The 49ers (5-3) host the Minnesota Vikings (6-2) at Candlestick Park, Sun October 30, 1988.
Steve Young expected to start in place of Joe Montana, who is dealing with back issues. Roger Craig at lead back. The Vikings start Wade Wilson. Anthony Carter at receiver. Rick Fenney and Darrin Nelson share the backfield. Jerry Burns in year third as head coach.[1][2][3]
Jerry Burns' Vikings are 6-2 and one game behind the Bears in the NFC Central. Wade Wilson has thrown for 1,576 across eight games. Anthony Carter has 31 catches for 487. The Vikings come into Sunday off a 30-22 win over the Buccaneers; the Sunday matchup at Candlestick is the kind of cross-divisional NFC contender game the year produces once or twice.
Week 9 has the conference's contenders in late-October sort. The Bears 8-0 lead. The Vikings 6-2, the 49ers 5-3, the Rams 5-3, the Cardinals 5-3. The Bengals 7-2, the Bills 7-2. The 49ers' Sunday against the Vikings is one of two NFC marquee matchups on the slate; the Bears at Patriots is the other. Inside the division the NFC West contenders compete for the divisional slot and the inside track on the conference's seeding picture.
Through eight games the 49ers are 5-3 with a plus 22 differential. The Vikings are 6-2 with a plus 36. Wade Wilson has thrown for 1,576 yards. Anthony Carter 31 catches for 487. Rick Fenney 73 carries for 282. Joe Montana 1,698 yards across eight games. Steve Young 271 across seven appearances. Roger Craig 728 rushing across eight (91 ypg). Jerry Rice 33 catches for 740 with six touchdowns. Vegas lists the 49ers as 1-point home underdogs with the total at 39.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-1 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5-3 | W2 |
| Houston Oilers | 5-3 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-6 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 7-1 | W3 |
| New York Jets | 4-3-1 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 4-4 | L1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3-5 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 3-5 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 4-4 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-4 | L2 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 3-5 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2-6 | L4 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1-6-1 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 7-1 | W7 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6-2 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5-3 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-7 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 7-1 | W5 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5-3 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-6 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-6 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-6 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 5-3 | W2 |
| Washington Redskins | 5-3 | W3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-4 | W1 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 4-4 | L2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-6 | L4 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vikings | Wade Wilson 2 yard rush (Chuck Nelson kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | Mike Cofer 30 yard field goal | 7-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Roger Craig 1 yard rush (Mike Cofer kick) | 7-10 |
| Vikings | Anthony Carter 67 yard pass from Wade Wilson (Chuck Nelson kick) | 14-10 |
| 49ers | John Taylor 73 yard pass from Steve Young (Mike Cofer kick) | 14-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Vikings | Rick Fenney 12 yard rush (Chuck Nelson kick) | 21-17 |
| 49ers | Steve Young 49 yard rush (Mike Cofer kick) | 21-24 |
Steve Young threw a 73-yard touchdown to John Taylor and ran for 49 yards to set up the eventual game-winner, and the 49ers came back from a 14-10 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Minnesota Vikings 24-21 at Candlestick Park. Young finished 14 of 25 for 232 yards with one touchdown. Roger Craig ran in a 1-yard touchdown. Steve Young ran in a 49-yard score. Anthony Carter caught a 67-yard touchdown from Wade Wilson. The 49ers improved to 6-3.[1][2][3]
Steve Young's 49-yard scrambling touchdown in the fourth quarter was the eventual game-winner and the 49ers came back from a 14-17 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Minnesota Vikings 24-21 at Candlestick. Young finished 14 of 25 for 232 yards in his first 1988 start. Roger Craig ran 19 times for 56.
Young's 73-yard touchdown to John Taylor in the third quarter cut a 7-14 deficit to 14-17. The 49-yard scrambling touchdown in the fourth quarter was Young's longest rushing play of his career. Roger Craig ran 19 for 56 with a 1-yard touchdown. Tom Rathman two carries for 2. John Taylor caught two for 88 with the long touchdown.
49ers 24, Vikings 21. Margin: plus 3. Record: 6-3. • Steve Young (start): 14 of 25, 232, 1 TD (Taylor 73), 0 INTs, 0 sacks; 7 carries for 72, 1 rushing TD (49y). • Taylor: 2 catches for 88, 1 TD (73y). • Rice: 1 catch for 22. • Brent Jones: 3 catches for 26. • Wilson: 3 catches for 31. • Craig: 19 carries for 56, 1 rushing TD (1y). • Rathman: 2 carries for 2, plus 1 for 10. • Cofer: 1-for-1 (30).
A 24-21 home win over the Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers move to 6-3 in Steve Young's first 1988 start.
How it unfolded
Wade Wilson's 2-yard rush opened the scoring. Cofer's 30-yarder cut it to 3-7. Craig's 1-yard rush made it 10-7. Anthony Carter caught a 67-yard touchdown to make it 10-14. Taylor's 73-yard touchdown reception made it 17-14. Rick Fenney's 12-yard rush put the Vikings ahead 17-21. Young's 49-yard scrambling touchdown made the final 24-21.
The turning point
The Young 49-yard rushing touchdown. With the 49ers trailing 17-21 in the fourth quarter and a busted pass play developing, Young scrambled out of the pocket and ran 49 yards for the touchdown that won the game. The seven-point swing was the year's biggest individual run by any 49ers quarterback.
By the numbers
Young 14 of 25 for 232 with the touchdown plus the 49-yard rushing score; the year's first multi-touchdown game by any 49ers quarterback. Roger Craig 56 on 19 (3.0 ypc) against a Vikings front that loaded the box. Taylor two catches for 88 with the long touchdown. Defense produced two interceptions and one sack.
Personnel watch
Steve Young's 49-yard rushing touchdown was the operation's longest scoring run by a quarterback. The two-quarterback rotation produced its best 1988 result. Charles Haley produced one sack. The two interceptions came from Lott (one) and Eric Wright (one); the unit's best two-INT day in three weeks.
What it means
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 15 | 16 |
| Total Yards | 321 | 339 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 18/30 | 14/25 |
| Pass yards | 243 | 232 |
| Pass TD | 1 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 2 | 0 |
| Sacks taken | 2 | 4 |
| Sack yards lost | 14 | 23 |
| Net pass yards | 229 | 209 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 31 | 28 |
| Rush yards | 92 | 130 |
| Rush TD | 2 | 2 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 1 | 3 |
| Fumbles lost | 1 | 2 |
| Penalties | 8 | 5 |
| Penalty yards | 53 | 51 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 14/25 | 232 | 1 | 0 | 100.7 |
| MIN | |||||
| Wade Wilson | 18/30 | 243 | 1 | 2 | 69.2 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Steve Young #8 | 7 | 72 | 1 | 49 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 19 | 56 | 1 | 12 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| MIN | ||||
| Rick Fenney | 6 | 35 | 1 | 14 |
| Darrin Nelson | 8 | 23 | 0 | 7 |
| D.J. Dozier | 5 | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| Wade Wilson | 5 | 10 | 1 | 7 |
| Alfred Anderson | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Allen Rice | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| John Taylor #82 | 2 | 88 | 1 | 73 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 22 |
| Mike Wilson #85 | 3 | 31 | 0 | 16 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 3 | 26 | 0 | 17 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Terry Greer #84 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| MIN | ||||
| Anthony Carter | 2 | 81 | 1 | 67 |
| Hassan Jones | 6 | 81 | 0 | 25 |
| Jim Gustafson | 2 | 22 | 0 | 12 |
| Rick Fenney | 2 | 20 | 0 | 15 |
| Steve Jordan | 2 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| D.J. Dozier | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Allen Rice | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Darrin Nelson | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Alfred Anderson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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