on the year. Tyler has 180 rushing yards through two games.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 1-1 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-2 | L2 |
| Houston Oilers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 2-0 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1-1 | W1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 1-1 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 1-1 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 2-0 | W2 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 2-0 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1-1 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 1-1 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 2-0 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-1 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-1 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 1-1 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 1-1 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-1 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-0 | W2 |
| New York Giants | 1-1 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-1 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 1-1 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-2 | L2 |
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| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Freddie Solomon 69 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) | 7-0 |
| Cardinals | Pat Tilley 8 yard pass from Neil Lomax (Neil O'Donoghue kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Freddie Solomon 28 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) | 14-7 |
| 49ers | Dwight Hicks 40 yard interception return (Ray Wersching kick) | 21-7 |
| Cardinals | Neil O'Donoghue 43 yard field goal | 21-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Russ Francis 11 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) | 28-10 |
| Cardinals | Wayne Morris 1 yard rush (Neil O'Donoghue kick) | 28-17 |
| 49ers | Tim Collier 32 yard interception return (Ray Wersching kick) | 35-17 |
| Cardinals | Neil O'Donoghue 48 yard field goal | 35-20 |
| 49ers | Wendell Tyler 15 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) | 42-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Randy Love 12 yard pass from Neil Lomax (Neil O'Donoghue kick) | 42-27 |
Joe Montana threw three touchdown passes including a 77-yard strike to Freddie Solomon and finished with 341 yards as the 49ers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 42-27 at Busch Stadium. Wendell Tyler rushed 18 times for 108 yards and a touchdown. Solomon caught three for 121 yards. The 49ers improved to 2-1 with their second straight road win.[1][2][3]
Montana threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns and Tyler ran for 108 in the 49ers' second straight road win, 42-27 over St. Louis. The big play: a 77-yard touchdown to Solomon that put the game out of reach in the third quarter.
Solomon's 77-yard touchdown was the result of a play-action fake that froze the Cardinals' linebacker corps and left Solomon alone on the deep cross. The receiver caught three passes for 121 yards total, his biggest output since the 1981 season.
Tyler had another 100-yard game: 108 on 18 carries and a rushing score. Roger Craig added 35 yards on nine carries. Neil Lomax went 32 of 51 for 385 yards and three touchdowns for the Cardinals — a big number that the 49ers' point total outpaced. The 49ers' defense gave up 385 passing yards but forced three turnovers.
49ers 42, Cardinals 27. Margin: plus 15. Record: 2-1.
A 42-27 road win at Busch Stadium. The 49ers move to 2-1 with their second straight road blowout.
How it unfolded
The 49ers scored on consecutive drives in the first quarter. Tyler's rushing touchdown gave San Francisco a two-score lead by the end of the first. Anderson's rushing score cut it in the second quarter before Montana extended the lead. Solomon's 77-yard touchdown in the third quarter put the game away.
The turning point
Solomon's 77-yard score in the third quarter. With the 49ers ahead 21-14, the long pass-and-run created separation the Cardinals could not overcome despite Lomax's big passing total.
By the numbers
Montana 20 of 32, 10.7 yards per attempt. Two straight road games with Montana over 330 yards and multiple touchdowns. Tyler second consecutive 100-yard game. The 49ers' 42 points in the road setting established them as a top offensive team.
What it means
2-1 heading home to face Atlanta. The road wins at Minnesota and St. Louis confirm the 49ers' offense can operate anywhere.
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 24 | 22 |
| Total Yards | 527 | 385 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 20/32 | 16/35 |
| Pass yards | 341 | 194 |
| Pass TD | 3 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 2 |
| Sacks taken | 1 | 3 |
| Sack yards lost | 5 | 22 |
| Net pass yards | 336 | 172 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 31 | 32 |
| Rush yards | 191 | 213 |
| Rush TD | 1 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 2 | 2 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 11 | 5 |
| Penalty yards | 78 | 35 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 20/32 | 341 | 3 | 1 | 116.8 |
| STL | |||||
| Neil Lomax | 16/35 | 194 | 2 | 2 | 58.5 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Wendell Tyler #26 | 18 | 108 | 1 | 17 |
| Bill Ring #39 | 5 | 60 | 0 | 25 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 9 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Carl Monroe | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| STL | ||||
| Stump Mitchell | 8 | 123 | 0 | 46 |
| Randy Love | 11 | 38 | 0 | 12 |
| Wayne Morris | 7 | 30 | 1 | 12 |
| Neil Lomax | 2 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Ottis Anderson | 4 | 10 | 0 | 6 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 3 | 121 | 2 | 69 |
| Renaldo Nehemiah #82 | 3 | 62 | 0 | 25 |
| Russ Francis #81 | 3 | 43 | 1 | 25 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 2 | 40 | 0 | 26 |
| Dwight Clark #87 | 4 | 36 | 0 | 11 |
| Wendell Tyler #26 | 3 | 36 | 0 | 15 |
| Mike Wilson #85 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Bill Ring #39 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STL | ||||
| Roy Green | 8 | 133 | 0 | 33 |
| Pat Tilley | 2 | 20 | 1 | 11 |
| Randy Love | 1 | 12 | 1 | 12 |
| Wayne Morris | 2 | 12 | 0 | 11 |
| Doug Marsh | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Stump Mitchell | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Ottis Anderson | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
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