The 49ers (4-0) travel to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium for a Sunday kickoff against the Atlanta Falcons (1-3) on Sun October 14, 1990. Second meeting of the year against Atlanta.
Montana continues at quarterback. Roger Craig at lead back. The Falcons start Chris Miller; Andre Rison has 30 catches for 358 through four games. The 49ers swept the season series against Atlanta in 1989 and have won the last four meetings.[1][2]
Atlanta plays the kind of game in this building that does not resemble anything the Falcons played in last year. Glanville's offense and Rison's perimeter presence have produced 27 points a game across four; the Falcons' issue has been the defensive side, with 33 a game given up. The 49ers go to Atlanta off the bye and the Astrodome comeback. The second 49ers-Falcons game of the year is a divisional road trip a contender has to win without making the home team feel like a contender.
Week 6 has the conference's preseason favorites all 4-0 or 5-0 with the schedule beginning to lay out. The Giants beat the Cowboys to move to 5-0. The Bears are 4-1 after a loss at the Rams. The Eagles are 3-2. The Bills are 5-0 at the top of the AFC. The 49ers' Sunday at Atlanta is the kind of road game the conference's wire-copy projection has the defending champions winning by two scores.
Through four games the 49ers are 4-0 with a plus 23 differential. The Falcons are 1-3 with a minus 18. Andre Rison has 30 catches for 358 and three touchdowns. Montana has thrown for 1,316 yards through four games, 10.8 yards per attempt the last two, with five touchdown passes. Jerry Rice has 19 catches for 351 and three touchdowns. John Taylor has 17 for 367 with three touchdowns. Vegas lists the 49ers as 7-point road favorites with the total at 47, the year's highest 49ers total.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-1 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2-3 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-3 | W1 |
| Houston Oilers | 2-3 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 4-1 | W3 |
| Miami Dolphins | 4-1 | W2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-3 | W2 |
| New York Jets | 2-3 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 1-4 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Raiders | 4-1 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-2 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 2-3 | L2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2-3 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-4 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 4-0 | W4 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-2 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1-3 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-3 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 4-1 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-2 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-3 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-3 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-4 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 4-0 | W4 |
| Washington Redskins | 3-1 | W2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-3 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-3 | L1 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 1-3 | L2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 24 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 7-0 |
| Falcons | Andre Rison 75 yard pass from Chris Miller ( Greg Davis kick) | 7-7 |
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 25 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 14-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Bobby Butler 62 yard blocked punt return ( Greg Davis kick) | 14-14 |
| 49ers | Mike Sherrard 43 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 21-14 |
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 19 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 28-14 |
| Falcons | James Milling 5 yard pass from Chris Miller ( Greg Davis kick) | 28-21 |
| 49ers | Mike Cofer 56 yard field goal | 31-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 13 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 38-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 15 yard pass from Joe Montana ( Mike Cofer kick) | 45-21 |
| Falcons | Gary Wilkins 3 yard pass from Chris Miller ( Greg Davis kick) | 45-28 |
| Falcons | Andre Rison 13 yard pass from Scott Campbell ( Greg Davis kick) | 45-35 |
Joe Montana threw for 476 yards and six touchdowns to tie a franchise record, Jerry Rice caught 13 passes for 225 yards and five touchdowns to tie an NFL record, and the 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 45-35 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Mike Sherrard added a 43-yard touchdown. Andre Rison caught nine for 172 and two touchdowns. The 49ers improved to 5-0.[1][2]
Jerry Rice caught five touchdown passes Sunday afternoon and Joe Montana threw for 476 yards and six touchdowns. The 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 45-35 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in the year's highest-scoring 49ers game and the club's biggest single-receiver afternoon of the Walsh-Seifert era.
Rice finished 13 catches for 225 yards with five touchdowns (24, 25, 19, 13, 15 yards). The five receiving touchdowns tied the NFL single-game record. Montana's six touchdown passes tied a franchise record. The Falcons' single-coverage scheme on the perimeter gave Rice the kind of room Atlanta's offense gave up: a 75-yard touchdown to Rison opened the scoring, Rison added a 13-yard touchdown from backup Scott Campbell late in the fourth, and the box score reads like a track meet on both sides.
49ers 45, Falcons 35. Margin: plus 10. Record: 5-0. • Montana: 32 of 49, 476, 6 TDs (Rice 24, Rice 25, Rice 19, Rice 13, Rice 15, Sherrard 43), 2 INTs, 4 sacks. • Rice: 13 catches for 225, 5 TDs (NFL record-tying single-game receiving TDs). • Sherrard: 4 catches for 97, 1 TD. • Brent Jones: 5 catches for 56. • Rathman: 11 carries for 31, plus 4 for 44. • Carter: 9 carries for 9. • Cofer: 1-for-1 (56). • Miller (ATL): 18 of 31, 291, 3 TDs.
A 45-35 road win at Atlanta. The 49ers move to 5-0 in the operation's highest-scoring offensive performance in five years.
How it unfolded
Montana hit Rice on a 24-yard touchdown on the 49ers' opening drive. Rison answered with a 75-yard touchdown from Miller. Rice's 25-yard touchdown made it 14-7. A blocked punt return for a touchdown by Bobby Butler tied it 14-14. Sherrard's 43-yard touchdown put the 49ers back ahead 21-14. Rice's 19-yard touchdown made it 28-14. Milling cut it to 28-21 on a 5-yard score. Cofer's 56-yard field goal at the buzzer made it 31-21 at the half. Rice added 13- and 15-yard touchdowns in the third quarter to extend the lead to 45-21. Atlanta scored twice in the fourth quarter against backup coverage to make the final 45-35.
The turning point
The Sherrard 43-yard touchdown. With the score tied 14-14 in the second quarter after the blocked-punt return, Montana hit Sherrard on a deep over route the Falcons' middle-third safety did not pick up. The seven-point swing put the 49ers ahead by a margin Atlanta did not catch up to.
By the numbers
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Joe Montana #16 | 32/49 | 476 | 6 | 2 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Chris Miller | 18/31 | 291 | 3 | 0 | |
| Scott Campbell | 9/16 | 98 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Tom Rathman #44 | 11 | 31 | 0 | 15 |
| Dexter Carter | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Harry Sydney #39 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Joe Montana #16 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| ATL | ||||
| Mike Rozier | 11 | 20 | 0 | 4 |
| Chris Miller | 2 | 10 | 0 | 7 |
| Steve Broussard | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 13 | 225 | 5 | 29 |
| Mike Sherrard #84 | 4 | 97 | 1 | 43 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 5 | 56 | 0 | 16 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 4 | 44 | 0 | 28 |
| Dexter Carter | 3 | 27 | 0 | 12 |
| John Taylor #82 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 12 |
| Mike Wilson #85 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| ATL | ||||
| Andre Rison | 9 | 172 | 2 | 75 |
| George Thomas | 3 | 87 | 0 | 72 |
| Tracy Johnson | 3 | 29 | 0 | 16 |
| Floyd Dixon | 2 | 28 | 0 | 20 |
| Shawn Collins | 1 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| James Milling | 3 | 20 | 1 | 9 |
| Steve Broussard | 2 | 12 | 0 | 9 |
| Michael Haynes | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Mike Rozier | 2 | 8 | 0 | 11 |
| Gary Wilkins | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
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