The 49ers open 1996 at 3Com Park against the New Orleans Saints in George Seifert's eighth year as head coach. Steve Young returns at 35 in his sixth full season as the franchise quarterback. Jerry Rice and J.J. Stokes flank the receiver room.
Derek Loville and Tommy Vardell share the backfield with William Floyd at fullback. The offensive line returns four of five starters from the 1995 NFC divisional-round loss to Green Bay.[1][2]
Year eight of the Seifert tenure opens at 3Com Park. Steve Young, two years removed from the Super Bowl XXIX win and one year removed from the NFC divisional-round loss to the Packers, takes his opening snap at 35. Jerry Rice is 33. Brent Jones is at tight end for his eleventh season. The roster around the quarterback is the oldest of the Seifert era.
Opening Sunday begins the NFL year with the Cowboys as defending Super Bowl champions and the conference looking for a challenger. The Packers, off the 1995 NFC Championship loss to Dallas, are picked second behind the Cowboys. The 49ers are picked third. Around the league the storyline is the Cowboys' Larry Brown contract dispute and the Patriots' Drew Bledsoe. The Saints' Sunday at 3Com is the only NFC West matchup of opening week.
Through zero games the 49ers reset to last year's profile: 11-5, NFC West champions, NFC divisional-round exit. Young threw for 3,200 in 1995 and 20 touchdowns. Loville led the team with 723 rushing. Rice caught 122 passes for 1,848 receiving in 1995. The Saints opened 1995 7-9 with Everett averaging 230 passing per game. Vegas opens the 49ers as 9-point home favorites. Number to track today: snaps with Rice and Stokes on the field together.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 0-0 | -- |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-0 | -- |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| Houston Oilers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 0-0 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-0 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-0 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Jets | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 0-0 | -- |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-0 | -- |
| Oakland Raiders | 0-0 | -- |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-0 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-0 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 0-0 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-0 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-0 | -- |
| St. Louis Rams | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0-0 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 0-0 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 0-0 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-0 | -- |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 0-0 | -- |
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Giants | 0-0 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-0 | -- |
| Washington Redskins | 0-0 | -- |
Steve Young threw for 199 yards and ran for 52 yards, Derek Loville ran for 61 with a touchdown and the 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints 27-11 at 3Com Park in the home opener. Jerry Rice caught 5 for 88. The 49ers' defense produced three sacks and two interceptions. Jim Everett threw for 175 yards with a touchdown. The Saints were held to two field goals and one fourth-quarter touchdown.[1][2]
Steve Young threw for one hundred and ninety-nine yards and ran for fifty-two at 3Com Park. The 49ers won 27-11 in the home opener. Derek Loville ran for 61 with a touchdown. The defensive front produced three sacks. Bryant Young registered two.
The Sunday at 3Com was the kind of opening home game where the running game produced 154 yards and the defensive front held the Saints' offense to 184 total yards. Jim Everett's 175-yard passing line was the lowest single-game line by a Saints quarterback against the 49ers in three years.
The 49ers walk away 1-0 with the home rematch against the Rams on Sunday next. The wire copy is going to spend the column on the defensive front's three-sack afternoon. The film room is going to start with the offensive line and work outward to the front rotation.
49ers 27, Saints 11. Margin: plus 16. Record: 1-0.
A 27-11 home opener win over the Saints. The 49ers open 1-0.
How it unfolded
Young opened with a touchdown drive ending in a Loville short rush. The Saints answered with a field goal. The second quarter produced a Young touchdown to Brent Jones and a Wade Richey field goal to push the lead to 17-3 at the half. The third quarter saw a William Floyd rushing touchdown to make it 24-3. A closing fourth-quarter Richey field goal made it 27-3 before a Saints touchdown made the final 27-11.
The turning point
The second-quarter Young-to-Brent Jones touchdown. With the 49ers up 7-3 and the offense facing third-and-six at the Saints' 12, Young found Jones on a corner route. The 14-3 cushion put the home team in script-the-clock posture from the second quarter forward.
By the numbers
Young 18-of-29 for 199 with no touchdowns plus the running game's 52 rushing yards across six scrambles. Loville 16 carries for 61 with the rushing touchdown; the lead back's opening-week production. Rice 5 catches for 88 in his first opening week back from offseason work. Brent Jones 4 catches for 41 with a touchdown. Defensively the front produced three sacks (Bryant Young 2, Dana Stubblefield 1).
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 18/29 | 199 | 0 | 0 | |
| Elvis Grbac | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| NOR | |||||
| Jim Everett | 16/41 | 175 | 1 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Derek Loville | 16 | 61 | 1 | 14 |
| Steve Young #8 | 6 | 52 | 0 | 21 |
| Tommy Vardell | 8 | 33 | 1 | 17 |
| Anthony Lynn | 2 | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| Terry Kirby | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Elvis Grbac | 3 | -3 | 0 | 0 |
| NOR | ||||
| Mario Bates | 14 | 30 | 0 | 7 |
| Torrance Small | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Derek Brown | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Jim Everett | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 5 | 88 | 0 | 38 |
| J.J. Stokes | 4 | 52 | 0 | 14 |
| Tommy Vardell | 4 | 26 | 0 | 15 |
| Derek Loville | 3 | 15 | 0 | 6 |
| Nate Singleton | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| NOR | ||||
| Torrance Small | 4 | 52 | 0 | 28 |
| Haywood Jeffires | 4 | 34 | 1 | 12 |
| Henry Lusk | 2 | 28 | 0 | 24 |
| Michael Haynes | 3 | 24 | 0 | 9 |
| Paul Green | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Irv Smith | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Derek Brown | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
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