The 49ers (3-2) travel to the Silverdome for a 1:00 ET kickoff against the Detroit Lions (2-3). Scott Mitchell is the starter. Barry Sanders is the back. Brett Perriman and Herman Moore are the receivers.
The 49ers come off the 40-8 home loss to the Eagles. Steve Young is the starter; Watters is the lead back.[1][2]
Barry Sanders comes to the Silverdome for the Sunday afternoon matchup. The Lions' future Hall of Fame back averages 5.0 yards per carry across the first five games. Scott Mitchell, in his second Lions year as starter, has thrown for 280-plus in three of five.
The 49ers' Sunday at the Silverdome is the bounce-back road game. Win and the title-defense year heads to 4-2. The Sunday's biggest unknown is the defensive front's coverage on Sanders.
Week 6 has the schedule's road game at the Silverdome plus a slate where the divisional tiers are clarifying. The Cowboys sit at 5-0; the Packers 4-1; the Lions 2-3. The AFC has the Dolphins at 5-0 and the Patriots 3-2. Around the league the storyline is the Cowboys' undefeated start. The 49ers' Sunday at the Silverdome is the only NFC West-NFC Central road game on the slate.
Through five games the 49ers sit at 3-2 with a plus 17 point differential. Young is on pace for 4,200 passing yards. Watters averages 41 rushing yards per game. The Lions are 2-3 with Mitchell averaging 250 passing per game and Sanders 5.0 a carry. Vegas opens the 49ers as 4-point road favorites. Tracking today: Sanders against Sanders, the corner and the running back.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 4-1 | W3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-2 | W1 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-4 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 4-1 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3-2 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 3-2 | W3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-3 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 2-3 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers | 4-0 | W4 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-1 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3-2 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 1-3 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-2 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-2 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2-3 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-3 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 3-2 | W2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3-2 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-3 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-3 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-3 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 3-1 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 3-1 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3-1 | W3 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1-3 | -- |
| Washington Redskins | 1-4 | L3 |
Steve Young threw for 152 yards and a touchdown, William Floyd ran for two touchdowns and the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions 27-21 at the Silverdome. Ricky Watters ran for 42 on 16 carries with a touchdown. Barry Sanders ran for 95 on 22 carries with a touchdown. Scott Mitchell threw for 246 with two touchdowns. The 49ers led 20-7 at halftime.[1][2]
William Floyd ran in two touchdowns at the Silverdome and the 49ers beat the Lions 27-21. The fullback's two-touchdown afternoon was the kind of bounce-back from the Eagles' home blowout. Steve Young threw for 152 with one touchdown. Ricky Watters ran in a touchdown.
Barry Sanders ran for 95 on 22 carries against the front rotation. The Lions' offense, with Sanders running and Mitchell throwing 246, produced 21 points across the full sixty minutes. The defensive secondary held Herman Moore to 65 receiving.
The 49ers walk back to the airport 4-2 with the road trip to Atlanta on Sunday next. The wire copy is going to spend the column on Floyd's two touchdowns. The film room is going to spend the week on the front rotation against Sanders.
49ers 27, Lions 21. Margin: plus 6. Record: 4-2.
A 27-21 road win at the Silverdome. The 49ers improve to 4-2.
How it unfolded
The Lions opened with a Mitchell touchdown to Moore. Young answered with a Watters rushing touchdown to tie at 7. Floyd ran in two touchdowns to push the lead to 20-7 at the half. The third quarter saw a Sanders rushing touchdown to cut it to 20-14. A Wade Richey field goal made it 23-14. A Mitchell touchdown to Perriman cut it to 23-21. A closing Floyd touchdown made the final 27-21.
The turning point
The second-quarter Floyd second touchdown. With the 49ers up 13-7 and the offense facing third-and-one at the Lions' 1, the staff called the fullback dive. Floyd converted. The 20-7 cushion put the visitors in script-the-clock posture from the second quarter forward.
By the numbers
Young 19-of-25 for 152 with one touchdown. Floyd 35 on 8 carries with two touchdowns plus 43 receiving on 5 catches. Watters 42 on 16 carries with a touchdown. Rice 5 catches for 36. Defensively the front produced one sack; the linebackers held Sanders to 95 on 22 carries.
Personnel watch
Floyd's two touchdowns is the headline. The fullback's multi-touchdown afternoon was the kind of red-zone production the staff has been projecting. Young's 152 passing was his lowest single-game line of the year. Sanders broke up two passes.
What it means
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 19/25 | 152 | 1 | 0 | |
| Elvis Grbac | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DET | |||||
| Scott Mitchell | 18/27 | 246 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ricky Watters | 16 | 42 | 1 | 7 |
| William Floyd | 8 | 35 | 2 | 8 |
| Marc Logan | 3 | 16 | 0 | 8 |
| Steve Young #8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 1 | -3 | 0 | -3 |
| DET | ||||
| Barry Sanders | 22 | 95 | 1 | 11 |
| Brett Perriman | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Scott Mitchell | 2 | -3 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| William Floyd | 5 | 43 | 0 | 15 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 5 | 36 | 0 | 12 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 20 |
| Ricky Watters | 2 | 13 | 0 | 9 |
| John Taylor #82 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| Nate Singleton | 2 | 10 | 1 | 5 |
| Ed McCaffrey | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| DET | ||||
| Brett Perriman | 5 | 78 | 1 | 33 |
| Herman Moore | 3 | 65 | 1 | 34 |
| Rodney Holman | 4 | 41 | 0 | 12 |
| Aubrey Matthews | 2 | 33 | 0 | 19 |
| Barry Sanders | 3 | 16 | 0 | 9 |
| Ron Hall | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1994 W6 - 49ers at Detroit Lions - Game Thread