Home opener at Candlestick Park against the Washington Redskins, on Sun September 16, 1990. The 49ers (1-0) come off the one-point road win in New Orleans; the Redskins (1-0) come off a 31-0 win over Phoenix. Montana continues at quarterback. Roger Craig at lead back. The Redskins start Mark Rypien at quarterback. Earnest Byner and Gerald Riggs share the backfield. Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders form the league's deepest receiver corps.[1][2]
Joe Gibbs brings the kind of team Washington always brings to Candlestick: a Rypien-led offense with three perimeter targets, a balanced run game, and a defense that does not give the 49ers the kind of explosive plays the New Orleans defense did not give them either. Through one week the title defense produced a one-point win on a game-winning Cofer field goal; the box score said the offensive number was below the projection.
Week 2 puts the conference's two preseason contenders against each other at Candlestick. Around the league the Bills moved to 2-0 with a road win at Miami in Marino's house, the Eagles knocked off the Cardinals, and the Giants beat the Cowboys at Texas Stadium 28-7. The AFC's three contenders (Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver) are all 2-0; the NFC's six 2-0 teams include both the 49ers and the Redskins. The conference's first marquee Sunday matchup is at 3Com.
Through one game the 49ers sit at 1-0 with a plus 1 differential. The Redskins are 1-0 with a plus 31. Rypien threw for 222 with two touchdowns at Phoenix. Byner ran 16 times for 80 in Week 1. Monk, Clark and Sanders combined for 8 catches for 134. Montana threw for 210 last week on 4.9 yards per attempt, the lowest opener of his career as a starter. Vegas lists the 49ers as 4-point home favorites with the total at 41.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-0 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1-0 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 1-0 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 1-0 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-1 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 0-1 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1-0 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 1-0 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 0-1 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-0 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-1 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 1-0 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 0-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 1-0 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 1-0 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 1-0 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-1 | L1 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 0-1 | L1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Mike Cofer 31 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 12 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 0-10 |
| Redskins | Chip Lohmiller 37 yard field goal | 3-10 |
| 49ers | John Taylor 49 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 3-17 |
| Redskins | Art Monk 35 yard pass from Mark Rypien ( Chip Lohmiller kick) | 10-17 |
| 49ers | Mike Cofer 30 yard field goal | 10-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redskins | Chip Lohmiller 20 yard field goal | 13-20 |
| 49ers | Mike Cofer 26 yard field goal | 13-23 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Mike Cofer 34 yard field goal | 13-26 |
Joe Montana threw for 390 yards and two touchdowns and the 49ers beat the Washington Redskins 26-13 at Candlestick Park. John Taylor caught eight passes for 160 and a 49-yard touchdown. Jerry Rice added six for 74 with a 12-yard score. Mike Cofer made four field goals. Mark Rypien threw one touchdown to Art Monk. The 49ers improved to 2-0.[1][2]
Joe Montana threw for 390 yards Sunday afternoon, the most he has produced in a regular-season game since the 1986 Monday-night Washington game at RFK. John Taylor caught eight for 160 with a 49-yard touchdown. Jerry Rice added six for 74 with a 12-yard score. The 49ers beat the Washington Redskins 26-13 at Candlestick.
Montana's line resembled the 1989 norm more than the W1 floor: 29 of 44, 6.6 yards per attempt, no sacks taken. The line did not allow a single sack on 44 dropbacks against a Redskins front that produced four against Phoenix a week ago. Taylor's 49-yard touchdown came on a second-quarter possession that turned a 3-3 game into a 10-3 49ers lead the home team did not relinquish.
49ers 26, Redskins 13. Margin: plus 13. Record: 2-0. • Montana: 29 of 44, 390, 2 TDs (Rice 12, Taylor 49), 1 INT, 0 sacks. • Taylor: 8 catches for 160, 1 TD. • Rice: 6 catches for 74, 1 TD. • Brent Jones: 5 catches for 69. • Craig: 22 carries for 82, plus 4 for 42 receiving. • Rathman: 4 carries for 9. • Cofer: 4-for-4 (31, 30, 26, 34). • Rypien (WAS): 17 of 37, 241, 1 TD, 0 INTs. • Byner (WAS): 11 carries for 62. • Gary Clark (WAS): 7 catches for 106.
A 26-13 home opener win over the Washington Redskins. The 49ers move to 2-0 on the back of a 390-yard Montana day and a defensive line that gave up no sacks while shutting down the Washington run game.
How it unfolded
Cofer kicked a 31-yard field goal early. Montana hit Rice on a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter to make it 10-3. Chip Lohmiller answered with a 37-yarder. Taylor's 49-yard touchdown reception extended the lead to 17-6. Rypien threw a 35-yard touchdown to Monk to cut it to 17-13 right before halftime. Cofer's 30-yard field goal made it 20-13 at the break. He added a 26-yarder in the third and a 34-yarder in the fourth.
The turning point
Taylor's 49-yard touchdown in the second quarter. On a 3-3 score in the second quarter, Montana hit Taylor on a deep ball behind the Redskins' coverage and the receiver took it 49 yards for the touchdown. The seven-point swing turned what looked like a defensive afternoon into a 49ers two-score lead the home team controlled the rest of the day.
By the numbers
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 29/44 | 390 | 2 | 1 | |
| WAS | |||||
| Mark Rypien | 17/37 | 241 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Roger Craig #33 | 22 | 82 | 0 | 16 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Harry Sydney #39 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| WAS | ||||
| Earnest Byner | 11 | 62 | 0 | 16 |
| Gerald Riggs | 6 | 24 | 0 | 10 |
| Kelvin Bryant | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Mark Rypien | 2 | -2 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| John Taylor #82 | 8 | 160 | 1 | 49 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 6 | 74 | 1 | 30 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 5 | 69 | 0 | 22 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 4 | 42 | 0 | 27 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Mike Wilson #85 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| Mike Sherrard #84 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 10 |
| Wesley Walls | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| WAS | ||||
| Gary Clark | 7 | 106 | 0 | 40 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 2 | 52 | 0 | 30 |
| Art Monk | 3 | 45 | 1 | 35 |
| Ricky Sanders | 3 | 29 | 0 | 17 |
| Earnest Byner | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Walter Stanley | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
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