The 49ers (11-2) host the Minnesota Vikings (9-4) at 3Com Park for a 1:00 PT kickoff. Randall Cunningham is the Vikings' starter for the injured Brad Johnson. Robert Smith is the back; Cris Carter and Jake Reed are the receivers. The Vikings come off three of four wins.
The 49ers come off the 44-9 road loss at Kansas City. Garrison Hearst is questionable with the ankle. Steve Young is the starter.[1][2]
Dennis Green's Vikings are 9-4 with Randall Cunningham at starter in relief of the injured Brad Johnson. The veteran quarterback's return has produced the kind of explosive offense the Vikings' front-office spent training camp building. Cris Carter has caught 70 passes through 13 games. The 49ers' Sunday at 3Com is the home game where the offensive line has the chance to bounce back from the worst single-game line of the calendar. Mariucci confirmed Hearst is questionable.
Week 15 has the schedule's home matchup against the Vikings plus a slate where the conference's wild-card race is settling. The Packers sit at 12-2; the Cowboys 7-6; the Vikings 9-4. The AFC East has the Patriots at 10-3 and the Bills 6-7. Conference reading list the storyline is the Vikings' surprise run with Cunningham. The 49ers' Sunday at 3Com is the conference's only home matchup of teams in the divisional top-two of the NFC West and NFC Central.
Through thirteen games the 49ers sit at 11-2 with a plus 108 point differential. Young is on pace for 3,500 passing yards. Hearst is on the injury report with the ankle. Bryant Young has 13 sacks. The Vikings are 9-4 with Cunningham averaging 230 passing per game and Robert Smith 4.5 a carry. Vegas opens the 49ers as 6-point home favorites. Worth watching: Hearst's availability; the lead back is officially questionable.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 9-4 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-4 | W1 |
| Tennessee Oilers | 7-6 | W2 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4-8-1 | L2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-9 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 8-5 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 8-5 | W2 |
| New York Jets | 8-5 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6-7 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 1-12 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 11-2 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 10-3 | W3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6-7 | L3 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4-9 | L2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4-9 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 11-2 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 6-7 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-8 | W3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5-8 | W1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 3-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 10-3 | W2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9-4 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8-5 | L3 |
| Detroit Lions | 7-6 | W3 |
| Chicago Bears | 2-11 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 7-5-1 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6-6-1 | W2 |
| Washington Redskins | 6-6-1 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 6-7 | L2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-10 | -- |
Steve Young threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns, J.J. Stokes caught 6 for 87 and the 49ers beat the Minnesota Vikings 28-17 at 3Com Park. Young ran in a touchdown of his own. Terry Kirby led the running game with 39 on 17 carries. Randall Cunningham threw for 178 with two touchdowns. The 49ers led 14-3 at halftime.[1][2]
Steve Young threw two touchdowns. J.J. Stokes caught six for 87. Young ran in a touchdown of his own on the goal-line draw. The 49ers won 28-17 at 3Com Park. Terry Kirby took the starting back's snaps for Garrison Hearst, who sat with the ankle.
The Vikings cut the 49ers' lead to 14-10 in the third quarter on a Cunningham touchdown reception by Carter. A Young rushing touchdown made it 21-10. A William Floyd rushing touchdown pushed the lead to 28-10. The Vikings' fourth-quarter touchdown made the final 28-17. Cunningham went 16-of-31 for 178 with two scoring throws. Carter caught three for 43 with both touchdowns.
The 49ers walk away 12-2 with the home game against Denver on Sunday next. The home record is 7-0. The wire copy is going to spend the column on Kirby's first 1997 lead-back appearance. The film room is going to spend the week on the secondary's coverage on Carter and the front rotation's two-sack afternoon.
49ers 28, Vikings 17. Margin: plus 11. Record: 12-2.
A 28-17 home win over the Vikings. The 49ers improve to 12-2 with the home record at 7-0.
How it unfolded
Young opened with a touchdown drive ending in an Owens 14-yard score. A Vikings field goal cut it to 7-3. Young added a second touchdown to Stokes to make it 14-3 at the half. The third quarter saw a Cunningham touchdown to Carter to cut it to 14-10. Young's rushing touchdown made it 21-10. Floyd's 4-yard rushing touchdown made it 28-10. The Vikings added a closing fourth-quarter touchdown to make the final 28-17.
The turning point
The third-quarter Young rushing touchdown. With the 49ers up 14-10 and the offense facing third-and-three at the Vikings' 8, the staff called the quarterback draw. Young walked in for the score. The 21-10 cushion put the home team in script-the-clock posture against a Vikings offense that produced one touchdown across the closing two quarters.
By the numbers
Young 20-of-25 for 280 with two touchdowns and the rushing score; 10 rushes for 31. Kirby 17 carries for 39 in his first 1997 start. Stokes 6 catches for 87. Owens 6 catches for 74 with a touchdown. Floyd 3 catches for 49 plus the rushing touchdown. Defensively the front produced two sacks; the secondary surrendered 178 passing.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Young #8 | 20/25 | 280 | 2 | 0 | |
| MIN | |||||
| Randall Cunningham | 16/31 | 178 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Terry Kirby | 17 | 39 | 0 | 6 |
| Steve Young #8 | 10 | 31 | 1 | 9 |
| William Floyd | 10 | 28 | 1 | 10 |
| MIN | ||||
| Robert Smith | 11 | 69 | 0 | 19 |
| Leroy Hoard | 8 | 35 | 0 | 11 |
| Randall Cunningham | 4 | 18 | 0 | 13 |
| Charles Evans | 3 | 15 | 0 | 10 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| J.J. Stokes | 6 | 87 | 0 | 26 |
| Terrell Owens | 6 | 74 | 1 | 21 |
| William Floyd | 3 | 49 | 0 | 30 |
| Chad Fann | 2 | 28 | 0 | 15 |
| Brent Jones #84 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| Terry Kirby | 1 | 16 | 1 | 16 |
| Chuck Levy | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| MIN | ||||
| Jake Reed | 3 | 58 | 0 | 31 |
| Cris Carter | 3 | 43 | 2 | 22 |
| Andrew Glover | 3 | 29 | 0 | 17 |
| David Palmer | 2 | 19 | 0 | 12 |
| Charles Evans | 2 | 15 | 0 | 12 |
| Robert Smith | 2 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Matthew Hatchette | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
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