The 49ers (15 weeks in) face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 1992-12-19 at 3Com Park. The opener of a week sees Steve Young at quarterback against an Tampa Bay Buccaneers unit that opened the year on the schedule's projected fringe.
Ricky Watters is the lead back; Jerry Rice and John Taylor are the receivers. The defensive front rotates Pierce Holt and Charles Haley at the line.[1][2]
The Sunday matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the kind of home game where the offensive line has the matchup the staff has been pointing toward all week. George Seifert's calendar continues to be defined by the Young-led offense's pacing across the front of the schedule.
Win and the 49ers' divisional cushion stays intact. The Sunday's biggest unknown is the front rotation against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive line. The pregame practice notes were clean.
Around the conference Week 16 continues to shape the playoff race. The Cowboys and Giants share the NFC East projection. The 49ers and Saints share the NFC West top spot. The AFC has the Bills as the conference's projected one-seed contender. The home matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the calendar's first significant game of the closing-half schedule.
Through 15 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1992, defines the NFC West projection. Young is on pace for 4,000 passing yards. Watters is on pace for a 1,000-yard rushing season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on pace for a sub-.500 finish projection. Vegas opens the 49ers as the favored side. A figure to follow: Watters' chase of the rookie rushing record.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-4 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 8-6 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-7 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-10 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 10-4 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 9-5 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7-7 | W3 |
| New York Jets | 4-10 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 2-12 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9-5 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 9-5 | W5 |
| Denver Broncos | 7-7 | L4 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 6-8 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2-12 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 12-2 | W6 |
| New Orleans Saints | 11-3 | W4 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-8 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 5-9 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 9-5 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-6 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-9 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 4-10 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-10 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 11-3 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 9-5 | W2 |
| Washington Redskins | 9-5 | W3 |
| New York Giants | 5-9 | L5 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 4-10 | W1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | Anthony McDowell 51 yard pass from Vinny Testaverde ( Eddie Murray kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | John Taylor 9 yard pass from Steve Young ( Mike Cofer kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 32 yard pass from Steve Young ( Mike Cofer kick) | 7-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | Reggie Cobb 1 yard rush ( Eddie Murray kick) | 14-14 |
| 49ers | Jerry Rice 30 yard pass from Steve Young ( Mike Cofer kick) | 14-21 |
The 49ers won 21-14 at home over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 1992-12-19. Young threw for 195 and two touchdowns. The defensive front produced three sacks. The 49ers clinched the NFC West title. Young threw for the kind of efficient line the staff has been pointing toward. The defense produced the kind of pressure that defined the afternoon.[1][2]
The 49ers won 21-14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Young threw for 195 and two touchdowns. The defensive front produced three sacks. The 49ers clinched the NFC West title. The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting. Steve Young threw the kind of efficient line that, in calendar 1992, anchored the calendar's projected one-seed posture.
Ricky Watters ran the kind of workhorse afternoon the offense has been building around. Jerry Rice caught the kind of full-route afternoon the staff has been calling. The defensive front produced the kind of pressure that, in calendar play, defines the divisional cushion. The Sunday's outcome sets the next week's posture.
49ers 21, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14. Margin: plus 7. The Sunday's box score reads in line with the projected outcome. Young's passing line came through clean. Watters' rushing workload was the staff's projected call. The defensive front produced multi-sack pressure.
A 21-14 home win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Young threw for 195 and two touchdowns. The defensive front produced three sacks. The 49ers clinched the NFC West title. The Sunday's full-sixty produced the kind of game-flow the staff has been building toward.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1992, decided the closing two quarters. The defensive front's pressure on the third-down dropbacks produced the kind of pass-rush volume the unit has been generating.
By the numbers
Steve Young's passing line came through clean. Ricky Watters ran the workhorse line. Jerry Rice caught the full-route afternoon. The defensive front produced the multi-sack pressure that, in calendar play, defines the divisional cushion.
Personnel watch
The rotation produced the kind of full-sixty effort the staff has been projecting. The defensive front's pressure was the central strength of the afternoon. The offensive line's pocket time was the kind that, in calendar 1992, anchored the year's pace.
What it means
The 49ers' divisional cushion stays in line with the projected pacing. The next-week matchup is the calendar's next sense-check. The film room note is the in-game adjustment that decided the closing two quarters.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 18/31 | 270 | 3 | 0 | |
| TAM | |||||
| Vinny Testaverde | 16/31 | 201 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Steve Young #8 | 6 | 42 | 0 | 20 |
| Amp Lee | 10 | 25 | 0 | 10 |
| Ricky Watters | 7 | 13 | 0 | 8 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 1 | -4 | 0 | -4 |
| TAM | ||||
| Reggie Cobb | 21 | 90 | 1 | 17 |
| Gary Anderson | 4 | 24 | 0 | 11 |
| Vinny Testaverde | 3 | 11 | 0 | 12 |
| Anthony McDowell | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 7 | 118 | 2 | 32 |
| Mike Sherrard #84 | 3 | 64 | 0 | 36 |
| John Taylor #82 | 4 | 59 | 1 | 36 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| Tom Rathman #44 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Amp Lee | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| TAM | ||||
| Gary Anderson | 4 | 64 | 0 | 34 |
| Anthony McDowell | 2 | 55 | 1 | 51 |
| Mark Carrier | 3 | 28 | 0 | 14 |
| Lawrence Dawsey | 3 | 23 | 0 | 11 |
| Reggie Cobb | 2 | 14 | 0 | 9 |
| Dave Moore | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Tyji Armstrong | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1992 W16 - 49ers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Game Thread
