The 49ers (12-2) host the Buffalo Bills (10-4) at Candlestick Park, Sun December 17, 1989. The unit's biggest home matchup of the year.
Montana continues at quarterback. The Bills start Jim Kelly at quarterback. Thurman Thomas at running back. Andre Reed at receiver. The Bills come off a 24-7 loss to the Saints. Marv Levy in year four as head coach.
The two teams have not met since the 1986 49ers home win.[1][2][3]
Marv Levy's Buffalo Bills come into Sunday at 10-4 with the AFC's most-prolific offense behind Jim Kelly. Andre Reed has 81 catches for 1,323 with nine touchdowns. Thurman Thomas has 268 carries for 1,121. Kelly has thrown for 3,168 yards. The 49ers' Sunday at Candlestick is the kind of cross-conference home game the schedule produces in the closing month. The 12-2 record and the No. 1 NFC seed are both clinched; the question is whether the home matchup against the AFC's likely No.
Week 15 has the conference's contenders all looking ahead. The 49ers 12-2 (NFC #1 clinched). The Rams 10-4. The Giants 10-4. The Eagles 9-5. The Bills 10-4 lead the AFC East. The Broncos 11-4 lead the AFC West. The home matchup against Buffalo is the year's marquee cross-conference matchup. Down the West standings the Rams 11-4 are still alive for the wild-card slot, the Saints 7-7, the Falcons 3-11.
Through 14 games the 49ers are 12-2 with a plus 146 differential. The Bills are 10-4 with a plus 116. Jim Kelly 244 of 386, 3,168, 25 TDs, 18 INTs across 14 starts. Andre Reed 81 catches for 1,323 with 9 TDs. Thurman Thomas 268 carries for 1,121. James Lofton 8 catches for 166. Joe Montana 3,257 passing yards across 11 games. Jerry Rice 64 catches for 1,197 with 9 TDs. Vegas lists the 49ers as 4-point home favorites with the total at 43.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Oilers | 9-5 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-6-1 | L3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-7 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-7 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 8-6 | L2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8-6 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7-7 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 5-9 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 4-10 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 10-4 | L2 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 8-6 | W3 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7-6-1 | W3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6-8 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4-10 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 12-2 | W3 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 9-5 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7-7 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-11 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 9-5 | W2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-6 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 6-8 | L4 |
| Detroit Lions | 5-9 | W3 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-9 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 10-4 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10-4 | W4 |
| Washington Redskins | 8-6 | W3 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 5-9 | L4 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 1-13 | L5 |
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Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bills | Scott Norwood 23 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Roger Craig 1 yard rush (Mike Cofer kick) | 3-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Steve Young 2 yard rush (Mike Cofer kick) | 3-14 |
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 8 yard pass from Steve Young (Mike Cofer kick) | 3-21 |
| Bills | Jim Kelly 1 yard rush (Scott Norwood kick) | 10-21 |
Roger Craig ran for 105 yards and the 49ers beat the Buffalo Bills 21-10 at Candlestick Park. Steve Young threw a touchdown to Jerry Rice and ran in a 2-yard score. Roger Craig added a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Joe Montana exited late with a sore knee. Jim Kelly threw for 265 with three interceptions. The 49ers improved to 13-2.[1][2][3]
A 21-10 home win over the Buffalo Bills. Roger Craig ran for 105 yards. Steve Young threw a touchdown and ran one in. Joe Montana exited late with the sore knee in the kind of cautious-rest closing-week-of-the-regular-season move the club had been managing for two months.
Montana finished early but Young took over and went 9 of 19 for 166 with the touchdown to Rice (8 yards). Craig 25 carries for 105 (4.2 ypc) with a 1-yard touchdown. Terrence Flagler ran 8 for 23. Rathman two carries plus two catches for 38. Keith Henderson three for 10 plus one catch for 40. Rice three for 46 with the touchdown.
Jim Kelly finished 26 of 42 for 265 with no touchdowns and three interceptions plus the 1-yard rushing touchdown. Thurman Thomas ran 6 for 7 plus eight catches for 62. Andre Reed caught 10 for 115. The Bills' offense produced one rushing touchdown and one Scott Norwood field goal across four quarters. The 49ers' defensive front produced one sack of Kelly and the kind of three-interception afternoon the Lott-Wright-Williamson-Hicks secondary had been producing all year.
49ers 21, Bills 10. Margin: plus 11. Record: 13-2. • Young: 9 of 19, 166, 1 TD (Rice 8), 2 INTs, 0 sacks; 4 carries for 0, 1 rushing TD (2y). • Rice: 3 catches for 46, 1 TD. • Taylor: 2 catches for 30. • Craig: 25 carries for 105, 1 rushing TD (1y); 1 catch for 12. • Flagler: 8 carries for 23. • Henderson: 3 carries for 10, plus 1 for 40. • Rathman: 2 carries for 13, plus 2 for 38. • Cofer: PATs only.
A 21-10 home win over the Buffalo Bills. The 49ers move to 13-2 with the year's marquee cross-conference home matchup.
How it unfolded
Scott Norwood kicked a 23-yard field goal first. Roger Craig's 1-yard rush in the third quarter made it 7-3. Young's 2-yard rushing touchdown extended it to 14-3. Rice's 8-yard touchdown reception from Young made it 21-3. Jim Kelly's 1-yard rushing touchdown made the final 21-10.
The turning point
The Roger Craig 1-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter. After a scoreless first half that featured no offensive touchdowns by either team, Craig's third-quarter goal-line rush gave the 49ers the lead they would extend across the closing 25 minutes.
By the numbers
Young 9 of 19 for 166 with one touchdown. Rice three catches for 46 with the touchdown. Craig 105 on 25 with the rushing touchdown; the back's biggest single-game total since the season opener. Defense produced three interceptions of Kelly and one sack. Andre Reed's 115-yard line came against Eric Wright single coverage and produced no touchdowns.
Personnel watch
Roger Craig's 105 rushing on 25 carries was his largest workload since the W10 Atlanta game. The defense's three-interception afternoon was the unit's best take-away day in eight weeks. Lott and Wright produced one interception each; the third came from Carlton Williamson on a third-quarter Kelly throw into the seam.
What it means
| SF | Opp | |
|---|---|---|
| Team totals | ||
| First Downs | 17 | 18 |
| Total Yards | 301 | 283 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 2 |
| Passing | ||
| Comp/Att | 26/42 | 9/19 |
| Pass yards | 265 | 166 |
| Pass TD | 0 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 3 | 2 |
| Sacks taken | 2 | 4 |
| Sack yards lost | 10 | 34 |
| Net pass yards | 255 | 132 |
| Rushing | ||
| Rushes | 18 | 42 |
| Rush yards | 46 | 151 |
| Rush TD | 1 | 2 |
| Discipline | ||
| Fumbles | 2 | 0 |
| Fumbles lost | 2 | 0 |
| Penalties | 4 | 3 |
| Penalty yards | 28 | 25 |
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 9/19 | 166 | 1 | 2 | 55.9 |
| BUF | |||||
| Jim Kelly | 26/42 | 265 | 0 | 3 | 50.2 |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Roger Craig #33 | 25 | 105 | 1 | 14 |
| Terrence Flagler | 8 | 23 | 0 | 8 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 11 |
| Keith Henderson | 3 | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| Steve Young #8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| BUF | ||||
| Larry Kinnebrew | 8 | 29 | 0 | 9 |
| Jim Kelly | 4 | 10 | 1 | 5 |
| Thurman Thomas | 6 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 3 | 46 | 1 | 29 |
| Keith Henderson | 1 | 40 | 0 | 40 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 30 |
| John Taylor #82 | 2 | 30 | 0 | 17 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| BUF | ||||
| Andre Reed | 10 | 115 | 0 | 37 |
| Thurman Thomas | 8 | 62 | 0 | 20 |
| Don Beebe | 3 | 40 | 0 | 14 |
| Ronnie Harmon | 4 | 33 | 0 | 10 |
| James Lofton | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
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