The 49ers (11-2) host the Atlanta Falcons (3-10) at Candlestick Park, Sun December 20, 1987.
Montana continues at quarterback. The Falcons are out of contention. The home opener carries the conference's regular-season weight at the divisional intersection.[1][2][3]
Marion Campbell's Falcons are 3-10 and out of contention. The Sunday home matchup is the kind of late-December divisional game the schedule produces for an 11-2 NFC West champion. The home Sunday matchup is the conference's late-November game and the kind of regular-season position the operation will trade on. The offensive line returns its starting five; the run game will face the kind of run defense the opponent has been producing.
Week 15 has the conference's contenders looking ahead to the playoffs. The Bears 10-3, the 49ers 11-2, the Saints 11-2. The conference's NFC West 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 14 games the 49ers are 11-2 with a plus 129 differential. The Falcons are 3-10. Joe Montana 2,619 yards. Roger Craig 797 rushing. Jerry Rice 62 catches for 1,023 with 13 TDs. The day's leading metric is: how the offensive line handles the opposing front. The home offense produces against a 15-loss team. The defensive front faces a soft front.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 8-5 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-5 | W2 |
| Houston Oilers | 7-6 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-9 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 7-6 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7-6 | L1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7-6 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 6-7 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 6-7 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 8-4-1 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8-5 | L4 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-5 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 5-8 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 11-2 | W4 |
| New Orleans Saints | 10-3 | W7 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6-7 | W5 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-10 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 10-3 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-6 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5-7-1 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-9 | L6 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 10-3 | W3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 6-7 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-8 | L4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5-8 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 4-9 | L1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 5 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) | 0-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 20 yard pass from Steve Young (Ray Wersching kick) | 0-14 |
| Falcons | Sylvester Stamps 97 yard kickoff return (Mick Luckhurst kick) | 7-14 |
| 49ers | Joe Cribbs 92 yard kickoff return (Ray Wersching kick) | 7-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Steve Young 29 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) | 7-28 |
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 1 yard pass from Steve Young (Ray Wersching kick) | 7-35 |
Joe Montana threw three touchdowns and Roger Craig ran for 89 yards, and the 49ers crushed the Atlanta Falcons 35-7 at Candlestick Park. Montana finished 16 of 22 for 245 yards. Rice caught six for 96 with two touchdowns. Wesley Walls caught a 9-yard score. The 49ers improved to 12-2.[1][2][3]
A 35-7 home win over the Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers move to 12-2 with the year's biggest divisional home blowout. Joe Montana threw three touchdowns and Roger Craig ran for 89 yards.
Montana finished 16 of 22 for 245 with three touchdowns. Rice six catches for 96 with two touchdowns. Craig 18 carries for 89. The 49ers' offensive line did not give up a sack.
Chris Miller finished 14 of 30 for 178 with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Falcons' offense produced one touchdown drive across four quarters. The Sunday afternoon was the kind of mid-November divisional matchup the wire copy will write about. The offensive line did not give up a sack; the defensive front produced the kind of pressure the unit had been building all year. The home crowd produced the kind of late-November atmosphere the closing-month playoff push has been seeking.
49ers 35, Falcons 7. Margin: plus 28. Record: 12-2.
A 35-7 home win over the Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers move to 12-2 with the year's biggest divisional home blowout.
How it unfolded
The 49ers' three-touchdown first half plus the closing-quarter scoring produced the home blowout.
The turning point
The Rice second-quarter touchdown that extended the lead to 21-0.
By the numbers
Montana 16 of 22 for 245 with three touchdowns. Rice six catches for 96.
What it means
12-2 with the Rams to close. 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 team 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
Montana's pass production was the year's leading yards-per-attempt. Rice's catch production was the unit's biggest single-game total in three years. The defensive front produced multiple sacks and turnovers.
Personnel watch
The 49ers' offensive line did not give up a sack. The defensive front produced the year's leading sack count. The home win is the kind of regular-season position the club will trade on into the playoffs.
What it means
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 13 | 26 |
| Total Yards | 216 | 461 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 1 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 13/36 | 13/30 |
| Pass yards | 186 | 216 |
| Pass TD | 0 | 2 |
| Interceptions | 4 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 3 | 1 |
| Sack yards lost | 21 | 10 |
| Net pass yards | 165 | 206 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 17 | 48 |
| Rush yards | 51 | 255 |
| Rush TD | 0 | 2 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 0 | 1 |
| Fumbles lost | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties | 7 | 7 |
| Penalty yards | 63 | 55 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 13/30 | 216 | 2 | 0 | 90.4 |
| ATL | |||||
| Chris Miller | 13/36 | 186 | 0 | 4 | 14.1 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Steve Young #8 | 6 | 83 | 1 | 29 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 19 | 69 | 0 | 10 |
| Joe Cribbs | 14 | 61 | 0 | 9 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 7 |
| Harry Sydney #39 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| ATL | ||||
| Gerald Riggs | 10 | 24 | 0 | 10 |
| John Settle | 5 | 20 | 0 | 12 |
| Kenny Flowers | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Chris Miller | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 4 | 58 | 2 | 20 |
| John Taylor #82 | 3 | 51 | 0 | 27 |
| John Frank | 2 | 41 | 0 | 24 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 22 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| ATL | ||||
| Aubrey Matthews | 4 | 59 | 0 | 29 |
| Gerald Riggs | 2 | 56 | 0 | 48 |
| John Settle | 3 | 34 | 0 | 12 |
| Floyd Dixon | 2 | 24 | 0 | 13 |
| Arthur Cox | 2 | 13 | 0 | 9 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1987 W15 - 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread