The 49ers (2-0) host the Atlanta Falcons (1-1) at Candlestick Park, on Sun September 23, 1990. NFC West home opener.
Montana continues at quarterback. Roger Craig at lead back. Atlanta starts Chris Miller at quarterback. Andre Rison, the offseason trade acquisition from the Colts, has caught 19 balls for 230 in two games. Steve Broussard and Gene Lang share the backfield. Jerry Glanville in year one as head coach after his Houston tenure ended.[1][2]
Jerry Glanville brings his Houston offensive style to the NFC West and a roster that adds Andre Rison to a Falcons receiving corps that already had Shawn Collins and Floyd Dixon. The Rison trade was the conference's biggest summer move and the box scores so far say it worked: 11 catches for 121 in his Atlanta debut, 8 catches for 109 a week later. The 49ers, coming off the 390-yard Montana day, face a Falcons defense that did not slow Phoenix or Houston through two weeks.
Week 3 has the NFC West's two contenders meeting at Candlestick and the conference's hottest receiver tour landing in San Francisco. Around the league the Bills are 3-0 after Sunday-night dispatching the Jets, the Bears are 3-0 in the NFC Central, the Giants are 3-0 after a Monday-night win at Miami. The conference's 3-0 teams are New York, Chicago, and the 49ers if they win Sunday.
Through two games the 49ers are 2-0 with a plus 14 differential. The Falcons are 1-1 with a plus 7. Andre Rison has 19 catches for 230 through two games, on pace for 152 catches and 1,840 yards across the season. Chris Miller threw for 484 yards combined in two starts. Montana threw for 600 yards combined in two starts; his Week 2 line of 390 was the operation's third-highest opener-month total since 1985. Vegas lists the 49ers as 7-point home favorites with the total at 45.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2-0 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1-1 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Houston Oilers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 2-0 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1-1 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 1-1 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 1-1 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Raiders | 2-0 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos | 1-1 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1-1 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-1 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1-1 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 2-0 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 1-1 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-1 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 2-0 | W2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 1-1 | L1 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 1-1 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 1-1 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-2 | L2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Greg Davis 37 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Safety, Miller forced out of end zone | 3-2 |
| 49ers | Mike Cofer 47 yard field goal | 3-5 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 35 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 3-12 |
| Falcons | Shawn Collins 7 yard pass from Chris Miller ( Greg Davis kick) | 10-12 |
| 49ers | Brent Jones 67 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 10-19 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Greg Davis 35 yard field goal | 13-19 |
Joe Montana threw for 398 yards and two touchdowns and the 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 19-13 at Candlestick Park. Jerry Rice caught eight passes for 171 with a 35-yard score. Brent Jones added five catches for 125 with a 67-yard touchdown. The 49ers' defense produced a safety on the second-quarter Chris Miller possession. Andre Rison caught 11 balls for 128. The 49ers improved to 3-0.[1][2]
Brent Jones caught a 67-yard touchdown from Joe Montana in the third quarter, Jerry Rice added eight for 171 with a 35-yard score, and the 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 19-13 at Candlestick. The visitor that came in with the league's hottest receiver trio left with one touchdown drive across four quarters.
Montana finished 24 of 35 for 398, his second consecutive 350-plus passing game and the first time in his career he has produced back-to-back 390-yard performances. Rice's 35-yard touchdown in the third quarter put the 49ers ahead 12-3 after a defensive half. Brent Jones' 67-yarder, the longest 49ers reception of the year, extended it to 19-10. The pass came on a broken-coverage play; Atlanta's safety jumped a route and Jones ran free behind the secondary.
49ers 19, Falcons 13. Margin: plus 6. Record: 3-0. • Montana: 24 of 35, 398, 2 TDs (Rice 35, Brent Jones 67), 0 INTs, 3 sacks. • Rice: 8 catches for 171, 1 TD. • Brent Jones: 5 catches for 125, 1 TD. • Sherrard: 4 catches for 75. • Craig: 18 carries for 26, plus 2 for 2 receiving. • Rathman: 7 carries for 28, plus 4 for 20. • Defense: 1 safety (Miller forced out of end zone). • Cofer: 1-for-1 (47). • Miller (ATL): 25 of 41, 337, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 4 sacks.
A 19-13 home win over the Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers move to 3-0 with the team's first back-to-back 390-yard Montana games of his career.
How it unfolded
Greg Davis kicked a 37-yard field goal to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead. The 49ers' defense produced a safety when Miller was forced out of his own end zone in the second quarter. Cofer added a 47-yard field goal to make it 5-3. Rice's 35-yard touchdown in the third quarter made it 12-3. Shawn Collins caught a 7-yard touchdown from Miller to cut it to 12-10. Brent Jones' 67-yard touchdown reception extended the lead to 19-10. Davis added a 35-yard field goal in the fourth to make the final 19-13.
The turning point
The Brent Jones 67-yard touchdown. With the 49ers ahead 12-10 in the third quarter and Atlanta's defense having held the offense to three field-goal-range opportunities in the half, Montana hit Jones on a play-action seam route that the Falcons' single-high safety bit on. The tight end ran 67 yards for the score. The seven-point swing turned a one-score game into the two-possession margin the defense had been building toward.
By the numbers
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 24/35 | 398 | 2 | 0 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Chris Miller | 25/41 | 337 | 1 | 2 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Tom Rathman #44 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 9 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 18 | 26 | 0 | 8 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 8 |
| ATL | ||||
| Steve Broussard | 15 | 45 | 0 | 24 |
| Gene Lang | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Chris Miller | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 8 | 171 | 1 | 42 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 5 | 125 | 1 | 67 |
| Mike Sherrard #84 | 4 | 75 | 0 | 27 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 7 |
| Harry Sydney #39 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Roger Craig #33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| ATL | ||||
| Andre Rison | 11 | 128 | 0 | 27 |
| Shawn Collins | 4 | 93 | 1 | 61 |
| Floyd Dixon | 5 | 73 | 0 | 34 |
| Stacey Bailey | 3 | 32 | 0 | 13 |
| James Milling | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Steve Broussard | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
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] 1990 W3 - 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
