The 49ers open 1997 at Houlihan's Stadium against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Steve Mariucci's first-year debut as head coach replacing George Seifert. Steve Young starts at 36 in his sixth full season as the franchise quarterback. Jerry Rice returns for his thirteenth NFL season as the WR1 with J.J. Stokes and the rookie Terrell Owens flanking. Garrison Hearst is RB1; William Floyd is the fullback.[1][2]
Steve Mariucci coaches his first NFL game Sunday at Houlihan's Stadium. The forty-one-year-old former Green Bay quarterbacks coach replaces George Seifert in the offseason transition the front office spent eight months building. Bill Walsh remains as a consulting executive. The Buccaneers under Tony Dungy are the kind of opening road game the schedule offers a first-year coach exactly once. Tampa Bay's defense is in year two of the unit Dungy built with Monte Kiffin's coordinator hire.
Opening Sunday begins the NFL year with the Packers as defending Super Bowl champions and the conference looking for a challenger. The Cowboys are picked second, the 49ers third. Around the league the early stories are the Steelers' rebuild after Bill Cowher's offseason, the Vikings' Randall Cunningham return, the Patriots' Drew Bledsoe coming off the 1996 Super Bowl loss to Green Bay.
Through zero games the 49ers reset to last year's profile: 12-4, NFC West champions, divisional-round exit. Young threw for 3,400 in 1996 and 14 touchdowns. Hearst ran for 1,070 in his first year as the lead back. Rice is healthy at 35. The Buccaneers opened 1996 6-10 with Dilfer averaging 200 passing per game. Mike Alstott averaged 4.5 a carry. Vegas opens the 49ers as 4-point road favorites. Number to track today: snaps with Rice and Owens together on the field.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 0-0 | -- |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-0 | -- |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| Tennessee 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 | -- |
NFL on FOX - 1997 Week 1 49ers vs Buccaneers - open
49ers at Buccaneers Week 1 1997 Highlights
San Francisco @ Tampa Bay 1997
Biggest NFL Statement win; Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. SF 49ers in 1997 as Warren Sapp Dominates
Bucs Best Rookie Seasons | Warrick Dunn (1997)
Bucs Upset 49ers to Kickoff 1997 | 49 Days til' Bucs Kickoff
Miami @ Tampa Bay 1997Mike Alstott caught a touchdown reception, Trent Dilfer threw for 165 yards and a touchdown and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the 49ers 13-6 at Houlihan's Stadium. Jerry Rice tore his ACL on the opening play of the game on a Warren Sapp tackle. Jeff Brohm went 10 of 13 for 99 yards in relief of the concussed Steve Young. Garrison Hearst ran for 84 on 18 carries. The 49ers were held to two Gary Anderson field goals.[1][2]
Jerry Rice tore his ACL on the opening play. Steve Young exited the second quarter with a concussion. Jeff Brohm finished the game at quarterback. The 49ers lost 13-6 in Tampa to open the year and the Mariucci tenure begins with the kind of injury Sunday that, in any season, ends the franchise's wide-card mathematics before October.
The Bucs' defensive front produced six sacks. Warren Sapp registered three. The 49ers' offense produced 199 total yards. Brohm, the third-string quarterback off the practice squad, finished 10-of-13 for 99 yards in relief. Hearst's 84 rushing was the only piece of the offense that worked.
The 49ers walk back to the airport 0-1 with Rice headed to surgery and Young in the concussion protocol. The road game in St. Louis on Sunday is going to be started by Jim Druckenmiller, the rookie first-round pick out of Virginia Tech. The wire copy is going to spend the column on Rice. The Mariucci tenure begins with the worst-case opening Sunday.
Bucs 13, 49ers 6. Margin: minus 7. Record: 0-1.
A 13-6 road loss in Tampa. The 49ers open 0-1 with Jerry Rice torn ACL and Steve Young concussion.
How it unfolded
Rice took a Sapp hit on the opening play and exited with the ACL injury. The Bucs scored on their second possession on a Dilfer-to-Reggie Brooks touchdown reception. Young left late in the second quarter with a concussion after a Sapp sack. Brohm finished the half. The Bucs added two field goals in the second half. The 49ers scored on two Gary Anderson field goals. The closing drive ended on a Brohm interception with under two minutes to play.
The turning point
Rice's ACL on the opening play. The 49ers' offensive script was built around Rice as the deep threat. Without the WR1, the Mariucci debut had to lean on Stokes and the rookie Owens for the kind of receiving production the staff had spent training camp building. Young's second-quarter concussion finished the day.
By the numbers
Brohm 10-of-13 for 99 in relief; the third-string quarterback's first NFL appearance. Hearst 84 on 18 carries (4.7 ypc); the running game produced 122 yards. Kirby 19 on 5 carries plus 22 receiving. The 49ers' offense produced 199 total yards and one third-down conversion. Defensively the front held the Bucs to 224 total yards but produced only one sack.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jeff Brohm | 10/13 | 99 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steve Young #8 | 4/8 | 33 | 0 | 1 | |
| TAM | |||||
| Trent Dilfer | 14/26 | 165 | 1 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Garrison Hearst | 18 | 84 | 0 | 33 |
| Terry Kirby | 5 | 19 | 0 | 7 |
| William Floyd | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Steve Young #8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 1 | -10 | 0 | -10 |
| TAM | ||||
| Mike Alstott | 14 | 69 | 0 | 35 |
| Warrick Dunn | 8 | 37 | 0 | 15 |
| Trent Dilfer | 4 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Patrick Hape | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jerry Rice #80 | 4 | 38 | 0 | 16 |
| Iheanyi Uwaezuoke | 2 | 29 | 0 | 18 |
| Terry Kirby | 2 | 22 | 0 | 16 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 14 |
| Terrell Owens | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Garrison Hearst | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| William Floyd | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| TAM | ||||
| Karl Williams | 3 | 74 | 0 | 55 |
| Mike Alstott | 3 | 50 | 0 | 26 |
| Jackie Harris | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Robb Thomas | 2 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| Reidel Anthony | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Dave Moore | 2 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Warrick Dunn | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
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