The 49ers (13-1) host the New Orleans Saints (6-8) at Candlestick Park, on Sun December 23, 1990. NFC West home game. Steve Young is expected to start at quarterback in place of Joe Montana, per Seifert's announcement Friday. Young has played in five games this year in mop-up duty; the W16 start is his first since the W17 1989 game at Indianapolis. The Saints start Steve Walsh at quarterback. Bobby Hebert returned to the active roster in November.[1][2]
George Seifert announced Friday that Steve Young will start in place of Joe Montana for the home game against the Saints. The reasoning is the conference's seeding picture: if the Giants win at New England Sunday, the 49ers cannot catch them for the No. 1 seed regardless of Sunday's outcome. Montana gets a week of rest before the closing-week game at Minnesota; Young gets the kind of regular-season opportunity he has not had since taking the W17 1989 start.
Week 16 has the conference's contenders in their final positioning. The Giants 13-1, the 49ers 13-1, the Bears 11-4. The Bills 12-3, the Raiders 11-4. Inside the NFC the playoff bracket is set behind the bye teams: the wild-card spots are tighter, with the Eagles, Saints, and Rams all in the picture for the last spot. The 49ers' Sunday at Candlestick is one of two NFC home games on the slate. The schedule's last week is Sunday after Christmas; the No.
Through 14 games the 49ers are 13-1 with a plus 114 differential. The Saints are 6-8 with a minus 32. Steve Walsh has thrown for 1,400 yards across 10 starts in his rookie year, six touchdowns and eight interceptions. Dalton Hilliard has 167 carries for 545 yards (3.3 per attempt). Eric Martin has 53 catches for 776. Steve Young has 102 of 187 for 1,283 across his career as a 49ers backup (mop-up volume). Vegas lists the 49ers as 12-point home favorites with the total at 39.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-6 | W2 |
| Houston Oilers | 8-6 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-7 | L2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3-11 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 12-2 | W3 |
| Miami Dolphins | 11-3 | W2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 6-8 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 4-10 | L5 |
| New England Patriots | 1-13 | L12 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Raiders | 10-4 | W3 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9-5 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7-7 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-8 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 4-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 13-1 | W3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 6-8 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 5-9 | L2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-11 | L7 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 10-4 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 6-8 | L3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6-8 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6-8 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 5-9 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 11-3 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 9-5 | W3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8-6 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 7-7 | W4 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 5-9 | L1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Tom Rathman 1 yard rush ( Mike Cofer kick) | 0-7 |
| Saints | Greg Scales 5 yard pass from Steve Walsh ( Morten Andersen kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | Morten Andersen 30 yard field goal | 10-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Mike Cofer 30 yard field goal | 10-10 |
| Saints | Morten Andersen 40 yard field goal | 13-10 |
Morten Andersen kicked a 40-yard field goal with 1:48 left and the New Orleans Saints beat the 49ers 13-10 at Candlestick Park. Steve Young, in his first start since 1989 W17, went 22 of 37 for 208 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Steve Young ran eight times for 102 yards. Tom Rathman ran in a 1-yard touchdown. Mike Cofer made one field goal. Steve Walsh threw for 112 with one touchdown to Greg Scales. The 49ers fell to 13-2.[1][2]
A 13-10 home loss to the New Orleans Saints. Morten Andersen's 40-yard field goal with 1:48 left was the difference; the 49ers' offense under Steve Young produced one touchdown drive across four quarters. The 13-2 record now closes out the regular season at Minnesota.
Young finished 22 of 37 for 208 with no touchdowns and no interceptions in his first start since 1989 Week 17. The 13-2 fall puts the team behind the Giants in the seeding race if New York wins at Phoenix in Week 17. Young rushed eight times for 102 yards, including a 31-yard scramble on the second drive, the longest 49ers rushing play of his career. Rathman ran 6 times for 21 with the 1-yard first-quarter touchdown. Dexter Carter 11 for 30. Roger Craig did not appear.
Saints 13, 49ers 10. Margin: minus 3. Record: 13-2. • Young (start in place of Montana): 22 of 37, 208, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 4 sacks; 8 carries for 102 (career rushing high). • Carter: 11 carries for 30, plus 4 for 34. • Rathman: 6 carries for 21, 1 rushing TD (1y), plus 2 for 11. • Sydney: 2 carries for 9. • Rice: 4 catches for 42. • Brent Jones: 4 catches for 51. • Taylor: 5 catches for 45. • Cofer: 1-for-1 (30).
A 13-10 home loss to the New Orleans Saints. The 49ers fall to 13-2 in Steve Young's first start since 1989.
How it unfolded
Rathman's 1-yard rush in the first quarter opened the scoring to make it 0-7. Greg Scales caught a 5-yard touchdown from Walsh to tie it 7-7. Morten Andersen's 30-yard field goal made it 10-7. Cofer's 30-yarder tied it 10-10 in the fourth quarter. Andersen's 40-yard field goal with 1:48 left was the eventual margin.
The turning point
The Saints' fourth-quarter drive after Cofer's tying field goal. With the score 10-10 and 4:23 left, the Saints' offense moved 38 yards in eight plays. Hilliard caught a 17-yard pass on third-and-12. Walsh found Eric Martin on a 17-yard sideline route. The drive ended in Andersen's range, and his 40-yarder split the uprights. The Saints' offense, which had produced 6 of 15 on third down through the first three quarters, converted three third downs on the closing drive.
By the numbers
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 22/37 | 208 | 0 | 0 | |
| NOR | |||||
| Steve Walsh | 9/25 | 112 | 1 | 2 | |
| John Fourcade | 1/5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Steve Young #8 | 8 | 102 | 0 | 31 |
| Dexter Carter | 11 | 30 | 0 | 9 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 6 | 21 | 1 | 10 |
| Harry Sydney #39 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| Keith Henderson | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
| NOR | ||||
| Gill Fenerty | 14 | 51 | 0 | 12 |
| Steve Walsh | 3 | 16 | 0 | 18 |
| Craig Heyward | 6 | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| Rueben Mayes | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Brent Jones #84 | 4 | 51 | 0 | 16 |
| John Taylor #82 | 5 | 45 | 0 | 20 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 4 | 42 | 0 | 18 |
| Dexter Carter | 4 | 34 | 0 | 11 |
| Ron Lewis | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 8 |
| Keith Henderson | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Wesley Walls | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| NOR | ||||
| Eric Martin | 2 | 34 | 0 | 17 |
| Craig Heyward | 4 | 26 | 0 | 8 |
| Floyd Turner | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| John Tice | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| Gill Fenerty | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Greg Scales | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
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