The 49ers (3-1) host the St. Louis Cardinals (1-3) at Candlestick Park, Sun October 18, 1987. Third consecutive replacement-player game. The NFLPA's regular players are expected to return to the field next week.
Mark Stevens at quarterback for the 49ers' replacement roster. The Cardinals' replacement roster starts.[1][2][3]
The strike continues into W6. The 49ers' Sunday at Candlestick is the third consecutive replacement-player game and the last one before the regular players return. Attendance of 38,094 is the highest of the strike games but still well below 1986 averages. The Sunday matchup is the kind of late-season game the club's playoff seeding will turn on; the home defense will need to limit the opposing offense to the kind of three-zero touchdown afternoon the unit produced last week.
Week 6 has the strike's final replacement-player game on the slate. The NFLPA regular players return Tuesday; the W7 games will feature the regular rosters. Inside the division the NFC West contenders compete for the divisional slot and the inside track on the conference's seeding picture. Across the NFC West the divisional contenders compete for the slot. The conference's other seeds depend on the closing-month results.
Through five games the 49ers are 3-1 with a plus 15 differential. The Cardinals are 1-3 with a minus 18. Replacement rosters. Today the data shows: how the last replacement game produces a divisional matchup before the regular players return. Stat worth watching today: how the home offense produces against a mid-tier conference defense.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Oilers | 3-1 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2-2 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2-2 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-2 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-2 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 2-2 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 2-2 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 2-2 | L2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1-3 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Raiders | 3-1 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 3-1 | W3 |
| Denver Broncos | 2-1-1 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2-2 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1-3 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-1 | W3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-2 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-3 | L2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1-3 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 4-0 | W4 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2-2 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-2 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-2-1 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 1-3 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 3-1 | W3 |
| Washington Redskins | 3-1 | W2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 2-2 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-3 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 0-4 | L4 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Derrick McAdoo 1 yard rush (Jim Gallery kick) | 7-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Troy Johnson 38 yard pass from Sammy Garza (Jim Gallery kick) | 14-0 |
| 49ers | Dwight Clark 22 yard pass from Joe Montana (Jeff Brockhaus kick) | 14-7 |
| Cardinals | Derrick McAdoo 6 yard rush (Jim Gallery kick) | 21-7 |
| 49ers | Dwight Clark 8 yard pass from Joe Montana (Jeff Brockhaus kick) | 21-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Roger Craig 1 yard rush (Jeff Brockhaus kick) | 21-21 |
| Cardinals | Derrick McAdoo 1 yard rush (Jim Gallery kick) | 28-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Roger Craig 36 yard pass from Joe Montana (Jeff Brockhaus kick) | 28-28 |
| 49ers | Ron Heller 3 yard pass from Joe Montana | 28-34 |
The 49ers' replacement roster beat the St. Louis Cardinals 34-28 at Candlestick Park. Mark Stevens threw two touchdowns. Doug DuBose ran for two touchdowns. Roger Craig and Joe Montana returned to the active roster mid-week and played in the second half. The 49ers improved to 4-1.[1][2][3]
A 34-28 home replacement-player win against the St. Louis Cardinals. The 49ers' replacement roster moves to 4-1 in the strike-shortened year. The regular players returned to the active roster mid-week; Roger Craig and Joe Montana played some snaps in the second half.
Mark Stevens threw two touchdowns. Doug DuBose ran for two touchdowns. The 49ers' offense produced 34 points with the mixed replacement/returning-regular-player approach. The Cardinals' replacement roster scored 28 in the year's highest-scoring strike game.
The strike ends Wednesday; the W7 games will feature the regular rosters. The Sunday matchup at Candlestick is the year's transition game.
49ers 34, Cardinals 28. Margin: plus 6. Record: 4-1 (strike game).
A 34-28 replacement-player home win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Candlestick Park. The 49ers' replacement roster moves to 4-1 in the strike's final replacement-player game.
How it unfolded
The game produced six touchdowns combined. Mark Stevens threw two touchdowns. Doug DuBose ran in two short scores. The defense produced multiple turnovers.
The turning point
The end of the strike. The NFLPA regular players returned to the active roster Wednesday. Roger Craig, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice were among the regulars who played some Sunday snaps. The replacement-player era ends.
By the numbers
Replacement-roster game; final 34-28. Both teams' replacement rosters returned to the active roster for the W7 games.
What it means
4-1. The Saints road game next Sunday will be the first regular-roster game since W2. The 49ers' offense produced multiple scoring drives. The defense produced multiple takeaways. The line did not give up a sack.
How it unfolded
The early-quarter scoring drives produced the year's biggest single-game margin. The closing-quarter scoring extended the kind of home blowout the operation had been building toward.
The turning point
The early-quarter Rice touchdown that established the kind of two-score lead the offense extended through three quarters.
By the numbers
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 18 | 28 |
| Total Yards | 324 | 448 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 3 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 10/17 | 31/39 |
| Pass yards | 177 | 334 |
| Pass TD | 1 | 4 |
| Interceptions | 2 | 2 |
| Sacks taken | 1 | 1 |
| Sack yards lost | 13 | 7 |
| Net pass yards | 164 | 327 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 36 | 32 |
| Rush yards | 160 | 121 |
| Rush TD | 3 | 1 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 3 | 1 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 1 |
| Penalties | 6 | 7 |
| Penalty yards | 45 | 50 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 31/39 | 334 | 4 | 2 | 115.2 |
| STL | |||||
| Sammy Garza | 10/17 | 177 | 1 | 2 | 74.5 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Roger Craig #33 | 17 | 71 | 1 | 11 |
| Doug DuBose | 7 | 24 | 0 | 11 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 9 |
| Harry Sydney #39 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| STL | ||||
| Derrick McAdoo | 23 | 111 | 3 | 13 |
| Earl Ferrell | 7 | 22 | 0 | 8 |
| Sammy Garza | 5 | 18 | 0 | 10 |
| Troy Johnson | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Roger Craig #33 | 7 | 99 | 1 | 35 |
| Dwight Clark #87 | 9 | 99 | 2 | 22 |
| Russ Francis #81 | 6 | 46 | 0 | 17 |
| Terry Greer #84 | 3 | 44 | 0 | 16 |
| Doug DuBose | 4 | 37 | 0 | 14 |
| Ron Heller #85 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 6 |
| STL | ||||
| J.T. Smith | 7 | 96 | 0 | 26 |
| Troy Johnson | 2 | 73 | 1 | 38 |
| William Harris | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
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] 1987 W6 - 49ers vs St. Louis Cardinals - Game Thread