The 49ers (13-2) travel to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a 1:00 ET kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings (9-6). Dennis Green is the head coach. Sean Salisbury is the starter for the injured Warren Moon. Scottie Graham is the back.
Elvis Grbac starts at quarterback for the 49ers. Mariucci confirmed Friday that Young will rest with the conference one-seed locked.[1][2]
Elvis Grbac starts at quarterback in the regular-season finale at the Metrodome. The 49ers' conference one-seed is locked. Steve Young will rest. The Sunday matchup is the kind of road game where Seifert can evaluate the second-team rotation.
The Sunday's biggest unknown is whether Grbac can sustain the kind of pocket reads that, in calendar 1994, the staff has been projecting.
Week 17 closes the season. The Cowboys, 49ers, Packers and Lions hold the NFC's playoff seeds. The Dolphins, Steelers, Chiefs and Bills hold the AFC's. The 49ers' Sunday at the Metrodome is the schedule's last regular-season game for the conference one-seed. Inside the conference the wild-card races are set. The closing slate has the conference one-seed already locked.
Through fifteen games the 49ers sit at 13-2 with a plus 216 point differential. Grbac is the listed starter. Rice has 1,455 receiving yards. The Vikings are 9-6 with Salisbury starting for the injured Moon. Vegas opens the 49ers as 6-point road underdogs. Stat worth watching today: Grbac's first significant start of the year.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 12-3 | W7 |
| Cleveland Browns | 10-5 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2-13 | L5 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-14 | L11 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 9-6 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 9-6 | W6 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7-8 | L2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7-8 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 6-9 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers | 10-5 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Raiders | 9-6 | W3 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8-7 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 7-8 | L2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6-9 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 13-2 | W10 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-9 | L3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 6-9 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4-11 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 9-6 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 9-6 | W4 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9-6 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-7 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6-9 | W4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 12-3 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 8-7 | W5 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 8-7 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7-8 | L6 |
| Washington Redskins | 2-13 | L7 |
Sean Salisbury threw for 156 yards and the Minnesota Vikings beat the 49ers 21-14 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Elvis Grbac went 18 of 23 for 184 yards and a touchdown. Ted Popson caught 8 for 80. Adam Walker ran for 23 on 3 carries. The 49ers finished 13-3, NFC West champions and the conference one-seed.[1][2]
Elvis Grbac threw for one hundred and eighty-four yards at the Metrodome and the 49ers lost 21-14. The closing regular-season game with the second-team rotation produced one touchdown reception by Ed McCaffrey. The 49ers finish the regular season 13-3 with the conference one-seed.
Sean Salisbury threw for 156 with no touchdowns for the Vikings. The 49ers' defensive front produced two sacks. The Vikings' offense, with Scottie Graham running for 70, produced 21 points across the full sixty minutes.
The 49ers finish 13-3 with the NFC West title and the conference one-seed. The divisional weekend matchup will be determined Sunday after kickoff. The wire copy is going to spend the column on the playoff bracket. The film room is going to spend the bye on the divisional weekend preparation.
Vikings 21, 49ers 14. Margin: minus 7. Final record: 13-3.
A 21-14 road loss at the Metrodome. The 49ers finish 13-3 with the NFC West title and the conference one-seed.
How it unfolded
The Vikings opened with a Salisbury rushing touchdown drive. The 49ers' offense produced a Grbac touchdown drive ending in an Ed McCaffrey touchdown to tie at 7. A Vikings touchdown made it 14-7. Another Vikings touchdown made it 21-7 at the half. The 49ers added a closing fourth-quarter touchdown to make the final 21-14.
The turning point
The second-quarter Vikings second touchdown. With the 49ers down 14-7 and the second-team offense facing third-and-eight at midfield, Grbac threw an interception that Toby Wright returned to the 49ers' 32. The Vikings drove for the touchdown that pushed the lead to 21-7. The 49ers' second-team offense never closed the gap.
By the numbers
Grbac 18-of-23 for 184 with one touchdown and one pick. Walker 23 rushing on 3 carries. Ted Popson 8 catches for 80; the backup tight end's career single-game receiving high. Singleton 6 catches for 74. Ed McCaffrey 5 catches for 59 with the only 49ers touchdown. Defensively the front produced two sacks.
Personnel watch
The rotation is the story. Mariucci confirmed before kickoff that Steve Young would rest with the conference one-seed locked. Grbac's start produced one touchdown reception. Ted Popson's 80 was the kind of backup tight end production that, in calendar 1994, defined the depth-chart strength.
What it means
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Elvis Grbac | 18/23 | 184 | 1 | 1 | |
| Steve Young #8 | 12/13 | 94 | 1 | 0 | |
| MIN | |||||
| Sean Salisbury | 16/34 | 156 | 0 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Adam Walker | 3 | 23 | 0 | 14 |
| Ricky Watters | 7 | 13 | 0 | 9 |
| William Floyd | 3 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| Elvis Grbac | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Steve Young #8 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Dexter Carter | 2 | -6 | 0 | 1 |
| MIN | ||||
| Scottie Graham | 17 | 70 | 0 | 11 |
| Terry Allen | 9 | 21 | 1 | 5 |
| Robert Smith | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Amp Lee | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Sean Salisbury | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ted Popson | 8 | 80 | 0 | 18 |
| Nate Singleton | 6 | 74 | 0 | 37 |
| Ed McCaffrey | 5 | 59 | 1 | 32 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 4 | 33 | 1 | 17 |
| Brett Carolan | 2 | 10 | 0 | 6 |
| William Floyd | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Dexter Carter | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Ricky Watters | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| MIN | ||||
| Jake Reed | 5 | 44 | 0 | 14 |
| Qadry Ismail | 1 | 38 | 0 | 38 |
| Amp Lee | 3 | 28 | 0 | 16 |
| Cris Carter | 3 | 24 | 0 | 10 |
| Steve Jordan | 2 | 13 | 0 | 9 |
| David Palmer | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Scottie Graham | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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