The 49ers (3-4) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) at 3Com Park for a 1:00 PT kickoff. Pittsburgh is in Bill Cowher's eighth year as head coach. Kordell Stewart is the quarterback; Jerome Bettis is on injured reserve and Richard Huntley starts at running back.
The 49ers come off the Week 8 bye and the 40-16 loss at the Metrodome. Jeff Garcia is the starter for the sixth straight week.[1][2]
Bill Cowher's eighth Steelers team comes to 3Com Park at 4-3 with the same conference-physical identity that has defined the franchise across the decade. Kordell Stewart is the quarterback the Steelers' staff invested the 1998 first-round pick into; the third-year starter has produced more rushing touchdowns than passing this year. The 49ers' Sunday issue is the run defense.
Week 9 has the Steelers visiting 3Com plus a slate where the conference is settling. The Rams remain at 5-1; the Bucs at 4-3; the Vikings 4-3. The AFC has the Dolphins at 5-2 and the Jaguars at 5-2. The Browns are 0-7. The Bengals 0-8. The Sunday-night game is Indianapolis at New York Giants. Inside the AFC Central the Steelers are 4-3 with the Browns, Bengals and Ravens all below .500. Conference reading list this week: the only AFC-NFC matchup of the slate is here at 3Com.
Through seven games the 49ers sit at 3-4 with a minus 63 point differential, the conference's fourth-worst. Garcia averages 219 passing yards per game across five starts. Garner is on pace for 1,150 from scrimmage. The defense has surrendered 30-plus in three of the last four. Pittsburgh is 4-3 with Stewart averaging 140 passing yards per game and 35 rushing. The Steelers' offense averages 17 points per game. Vegas opens the 49ers as 4-point home favorites.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6-1 | -- |
| Tennessee Titans | 6-1 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4-3 | -- |
| Baltimore Ravens | 2-5 | -- |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-7 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 1-7 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 6-1 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 6-2 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 5-2 | -- |
| Buffalo Bills | 5-3 | -- |
| New York Jets | 1-6 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 5-2 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-2 | -- |
| San Diego Chargers | 4-3 | -- |
| Oakland Raiders | 4-4 | -- |
| Denver Broncos | 2-6 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Rams | 6-1 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-4 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 2-5 | -- |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-6 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-6 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 5-2 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 4-3 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4-4 | -- |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-4 | -- |
| Chicago Bears | 3-5 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 5-2 | -- |
| New York Giants | 5-3 | -- |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-3 | -- |
| Arizona Cardinals | 2-5 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-6 | -- |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Jerome Bettis 1 yard rush ( Kris Brown kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | Wade Richey 19 yard field goal | 7-3 |
| Steelers | Hines Ward 13 yard pass from Kordell Stewart ( Kris Brown kick) | 14-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Kris Brown 28 yard field goal | 17-3 |
| 49ers | Wade Richey 20 yard field goal | 17-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Kris Brown 38 yard field goal | 20-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Jerome Bettis 22 yard rush ( Kris Brown kick) | 27-6 |
Kordell Stewart threw for 139 yards and a touchdown, Richard Huntley ran for 83 and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the 49ers 27-6 at 3Com Park. Jeff Garcia went 7 of 18 for 39 yards with no touchdowns before exiting in the third quarter. Charlie Garner ran for 166 yards on 20 carries, the highest single-game rushing total by a 49ers back since 1998. Hines Ward caught 4 for 31 with the only Pittsburgh touchdown by a receiver.[1][2]
Charlie Garner ran for one hundred and sixty-six yards on twenty carries and the 49ers lost 27-6 at 3Com Park. The Steelers' defense produced six sacks of Jeff Garcia. The 49ers' starter exited in the third quarter for Steve Stenstrom. The offensive line gave up the pocket the way the wire copy has been previewing it would against Pittsburgh's front.
The 49ers' offense produced 226 total yards and one touchdown that the defense scored on a Junior Bryant pick-six in the first quarter. The starting quarterback's 39 passing yards on 18 attempts is the lowest single-game line of his career. The Steelers' defensive line, with Jason Gildon and Aaron Smith, registered every sack on Garcia. The Sunday at 3Com is the kind of home loss that, in calendar 1999, ends the wild-card mathematics conversation.
The 49ers walk away 3-5 with the road trip to New Orleans on Sunday next. The home record is 2-2. The wire copy is going to spend the column on the offensive line. The film room is going to start with the protection scheme on the third-down drops.
Steelers 27, 49ers 6. Margin: minus 21. Record: 3-5, minus 84 differential. • Garcia: 7-of-18 for 39, 0 TDs, 0 INTs; pulled in third quarter. • Stenstrom: 6-of-15 for 67 in relief. • Garner: 20 carries for 166, 0 TDs (high single-game rushing total of 1999). • Owens: 2 catches for 15. • Rice: 2 catches for 2. • Stewart: 15-of-26 for 139, 1 TD; 6 rushes for 23. • Huntley: 7 carries for 83. • Ward: 4 catches for 31, 1 TD.
A 27-6 home loss to the Steelers. The 49ers fall to 3-5 with the franchise's worst offensive afternoon of the 1999 calendar.
How it unfolded
Garner ran for 24 on the opening drive but the 49ers' offense ended it on a punt. Junior Bryant intercepted Stewart on the Steelers' second possession and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown; the extra point was missed. Pittsburgh responded with a Stewart short rushing score to take a 7-6 lead. The second quarter produced a Ward touchdown reception to make it 14-6 at halftime. The third quarter added a Pittsburgh field goal and a 49ers punt to push the lead to 17-6. Garcia was pulled in the third quarter for Stenstrom after the fifth sack of the game. The Steelers added a fourth-quarter Huntley touchdown to make the final 27-6.
The turning point
The second-quarter Ward touchdown. With the 49ers down 7-6 and the offense facing third-and-eight at midfield, Garcia took the third sack of the day. Pittsburgh drove the field on the ensuing possession and the Stewart-to-Ward touchdown made it 14-6 at the half. The eight-point cushion before halftime was the margin the 49ers' offense could not close.
By the numbers
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Stenstrom | 5/15 | 54 | 0 | 1 | |
| Jeff Garcia | 7/18 | 39 | 0 | 0 | |
| PIT | |||||
| Kordell Stewart | 15/26 | 139 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Charlie Garner | 20 | 166 | 0 | 24 |
| Jeff Garcia | 4 | 25 | 0 | 9 |
| Fred Beasley | 5 | 25 | 0 | 18 |
| Steve Stenstrom | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Lawrence Phillips | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| PIT | ||||
| Richard Huntley | 7 | 83 | 0 | 52 |
| Jerome Bettis | 18 | 53 | 2 | 22 |
| Kordell Stewart | 3 | 8 | 0 | 11 |
| Mike Tomczak | 3 | -3 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Charlie Garner | 3 | 33 | 0 | 22 |
| Terrell Owens | 2 | 15 | 0 | 12 |
| Lawrence Phillips | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| J.J. Stokes | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Steve Stenstrom | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Fred Beasley | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Tony Cline | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| PIT | ||||
| Troy Edwards | 6 | 76 | 0 | 41 |
| Hines Ward | 4 | 31 | 1 | 13 |
| Courtney Hawkins | 2 | 26 | 0 | 18 |
| Will Blackwell | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Mark Bruener | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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