Season opener on the road at the Silverdome, Pontiac, on Sun September 2, 1984. The 49ers (0-0) travel to face the Detroit Lions (0-0).
Joe Montana returns. Roger Craig and Wendell Tyler share the backfield. Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon at receiver. Russ Francis at tight end.
The Lions start Gary Danielson at quarterback with Billy Sims at running back. Year one of the post-1983 playoff run begins on the road.[1][2][3]
Opener on the road against a Lions team that pushed the 49ers to the final play last January. Detroit's defense, which held San Francisco to 291 total yards in the divisional playoff, will run the same fronts.
Montana needs a clean start. The 49ers' passing game was not sharp in the playoff win and the offseason pointed toward more Craig in the run-pass split. A road win at the Silverdome sets the tone before the Washington rematch arrives at Candlestick.
The NFL's opening weekend sets the early narrative. The NFC West's preseason favorite is San Francisco, with the Rams and Falcons as the division's other contenders. The AFC features the defending champion Raiders plus the Dolphins. The 49ers' road opener at Detroit is the conference's first look at whether the 1983 NFC Championship run translates into a title contender in 1984.
Through zero games. The 49ers won the NFC West at 10-6 in 1983 before beating Detroit 24-23 in the divisional round. The Lions were 9-7 in 1983. Montana threw for 201 yards in the playoff win over Detroit. The 49ers are 3-1 all-time in regular season games in Detroit. Craig is entering his second NFL season.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-0 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| Houston Oilers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 0-0 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-0 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-0 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Jets | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 0-0 | -- |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-0 | -- |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 0-0 | -- |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-0 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-0 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-0 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-0 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0-0 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 0-0 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 0-0 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-0 | -- |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Giants | 0-0 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-0 | -- |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-0 | -- |
| Washington Redskins | 0-0 | -- |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Billy Sims 2 yard rush (Eddie Murray kick) | 0-7 |
| 49ers | Carl Monroe 5 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Eddie Murray 39 yard field goal | 7-10 |
| 49ers | Wendell Tyler 2 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) | 14-10 |
| Lions | Eddie Murray 43 yard field goal | 14-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | James Jones 2 yard pass from Gary Danielson (Eddie Murray kick) | 14-20 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 42 yard field goal | 17-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 53 yard field goal | 20-20 |
| 49ers | Wendell Tyler 9 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) | 27-20 |
| Lions | Leonard Thompson 49 yard pass from Gary Danielson (Eddie Murray kick) | 27-27 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 22 yard field goal | 30-27 |
Joe Montana threw for 188 yards and a touchdown and the 49ers rushed for two scores to beat the Detroit Lions 30-27 at the Silverdome in a tight opener. Montana finished 16 of 25 with no interceptions. The 49ers rushed 32 times for 124 yards. Roger Craig scored one of the rushing touchdowns. The 49ers opened 1984 at 1-0.[1][2][3]
The 49ers held on for a 30-27 road win in Detroit to open the season. Montana's 16-of-25 day produced 188 yards and a touchdown. The running game carried two scores on 32 carries for 124 yards.
Craig's rushing touchdown and the ground game's consistent output made the difference in a game where Detroit stayed within one possession the entire final quarter. Danielson went 17 of 24 for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and Billy Sims ran 28 times for 132 yards — numbers that showed the Lions were capable of moving the ball.
The 49ers' defense held when it needed to. Three points separated the teams at the final whistle, a reminder that the 1984 season would require execution, not just talent. The opener at the Silverdome was harder than 30-27 suggests.
49ers 30, Lions 27. Margin: plus 3. Record: 1-0.
A 30-27 road win to open 1984 at the Silverdome.
How it unfolded
Both teams scored in the first quarter. The 49ers built a two-score lead by the third quarter but the Lions scored twice to make it a three-point game entering the fourth. The 49ers held on without adding a score.
The turning point
The 49ers' run game producing two touchdowns. With Montana managing the game rather than carrying it, the ground game provided the scoring difference. Craig's score and the second rushing touchdown gave the offense enough cushion.
By the numbers
Montana 16 of 25 at 7.5 yards per attempt, one touchdown, zero interceptions — the efficient opener the team needed. Craig's rushing contribution led the backfield. Sims 132 on 28 carries for Detroit was the day's top individual rushing performance.
What it means
1-0 heading home for Washington. The narrow win is an appropriate start: the 49ers have the talent for 15 wins but this is game one.
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 24 | 19 |
| Total Yards | 298 | 298 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 16/25 | 17/24 |
| Pass yards | 188 | 177 |
| Pass TD | 1 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 2 | 2 |
| Sack yards lost | 14 | 11 |
| Net pass yards | 174 | 166 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 32 | 28 |
| Rush yards | 124 | 132 |
| Rush TD | 2 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 2 | 0 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 2 | 6 |
| Penalty yards | 32 | 45 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 16/25 | 188 | 1 | 0 | 100.1 |
| DET | |||||
| Gary Danielson | 17/24 | 177 | 2 | 0 | 119.6 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Wendell Tyler #26 | 16 | 87 | 2 | 14 |
| Bill Ring #39 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 6 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| Carl Monroe | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DET | ||||
| Billy Sims | 17 | 69 | 1 | 18 |
| James Jones | 8 | 31 | 0 | 8 |
| Gary Danielson | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Mark Nichols | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Ken Jenkins | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 4 | 61 | 0 | 23 |
| Russ Francis #81 | 2 | 33 | 0 | 22 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 3 | 32 | 0 | 14 |
| Dwight Clark #87 | 2 | 19 | 0 | 10 |
| Renaldo Nehemiah #82 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 15 |
| Earl Cooper #49 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Wendell Tyler #26 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Carl Monroe | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| DET | ||||
| Leonard Thompson | 3 | 58 | 1 | 49 |
| Mark Nichols | 2 | 34 | 0 | 21 |
| Jeff Chadwick | 3 | 33 | 0 | 19 |
| James Jones | 5 | 25 | 1 | 11 |
| David Lewis | 2 | 22 | 0 | 13 |
| Billy Sims | 2 | 5 | 0 | 9 |
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