The 49ers (6-3-1) travel to RFK Stadium for a Monday Night Football kickoff against the Washington Redskins (9-1) on Mon November 17, 1986.
Joe Montana continues. Roger Craig leads the backfield. The Redskins start Jay Schroeder at quarterback with George Rogers at running back.
Washington is 9-1 and the NFC's best record. RFK on Monday Night is the league's loudest road environment.[1][2][3]
Jay Schroeder replaced the injured Theismann in 1985 and has led Washington to 9-1, one of the NFC's most surprising 1986 performances. Schroeder's deep ball and Rogers' ground game complement each other: the run sets up the deep throw, the deep threat keeps linebackers honest.
RFK's noise disrupts timing routes as reliably as the Superdome. Montana's 332-yard return game came with two interceptions. The 49ers need a complete performance to beat the NFC's best team on the road Monday night.
Week eleven is Monday Night Football against the NFC's most surprising team. The 49ers (6-3-1) face the Redskins (9-1) in the NFC's premier mid-November matchup. The Bears (10-1) lead the NFC. The Giants (10-1) are the East's dominant team. The 49ers' MNF trip to RFK Stadium is the year's highest-profile road game and the biggest single test of Montana's post-surgery performance under the most difficult conditions.
Through ten games the 49ers are 6-3-1 with a plus 90 differential. The Redskins are 9-1 with a plus 108. Jay Schroeder is 159 of 281, 2,358 yards, seventeen touchdowns, ten interceptions. Rogers has 181 carries for 742 yards. Joe Montana is 39 of 62, 632 yards, four touchdowns, three interceptions in two post-surgery starts. Craig has 300 carries for 1,077 yards. Rice has 49 catches for 728 yards and nine touchdowns.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 7-3 | W3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 6-4 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-7 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 2-8 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Jets | 9-1 | W8 |
| New England Patriots | 7-3 | W4 |
| Miami Dolphins | 4-6 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3-7 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-10 | L10 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 8-2 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7-3 | W4 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 6-4 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-5 | L3 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2-8 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 7-3 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6-3-1 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-4-1 | L3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5-5 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 8-2 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6-4 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-7 | L4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-8 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-9 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 8-2 | W3 |
| Washington Redskins | 8-2 | W2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6-4 | L2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3-7 | L2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 2-8 | L1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redskins | George Rogers 1 yard rush (Max Zendejas kick) | 0-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 34 yard field goal | 3-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redskins | Gary Clark 27 yard pass from Jay Schroeder (Max Zendejas kick) | 3-14 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 38 yard field goal | 6-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
Jay Schroeder threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Gary Clark and George Rogers ran for 136 yards as the Washington Redskins beat the 49ers 14-6 at RFK Stadium on Monday Night Football. Joe Montana finished 33 of 60 for 441 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Ray Wersching kicked two field goals. The 49ers fell to 6-4-1.[1][2][3]
Montana threw 441 yards on 33 of 60 at RFK on Monday Night and produced zero touchdowns and three interceptions. The 441-yard performance was the year's highest single-game passing total but the turnover ratio made the volume meaningless. Three interceptions stopped each comeback drive the 49ers needed.
Schroeder managed the game at 17 of 40 for 170 yards and one touchdown. Rogers ran for 136 yards on 34 carries, controlling the second half. Washington scored 14 points while the 49ers' offense managed two Wersching field goals.
The 60 Montana pass attempts reflected Walsh's attempts to throw the team back after the run game produced 83 yards on 18 carries. The RFK noise disrupted the rhythm and precision that converts yardage into scores.
Redskins 14, 49ers 6. Margin: minus 8. Record: 6-4-1.
A 6-14 Monday Night Football road loss at RFK Stadium. Montana's 441 yards and zero touchdowns define the game.
How it unfolded
Schroeder's 70-yard touchdown pass to Gary Clark gave Washington the first-quarter lead. Rogers' ground game set up the second touchdown. Montana's three interceptions stopped each drive that approached the red zone. Two Wersching field goals were the only scoring.
The turning point
Montana's three interceptions. The 441-yard total showed the offense could move the ball, but three interceptions — each stopping a potential touchdown drive — were the decisive stat. RFK noise disrupted the timing on every intermediate route.
By the numbers
Montana 33 of 60 at 7.4 per attempt, zero touchdowns, three picks. Rogers 136 on 34 carries. Schroeder one touchdown was sufficient. The defense held Schroeder to 170 yards.
What it means
6-4-1 heading home for the Atlanta Falcons. The wild card is the only playoff path with five games left.
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 24 | 20 |
| Total Yards | 501 | 266 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 2 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 33/60 | 17/40 |
| Pass yards | 441 | 170 |
| Pass TD | 0 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 3 | 2 |
| Sacks taken | 3 | 3 |
| Sack yards lost | 23 | 40 |
| Net pass yards | 418 | 130 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 18 | 34 |
| Rush yards | 83 | 136 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 1 | 1 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 0 |
| Penalties | 15 | 3 |
| Penalty yards | 119 | 22 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 33/60 | 441 | 0 | 3 | 57.7 |
| WAS | |||||
| Jay Schroeder | 17/40 | 170 | 1 | 2 | 42.7 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Roger Craig #33 | 9 | 47 | 0 | 19 |
| Joe Cribbs | 6 | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| WAS | ||||
| George Rogers | 24 | 104 | 1 | 18 |
| Kelvin Bryant | 7 | 20 | 0 | 11 |
| Jay Schroeder | 3 | 12 | 0 | 20 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 12 | 204 | 0 | 39 |
| Dwight Clark #87 | 8 | 99 | 0 | 22 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 5 | 42 | 0 | 19 |
| Derrick Crawford | 1 | 42 | 0 | 42 |
| Joe Cribbs | 4 | 36 | 0 | 16 |
| Russ Francis #81 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 9 |
| John Frank | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| WAS | ||||
| Gary Clark | 5 | 70 | 1 | 27 |
| Art Monk | 6 | 57 | 0 | 15 |
| Clint Didier | 2 | 28 | 0 | 21 |
| Kelvin Bryant | 3 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| Don Warren | 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] 1986 W11 - 49ers at Washington Redskins - Game Thread
