1998: Hearst’s 96-Yard Run in OT Propels 49ers Over Jets

The season-opening NFL game in San Francisco on September 6, 1998 featured the 49ers, a perennial contender, hosting the New York Jets, a team that was on the rise.

The 49ers were a savvy veteran club that was used to winning, having been to the postseason in each of the previous six seasons and 16 of the past 18 years. Steve Mariucci had taken over as head coach in 1997 and the result was a conference-best 13-3 record and an appearance in the NFC Championship game. 36-year-old QB Steve Young routinely won passing titles, and while there were concerns that he could no longer deliver the long ball, the return of star WR Jerry Rice, who was lost for the year in the first week of ‘97, was expected to help, even coming off of two knee surgeries.

New York was just two years removed from a dreadful 1-15 campaign in 1996 but had perked up considerably to 9-7 in the first year under Head Coach Bill Parcells. QB Glenn Foley, taking over for the departed Neil O’Donnell, brought a gunslinger attitude to the offense but was also inexperienced, and underachieving veteran QB Vinny Testaverde was signed during the offseason. RB Curtis Martin was obtained from New England, where he had previously played with distinction under Parcells, and there was a young pass receiving corps led by brash WR Keyshawn Johnson. The team was in rebuilding mode but appeared poised to move up.

There were 64,419 fans in attendance on an unseasonably warm day at 3Com Park. The 49ers had the game’s first possession but turned the ball over when a pass by Steve Young was intercepted by FS Kevin Williams, who returned it 34 yards to the San Francisco 27. Glenn Foley (pictured at right) completed two passes to Keyshawn Johnson and John Hall kicked a 24-yard field goal to give the Jets the early lead.

The teams exchanged punts before San Francisco put together an 84-yard drive in eight plays. Young completed four passes along the way, with the longest to WR Terrell Owens for 23 yards, and RB Garrison Hearst (pictured at top) capped the series with a five-yard touchdown run up the middle. Wade Richey kicked the extra point and the home team was ahead by 7-3.

The Jets had the ball for the remainder of the opening period, but on the first play of the second quarter CB Antonio Langham picked off a Foley pass to give the 49ers possession at the New York 48. Hearst burst up the middle for 19 yards on first down, but three consecutive incomplete passes forced a long field goal try by Richey, and his 47-yard attempt missed the mark. Seven plays later, Foley connected with Johnson for a 41-yard TD and, with Hall’s point after, the visitors were back on top by 10-7.

The teams again traded punts before the 49ers put together a seven-play, 63-yard scoring drive. Young threw to WR J.J. Stokes for 25 yards and followed up with a completion to FB Marc Edwards for 16 yards to reach the New York 17. The drive bogged down but a defensive holding penalty on a third-and-six play gave the Niners a first down at the eight and, two plays later, it was Young to Stokes for a six-yard touchdown. Richey’s conversion had San Francisco ahead by 14-10.

There were still two minutes remaining in the first half following RB Leon Johnson’s 33-yard kickoff return, and Foley fired passes to WR Dedric Ward for 19 yards and Keyshawn Johnson for nine to reach the San Francisco 32. The Jets got a break when an interception was nullified by a penalty on the 49ers and, three plays later, Foley tossed a pass to WR Wayne Chrebet for a six-yard TD with 37 seconds left on the clock. Hall booted the extra point and, in see-saw fashion, the Jets took a 17-14 lead into halftime.

Following a possession by the Jets that concluded with a punt to start the third quarter, the 49ers tied the score with a 38-yard drive in seven plays that ended with a Richey field goal from 22 yards. However, New York came right back when, on the first play of the next series, Foley threw to Chrebet for a 48-yard gain to the San Francisco 30. Three plays later, with a roughing-the-passer penalty mixed in to move the Jets closer, Foley connected with Keyshawn Johnson for a 21-yard touchdown and, with Hall providing the extra point, the visitors were up by 24-17.

The 49ers responded with a 68-yard series in seven plays that featured Young completing consecutive passes to Owens for 19 yards and WR Jerry Rice for 21. Facing fourth-and-one at the New York 14, it was Young to Rice for a TD but the extra point attempt was blocked by DT Jason Ferguson and New York remained in the lead by a point.

The Jets had the ball in a possession that extended into the fourth quarter. Foley threw to Curtis Martin for 18 yards and to Chrebet twice, once for eight yards in a third-and-seven situation and then for 22 to get the ball to the San Francisco 29. But New York came up empty when the drive stalled and Hall missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.

The teams exchanged punts before the Jets advanced to another score. Foley completed passes to Martin for 22 yards, Keyshawn Johnson for 14, and Chrebet for 22 and, after Martin ran twice to get to the San Francisco 14, Hall booted a 32-yard field goal to make the score 27-23.

After the ensuing kickoff, the 49ers took possession with 3:38 remaining in regulation. On first down, Young passed to Hearst for a 35-yard gain to the New York 41. Four plays later, it was Young to Stokes (pictured at left), who out-jumped Kevin Williams and dove into the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown and, with Richey making the extra point, the Niners were in the lead by three points at 30-27 with the clock down to 1:32.

There was still time for the Jets, and they drove 60 yards in 12 plays. Foley converted a third-and-ten play with a throw to Chrebet for 19 yards and a fourth-and-ten situation with a toss to Ward for 22 to the San Francisco 32. Another pass to Ward on third down picked up 19 yards and, as time expired, Hall booted a 31-yard field goal to make it 30-30 and send the contest into overtime.

The Jets had the ball first in the extra period but went three-and-out. CB R.W. McQuarters returned Nick Gallery’s punt 16 yards to give San Francisco good field position at the New York 43, but the 49ers were unable to move and punted in return.

The visitors, helped by a face mask penalty, drove to their 47 before having to punt again, and Gallery’s 49-yard kick had the 49ers taking possession at their four yard line. But on the next play, Hearst broke away off right tackle, stiff-armed Williams at the 20, and was off to the races for a 96-yard touchdown run, reaching the end zone just ahead of LB Mo Lewis’ desperation tackle. In stunning fashion, San Francisco came away the winner by a final score of 36-30.

The teams combined for 1003 yards, with the 49ers having the edge (557 to 465) as well as in first downs (26 to 25). New York, whose yardage total was its most in eight years, led in time of possession (34:43 to 29:25). Each club turned the ball over once.

Steve Young completed 26 of 46 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns while giving up one interception. Boosted by the game-winning run that was the longest in franchise history, Garrison Hearst accumulated 187 yards on 20 carries that included two TDs. J.J. Stokes had 7 catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns and Jerry Rice pulled in 6 passes for 86 yards and a score.

For the Jets, Glenn Foley had a career day as he succeeded on 30 of 58 throws for 415 yards and three TDs with one interception. There were two receivers with over a hundred yards led by Keyshawn Johnson, who caught 9 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, along with Wayne Chrebet (pictured at right) with 6 receptions for 125 yards and a TD. Dedric Ward was four yards short of the century mark as he gained 96 yards on five catches. Curtis Martin had a fairly quiet rushing day, gaining 58 yards on 22 attempts, but also had four pass receptions for 41 yards. 

“It’s disappointing to fight that hard and lose,” said a drained Coach Parcells. “You just put players in a position to make plays and you’ve got to make them. Hearst was right there. We missed some tackles there.”

San Francisco went on to a 12-4 record that placed second in the NFC West and qualified for a Wild Card playoff spot. The 49ers defeated Green Bay in the first round before falling to Atlanta at the Divisional level. The Jets were a bigger surprise in also going 12-4 and topping the AFC East. They reached the AFC Championship game before finally succumbing to the Denver Broncos.

Steve Young had another stellar year, passing for a career-high 4170 yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns. He was chosen to a seventh straight Pro Bowl, his last. Garrison Hearst went on to gain 1570 yards on 310 carries with seven TDs and was also a Pro Bowl selection for the first time. J.J. Stokes achieved career bests with 63 pass receptions for 770 yards and eight touchdowns and Jerry Rice returned to Pro Bowl form as he caught 82 passes for 1157 yards and nine TDs.

For Glenn Foley, the big opening performance against the 49ers proved to be the highlight of his season. Two lackluster starts while also being sidelined with a rib injury in between caused him to be relegated to the bench in favor of Vinny Testaverde, who put together a Pro Bowl year in quarterbacking the Jets to the postseason.

1999: Falcons Edge 49ers in Divisional Playoff Game

The NFC Divisional Playoff game in Atlanta on January 9, 1999 featured two NFC West teams. The upstart Atlanta Falcons had topped the division with a 14-2 record while the San Francisco 49ers finished second at 12-4 and were the top Wild Card entry.

The rise of the Falcons had been stunning in that they were coming off of two losing seasons, and five of the previous six had resulted in records under .500. Head Coach Dan Reeves, previously with the Broncos and Giants, was in his second year with the club but underwent heart surgery in December and was just returning to the sideline a month later to coach in the playoffs. The offense was ball control-oriented, keyed by RB Jamal Anderson (pictured above), who rushed for 1846 yards on a record-setting 410 carries. QB Chris Chandler was unspectacular but efficient and a good leader. The defense featured a solid line plus Pro Bowlers in MLB Jessie Tuggle, CB Ray Buchanan, and FS Eugene Robinson.

San Francisco, coached by Steve Mariucci for the second year, was used to contending, having reached the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year in 1998 and 15^th time in 16 seasons, with a Super Bowl victory as recently as 1994. The team was aging but still strong with 37-year-old QB Steve Young and 36-year-old WR Jerry Rice leaders of an offense that benefited from the presence of RB Garrison Hearst (1570 rushing yards) and third-year WR Terrell Owens. The defensive line was missing injured DT Bryant Young, but DE Charles Haley came out of retirement to lend his pass-rushing expertise.

The teams split their regular season meetings and the 49ers defeated Green Bay in the Wild Card round the previous week to advance to the Divisional game.   

There were 70,262 fans in attendance at the Georgia Dome. Things went badly for the 49ers on their first play from scrimmage when Garrison Hearst suffered a broken leg, which significantly affected their ability to run the ball for the rest of the game. The teams exchanged punts until, following a 36-yard return by WR Tim Dwight, the Falcons took possession at the San Francisco 38 and scored in six plays. Jamal Anderson ran for 14 yards on first down and Chris Chandler threw to WR Terance Mathis for 19 yards on a third down play to the three yard line. Two plays later, Anderson ran for a two-yard touchdown, Morten Andersen added the extra point, and Atlanta held a 7-0 lead.

The clubs returned to trading punts as the game headed into the second quarter. Starting from their 18 with 7:35 remaining in the first half, the Falcons advanced 82 yards in seven plays. Jamal Anderson rushed for 16 yards on his first two carries, Chandler (pictured below) again connected with Mathis for 19 yards, and then it was Anderson breaking away for a 34-yard TD. Morten Andersen again added the point after and the home team was up by 14-0.

The 49ers responded with an 80-yard possession of their own. A pass interference call was good for 16 yards and Steve Young completed passes to WR J.J. Stokes for 12 yards, but the advance was nearly derailed when RB Terry Kirby mishandled a lateral and, after DE Chuck Smith appeared to recover and ran for an apparent touchdown, it was ruled that Kirby had gained possession and was down by contact before the ball got away from him again. Making the most of the reprieve, Young then threw to RB Chuck Levy for 34 yards and TE Greg Clark for nine before hitting Jerry Rice for a 17-yard touchdown. Wade Richey narrowed the score to 14-7 with the successful conversion.

There was still 1:06 left before halftime as the Falcons regained possession, but after Chandler passed to WR Ronnie Harris for 22 yards, his next throw was deflected by Charles Haley and picked off by DT Junior Bryant. San Francisco now had the ball at the Atlanta 36 and Young threw to Stokes for 16 yards and ran once himself for seven to set up a 36-yard Richey field goal. Atlanta’s lead was 14-10 at the intermission and the Niners appeared to have the momentum.

The Falcons had the ball first and drove to the San Francisco 42, but attempting to convert a fourth-and-one situation, Anderson was stopped for no gain. Now it was the 49ers moving effectively as Young threw to Terrell Owens for 20 yards and to Rice for eight. But following a short gain on another completion to Owens, Young’s next pass was picked off at the Atlanta three by Eugene Robinson, who returned it 77 yards to the San Francisco 20. While the turnover didn’t lead to a touchdown, it did lead to a Morten Andersen field goal from 29 yards and, instead of the Niners potentially taking the lead, the Falcons were ahead by seven points at 17-10.

San Francisco had the ball heading into the fourth quarter and Young threw to Rice for a 38-yard gain to the Atlanta 44, but once again the Falcons came up with an interception. This time it was SS William White picking off Young’s pass intended for Clark and returning it 14 yards to the San Francisco 36. Chandler converted a third-and-eight situation with a toss to WR Tony Martin that picked up 16 yards and, while the drive bogged down inside the 20, Atlanta again came up with points on a 32-yard Andersen field goal.

With Young completing seven passes, the 49ers advanced 87 yards in 13 plays in response. Two were to Owens, one of which gained seven yards in a third-and-five situation, and two more were caught by Stokes, the longest for a 33-yard gain to the Atlanta 12. Young kept the ball himself on an eight-yard scramble for a touchdown carry and the Niners added an improvised two-point conversion when the holder for the placekick, QB Ty Detmer, had to leap for a high snap, rolled out, and connected with Clark. It was now a two-point contest with 3:57 to play.

The try for an onside kick failed and, with Anderson running on every play, the Falcons managed to hold onto the ball until punting with 49 seconds left on the clock. The 49ers had to start from their own four and, while Young was able to connect with Levy for a gain of 24 yards, the game ended with White intercepting one last Young pass to seal the 20-18 win for Atlanta.

The 49ers had more total yards (334 to 289), but without Garrison Hearst gained just 46 yards on the ground, to 136 for the Falcons, who had the edge in first downs (16 to 15). San Francisco also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Atlanta, and the 49ers were penalized eight times, to six flags thrown on the Falcons.

Chris Chandler didn’t go to the air often, completing 13 of 19 passes for 169 yards and giving up an interception. Jamal Anderson rushed for 113 yards on 29 carries that included two touchdowns. Terance Mathis (pictured at right) topped the Atlanta receivers with 5 catches for 71 yards and Tony Martin was right behind with his 63 yards on four receptions.

For the 49ers, Steve Young was successful on 23 of 37 throws for 289 yards and a TD, but also gave up three interceptions. He also led the team with 28 yards on six rushes that included a score. Terrell Owens caught 8 passes for 73 yards and J.J. Stokes contributed 76 yards on his five receptions. Jerry Rice had three receptions for 63 yards and a TD and set a NFL record by catching a pass in 23 straight playoff games. 

“It’s unbelievable. The whole year has been incredible,” exclaimed Atlanta’s Coach Reeves. “To get to this point is beyond our wildest dreams.”

The Falcons moved a level higher as they upset the Minnesota Vikings in overtime to win the NFC Championship. However, they lost decisively to Denver in the Super Bowl and returned to earth with a 5-11 record in 1999. The loss for the 49ers marked the end of a long and successful era as they dropped to 4-12 in ‘99. They next returned to the postseason in 2001.

2003: 49ers Overcome 24-Point Deficit to Beat Giants in Dispute-Marred Playoff Game

The Wild Card Playoff game in San Francisco on January 5, 2003 featured the San Francisco 49ers, winners of the NFC West with a 10-6 record, against the New York Giants, who finished second in the NFC East with an identical tally.

Coached by Steve Mariucci for the sixth year, the 49ers had a capable quarterback in Jeff Garcia (pictured at right), who was mobile and an accurate passer if not possessed of a strong arm. WR Terrell Owens was highly talented but could also be a temperamental distraction. Mariucci preferred ball control to big plays, and running backs Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow paced the ground attack. Injuries were an issue on defense, and the team tended to be vulnerable against the pass.

New York, under Head Coach Jim Fassel, had bounced back from a disappointing 7-9 year in 2001 after winning the NFC Championship in 2000, coming on strong with four wins to close out the regular season after being 6-6 at the beginning of December. The offense had done especially well during the late surge, led by QB Kerry Collins and RB Tiki Barber. WR Amani Toomer paced the injury-depleted receiving corps and benefited from the presence of brash-but-talented rookie TE Jeremy Shockey. The defense, anchored by DE Michael Strahan, was good but showing signs of wear. The special teams had been a cause of concern throughout the season, and 41-year-old long snapper Trey Junkin was signed out of retirement five days before the game when long snapper Dan O’Leary was injured – a seemingly minor personnel change that would have a significant impact on the game’s outcome.

There were 66,318 fans in attendance at 3Com Park. The Giants had the first possession and drove to the San Francisco 33, but a pass by Kerry Collins that was intended for RB Ron Dayne was intercepted by LB Julian Peterson, giving the 49ers the ball at their own 24. They immediately came through with a big play as Jeff Garcia threw to Terrell Owens (pictured below) for a 76-yard touchdown. Jeff Chandler added the extra point and San Francisco was ahead by 7-0 in stunning fashion.

The teams traded punts until late in the opening period when the Giants put together an 11-play, 65-yard scoring drive. A 15-yard facemask penalty moved New York to the San Francisco 48 and Tiki Barber ran for four yards in a third-and-two situation to keep the series going. Collins completed a pass to Amani Toomer for 18 yards and another throw to Toomer completed the drive with a 12-yard touchdown. Matt Bryant’s PAT tied the score at 7-7.

Early in the second quarter, New York had another scoring possession, this time advancing 61 yards in five plays. Barber had a 29-yard run to the San Francisco 32 and Collins completed a pass to Jeremy Shockey for 27 yards to the one. After Barber was stopped for a loss of a yard, a two-yard Collins throw to Shockey was good for a TD and Bryant added the extra point to make it a seven-point lead for the visitors.

The 49ers came back with a 69-yard drive in ten plays. Garcia threw to Owens for ten yards and ran for 11 yards to the New York 46. Another carry by the quarterback was good for ten yards on a third-and-six play and Owens threw an option pass to WR Tai Streets that picked up 25 yards to the seven yard line. Kevan Barlow scored a touchdown from a yard out and Chandler’s point after again tied the score at 14-14.

The Giants had to punt but got a huge break when WR Cedrick Wilson muffed the catch and safety Johnnie Harris recovered at the San Francisco eight. From there on the next play, Collins connected with Toomer for a touchdown. Before the half, New York drove to another score thanks to a turnover, this time an interception by CB Jason Sehorn that gave the Giants the ball at their own 44. They went 56 yards in five plays, the highlights being a Collins throw to Barber that picked up 30 yards in a third-and-eight situation and then a pass to Toomer for a 24-yard TD with ten seconds left on the clock. Bryant kicked his fourth extra point of the game and the visitors held a 28-14 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, after the 49ers failed to convert a fourth down at the New York 46, the Giants added to their lead. Barber had a 22-yard carry to the San Francisco 32 and Collins threw to Toomer for 17 yards. Barber ran for a six-yard touchdown and, with Bryant’s extra point, New York was ahead by 35-14.

The 49ers went three-and-out and had to punt, and the Giants followed up with a nine-play, 63-yard drive. Collins connected with Toomer, this time for 46 yards to the San Francisco three. New York was unable to score another touchdown from there, with Shockey dropping a pass in the end zone, and settled for a 21-yard Bryant field goal, but being ahead by a commanding 38-14, it seemed insignificant at that point.

The 49ers, with their backs very much to the wall, proceeded to advance 70 yards in seven plays. Garcia completed passes to TE Eric Johnson for 12 yards, Streets for 11, and then, following a short running play, to Owens for 12 yards to the New York 32. A throw to Owens for a 26-yard touchdown finished off the series and Garcia threw to Owens again for a two-point conversion that narrowed the tally to 38-22.

Following a short possession by the Giants, the 49ers got the ball back on a short punt of 29 yards by Matt Allen that had 15 yards assessed due to a personal foul called on LB Dhani Jones. Starting off at the New York 27, Garcia completed two passes, the second to WR J.J. Stokes for ten yards to finish off the period. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Garcia ran for 14 yards and a TD. Once again, he threw to Owens for a two-point conversion and the once-huge New York lead was down to 38-30 with nearly a full quarter to play.

The Giants were again quiet on offense, punting after three plays, and the 49ers put together a long scoring drive of 74 yards in 15 plays. Garcia completed a pass to Owens for 21 yards and to Cedrick Wilson for 18 yards to the New York 38. On a fourth-and-one play, Streets caught a pass for four yards to the 25 and, facing third-and-five, Garcia connected with Owens once more to the 11. The possession finally ended with Chandler kicking a 25-yard field goal, and it was a five-point game at 38-33.

The reeling Giants finally put something together offensively on their next series. Collins completed three passes, two to Shockey of seven and nine yards, and one to TE Dan Campbell for 10 yards. They reached the San Francisco 24, but with a chance to add vital points to their lead, a bad snap by Trey Junkin led to a poor hold and Bryant’s 42-yard kick was well off the mark.

Once again the 49ers put together a long series, this time of 68 yards in nine plays. Facing third-and-six at his own 36, Garcia threw to Owens for seven yards and passed to Johnson for 25 yards to the New York 25. Keeping the ball, Garcia ran for 12 yards and then passed to Streets for a 13-yard touchdown. The try for two points failed, with Owens and SS Shaun Williams drawing offsetting unnecessary roughness penalties, and while San Francisco had the lead, it was by just a point with a minute to play.

RB Delvin Joyce returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards to give the Giants good starting field position at their 48. Collins passed to WR Ron Dixon for 10 yards and, following an incompletion, connected with Dixon again for 19 yards to the San Francisco 28. A run by Barber moved the ball to the 23 and the Giants took their last timeout. It seemed as though the visitors would prevail when they lined up for a field goal attempt of 41 yards with six seconds left on the clock.

But Junkin snapped the ball too low and holder Matt Allen couldn’t handle it. The desperate Allen rolled out and threw toward G Rich Seubert, who was in the act of being pulled down by San Francisco LB Chike Okeafor (pictured below). The ball fell to the ground with no time left, but the Giants were looking for a flag for pass interference. After the officials conferred, a flag was indeed thrown – against the Giants for having an ineligible receiver downfield.

San Francisco came away with an astonishing 39-38 win. Coming back from a 24-point deficit, it was the biggest comeback in NFC playoff history (and, at the time, the second-biggest in NFL history), and was punctuated in bizarre fashion.

The next day, the NFL acknowledged that the officials had blown the call on the game-ending broken field goal attempt. There should have been an offsetting pass interference penalty on the 49ers, which would have allowed the Giants another chance at kicking the field goal (while Seubert had reported in as an eligible receiver, another guard, Tam Hopkins, was illegally downfield on the play).

The statistics were as even as the score. Both teams gained 446 yards apiece, with the 49ers having the edge in net passing yards (356 to 327) and New York gaining more on the ground (119 to 90). The Giants had the edge in first downs (26 to 23). The 49ers registered the only two sacks of the game, but also turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by New York.

Jeff Garcia completed 27 of 44 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns with one interception and also led the team in rushing with 60 yards on seven carries that included the game-winning TD. Terrell Owens had 9 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns, plus the pair of two-point conversions and a pass completion of 25 yards (his only pass of the year). Eric Johnson added 8 pass receptions for 78 yards and Tai Streets contributed five catches for 58 yards and a score.

For the Giants, Kerry Collins was successful on 29 of 43 throws for 342 yards and four TDs while tossing one interception. Amani Toomer (pictured at right) was the primary beneficiary, with 8 receptions for 136 yards and three touchdowns. Jeremy Shockey contributed 7 catches for 68 yards and a TD, but his drop in the end zone ultimately proved costly. Tiki Barber ran for 115 yards on 26 carries that included a score, and added 62 yards on five pass receptions.

“As long as you live, you might never see a game better than that,” said Steve Mariucci. “It’s kind of hard to remember everything right now, but I remember how it ended.”

“I tried to make the perfect snap instead of a good snap,” said a disconsolate Trey Junkin. “You can’t do that…If you can’t count on me at the end of the game, that’s it, I’m done.” It was a sad end to a 19-season NFL career that had begun with Buffalo in 1983.

The 49ers played Tampa Bay in the Divisional round the next week and lost badly, after which Steve Mariucci was dismissed as head coach. San Francisco went into a long period of decline, not reaching the playoffs, or even posting a winning record, until 2011. New York also fell off in 2003, going 4-12, but would return to the postseason in ’05, after Jim Fassel had been replaced by Tom Coughlin.

2004: Failed Extra Point Try Allows Vikings to Hold Off Lions

The Minnesota Vikings had gotten off to a 5-1 start in the 2004 NFL season but had struggled thereafter. By the time they faced the Detroit Lions on December 19 they were at 7-6 and trying to stay alive for a playoff spot. Coached by Mike Tice, the offense featured sixth-year QB Daunte Culpepper (pictured above), adept at running as well as passing, and highly talented – if also temperamental – WR Randy Moss. They had beaten Detroit four weeks earlier.

The Lions, under Head Coach Steve Mariucci, were a rebuilding club with a 5-8 record, having lost six of their last seven games. There was young talent on offense in QB Joey Harrington, WR Roy Williams, and rookie first draft choice Kevin Jones, but Harrington was proving to be inconsistent and the defense was tough but thin on depth.

There were 62,337 fans in attendance at Detroit’s Ford Field. The home team had first possession and drove 59 yards in 13 plays. Harrington completed four passes and Jason Hanson kicked a 32-yard field goal to make it 3-0. The Vikings came right back with a long series of their own, going 85 yards in 12 plays. Daunte Culpepper completed five throws along the way, including two to TE Jermaine Wiggins for first downs and a 36-yard touchdown pass to WR Nate Burleson. It was 7-3 in favor of Minnesota after one quarter of play.

The teams traded punts heading into the second quarter before the Vikings struck with a big play. In a third-and-24 situation at his own 18, Culpepper threw to Randy Moss for an 82-yard TD and, with another successful PAT, a 14-3 lead. The Lions responded with a long, sustained 11-play drive that covered 83 yards. Harrington completed a pass to Roy Williams for 24 yards on a third-and-three play and Kevin Jones carried the ball 6 times for 42 yards that included a 16-yard scoring run.  In the final two minutes, Detroit added a 23-yard field goal by Hanson and it was a 14-13 game at the half.

In Detroit’s first possession of the third quarter, and backed up deep in its own territory, Harrington (pictured at left) threw to Williams for another big gain of 37 yards. But the drive ended with SS Corey Chavous intercepting a pass at his own 37. The Lions got a break three plays later when Culpepper was picked off in turn by FS Brock Marion, who returned it to the Minnesota 33. However, three plays after that Jones fumbled and DT Spencer Johnson recovered for the Vikings to snuff out the threat. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the period.

Early in the fourth quarter, Harrington was intercepted by CB Brian Williams and the Vikings proceeded to put together an eight-play, 68-yard drive. Culpepper connected with Burleson for a 37-yard touchdown. Detroit came back with an 83-yard series that featured a Harrington pass to WR Az-Zahir Hakim for 40 yards, who then lateraled to RB Shawn Bryson for another 22 yards to the Minnesota 14 and, three plays later, Harrington threw to Roy Williams for a nine-yard TD. With the successful two-point conversion on a pass from Harrington to WR Tai Streets, the game was tied at 21-21.

There were just over six minutes remaining as the Vikings took over for their next series. Culpepper came out throwing, with the big completion to RB Moe Williams for 28 yards to the Detroit 34. The tenth play of the 73-yard drive was an 11-yard Culpepper pass to Williams for a TD. Morten Andersen added the extra point and it was 28-21 with the clock now down to 1:37.

Now it was Harrington throwing on every down as the Lions took over at their 20 following a touchback on the kickoff. Three consecutive completions got the ball to the Detroit 40 and, after an incomplete pass, Harrington hit Streets for 15 more yards to get the ball into Vikings territory. A 23-yard toss to Roy Williams moved the Lions to the 15 and a penalty on Minnesota took it to the one. From there, Harrington threw to Williams for a touchdown and it appeared that the game was going into overtime.

However, on the usually-automatic extra point attempt, a bad snap by long snapper Don Muhlbach  bounced before reaching holder Nick Harris. Unable to set the ball for Hanson to kick, Harris was tackled and the PAT was no good. The Vikings recovered the ensuing onside kick and were able to run out the remaining seconds and win by a score of 28-27.

The game was close statistically as the Lions barely edged Minnesota in both total yards (463 to 461) and first downs (24 to 21). Detroit sacked Culpepper five times, while Harrington was dumped twice by the Vikings, but the Lions also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Minnesota.

Daunte Culpepper completed 25 of 35 passes for 404 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Nate Burleson (pictured above) had 5 catches for 134 yards and two TDs and Randy Moss contributed 102 yards on his four pass receptions that included the long touchdown. Jermaine Wiggins had the most receptions for the Vikings with his 6 for 39 yards. RB Michael Bennett gained 51 rushing yards on 13 carries and also had another 51 yards on three catches.

For the Lions, Joey Harrington was successful on 25 of 44 throws for 361 yards and two TDs while two were picked off. Roy Williams, despite suffering from a hip injury, caught 7 of those passes for 104 yards and two scores. Az-Zahir Hakim gained 108 yards on four receptions. Kevin Jones (pictured below) rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts and also made four catches for 35 yards.

The Vikings lost two close games to finish out the regular season at 8-8, but they still qualified for the playoffs as a Wild Card. They defeated the division-rival Packers in the first round but lost to Philadelphia at the Divisional level. The loss to Minnesota officially eliminated the Lions from postseason contention and they ended up third in the division at 6-10. Still, it was still the club’s best record since 2000.

For Daunte Culpepper, it was a year in which he led the league in passing yards (4717) and completions (379), both career highs, as were his 39 TD passes, 8.6 yards per attempt, and 69.2 completion percentage. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl for the third time. It was also the pinnacle of a career that quickly faded. Culpepper was limited to seven games in 2005 due to injury and never again played in more than eight during a season as he moved around to three more teams and, eventually, the UFL.

Likewise, Joey Harrington never lived up to his promise. He, too, achieved career highs in 2004 in passing yards (3047) and touchdowns (19) but failed to meet expectations in ’05 and was dealt to Miami – where he became a teammate of Culpepper.   

1999: Warner to Bruce TD Passes Propel Rams to Win Over 49ers

By Week 5 of the 1999 NFL season, the St. Louis Rams had already created a sensation. The Rams had not had a winning record in ten years and were coming off a dismal 4-12 campaign in ’98. Head Coach Dick Vermeil, who had made a comeback to the sideline in 1997 after a 15-year absence, had not been able to turn the club around and it appeared that things would not get better when Trent Green, the quarterback signed away from Washington as a free agent, went down for the year with a knee injury – Green had been playing well in the preseason, and so the blow was all the greater.

Into the starting job at quarterback came Kurt Warner (pictured above), a 28-year-old unknown out of Northern Iowa who had most recently been playing arena football and in the NFL’s developmental league, NFL Europe. The 6’2”, 220-pound Warner proved to have a quick release as well as a strong and accurate arm and was a comfortable fit in the wide-open passing offense installed by offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

After three games (the Rams already had a bye week), St. Louis was 3-0 and had run up convincing scores against the Ravens, Falcons, and Bengals. Warner had passed for 894 yards with 9 touchdowns against just two interceptions, taking advantage of an excellent group of wide receivers that included sixth-year veteran Isaac Bruce, rookie Torry Holt, second-year speedster Az-Zahir Hakim, and slow-but-steady Ricky Proehl.

On October 10, the Rams hosted the division rival San Francisco 49ers at the TWA Dome. The 49ers, under Head Coach Steve Mariucci, were 3-1 entering the contest. Moreover, they had dominated the Rams since 1990, when they were still located in Los Angeles, winning a total of 17 straight games. The 49ers were playing with Jeff Garcia at quarterback in place of veteran star Steve Young, who was out with a concussion (he would, in fact, never return).

The St. Louis offense maintained the established pattern of the first three games, with Warner tossing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Bruce to cap a seven-play, 83-yard drive midway through the first quarter. Along the way, Warner had connected with RB Marshall Faulk, a key offseason acquisition from the Colts, for a 23-yard gain in a third-and-six situation.

Just three minutes later, Warner tossed a second touchdown pass to Bruce, this one covering five yards. While the 49ers recovered as Garcia completed passes of 21 yards to WR Terrell Owens and 11 yards to WR J.J. Stokes in a six-play drive that resulted in a 42-yard Wade Richey field goal, WR Tony Horne returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards and, on the next play, Warner hit Bruce once more for a 45-yard TD. The Rams were up by 21-3 after one quarter.

San Francisco responded with a nine-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a two-yard touchdown run by RB Lawrence Phillips – a failed first round draft choice of the Rams who had behavioral issues that eclipsed his great talent and was roundly booed by the St. Louis fans. Along the way, Garcia had again done well, with two key passes that totaled 44 yards to RB Charlie Garner and a 19-yard completion to all-time great WR Jerry Rice in a third-and-13 situation.

The Rams extended their lead to 28-10 when Warner completed a nine-play drive that covered 89 yards with a 22-yard TD pass to TE Jeff Robinson. However, the 49ers got a break just before halftime when Warner fumbled in his end zone and it was recovered by DT Junior Bryant for a touchdown. The Rams’ lead at halftime was 28-17.

There was no more scoring until late in the third quarter. The Niners put together an 11-play drive that included a 31-yard run by Garner and ended with a 43-yard field goal by Richey to narrow the St. Louis margin to 28-20. It didn’t stay narrowed for long, though, as Horne returned the ensuing kickoff for a 97-yard touchdown.

For all intents and purposes, the game was over. The Rams scored one last touchdown in the fourth quarter, Warner connecting for the fourth time with Bruce on a scoring pass of 42 yards, and the final score was 42-20.

“I was happy more for the guys who were in Los Angeles with me and we went through a lot of trying times trying to beat this team,” Bruce said afterward. “I'm glad it's over.”

It was another convincing statement from Kurt Warner and the Rams offense. Warner completed 20 of 23 passes for 323 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. His 14 touchdowns in the first four games of the season were unprecedented in NFL history. Isaac Bruce caught 5 passes for 134 yards and the four touchdowns, while Torry Holt gained 67 yards on his three catches. RB Robert Holcombe gained 47 yards on six carries to lead the team, and RB Justin Watson was right behind with 46 yards on 11 attempts. Marshall Faulk was held to six yards on seven carries, but contributed 38 yards on four pass receptions.

Playing catchup throughout, Jeff Garcia went to the air 36 times with 22 completions for 233 yards, giving up three interceptions while completing no touchdown passes. Terrell Owens caught six passes for 60 yards while Charlie Garner added five receptions for 57 yards and led the team with 52 yards on 13 runs.

The Rams made it to 6-0 before losing two straight games, but then went 7-1 the rest of the way to finish first in the NFC West with a 13-3 record – the team’s best since 1975. They went on to defeat the Tennessee Titans in the Super Bowl by a 23-16 score. San Francisco went in the opposite direction, winning just once more to end up at 4-12 and in fourth place in the division. It was the first time the 49ers had finished under .500 since the 1982 strike season and was the worst tally since 1979.

Kurt Warner went on to have an MVP season (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers of America, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Bert Bell Award), leading the NFL with a 109.2 passer rating, 41 touchdown passes, 65.1 completion percentage, 8.7 yards per attempt, and 8.2 TD percentage. His 4353 passing yards ranked second.

Isaac Bruce (pictured below) had a Pro Bowl year (less surprising in his case – he was an established star who had previously been selected following the ’96 season), catching 77 passes for 1165 yards (15.1 avg.) and 12 touchdowns.

2002: 49ers Defeat Giants in Thursday Night Opening Game

The NFL chose to open the 2002 regular season with a Thursday night game prior to the weekend contests. The New York Giants hosted the San Francisco 49ers at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands on September 5. There was a celebrity-filled concert at Times Square prior to the kickoff, much of it in tribute to the recovery efforts in New York City following the previous year’s terrorist attack.

The Giants, coached by Jim Fassel and NFC champions in 2000, had slipped to 7-9 in ’01 and there had been dissension sown along the way. Even a bright spot like DE Michael Strahan breaking the single-season record for sacks with 22.5 was clouded by controversy when it appeared that Green Bay QB Brett Favre had set himself up for the record-setting sack in the season finale. In the ensuing offseason, defensive coordinator John Fox left the club to become head coach of the Carolina Panthers and a mainstay at linebacker, Jessie Armstead, moved on to Washington as a free agent.

San Francisco had finished second in the NFC West under Head Coach Steve Mariucci in ’01 with a 12-4 mark and lost to Green Bay in the Wild Card round of the postseason. It was a step in the right direction after the club had run into salary cap trouble and fell below .500 in both 1999 and 2000. The passing combination of QB Jeff Garcia to WR Terrell Owens had been highly productive, although the temperamental Owens (pictured above) clashed with both coach and teammates.

For all of the pregame hoopla, the contest itself seemed anticlimactic as both teams started slowly. The 49ers got the first break on the game’s third play when safety Tony Parrish intercepted a pass by New York QB Kerry Collins. After a 16-yard run by Garcia, the Niners had a first and goal situation at the Giants seven yard line, but couldn’t get into the end zone and the resulting 25-yard field goal attempt by Jose Cortez was blocked.

New York proceeded to drive 69 yards on 11 plays with Matt Bryant, who had been cut the week before but re-signed when PK Owen Pochman had to be placed on injured reserve, booting a 29-yard field goal to give the Giants the early lead.

Cortez, the top placekicker in the XFL in 2001 with the Los Angeles Xtreme, made good on his second field goal attempt from 23 yards to tie the game at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter. That was it for the scoring until the last play of the half when Bryant narrowly made a 33-yard field goal that allowed the Giants to take a 6-3 lead into halftime.

San Francisco went ahead 10-6 in the third quarter as Garcia connected with RB Garrison Hearst on a swing pass that produced a nine-yard touchdown. The Niners seemed in control in the fourth quarter when Cortez kicked a 33-yard field goal following the third interception of a Collins pass.

However, the Giants fought back, driving 77 yards on 14 plays highlighted by Collins passes of 23 yards to WR Amani Toomer in a third-and-16 situation and 20 yards to rookie TE Jeremy Shockey. RB Tiki Barber capped the possession by diving into the end zone from a yard out, and with the successful PAT the score was tied at 13-13 with 1:49 remaining in regulation.

San Francisco’s offense took over on its 30 yard line following the kickoff, and Garcia immediately threw to Owens, who had streaked past Giants CB Jason Sehorn to make the catch on his way to a 33-yard gain. From the New York 37, Garcia passed again, this time to WR J.J. Stokes for 12 yards. After a seven-yard run by Hearst, Cortez was successful on the game-winning field goal from 36 yards. The 49ers went home with a hard-earned 16-13 victory.

Said 49ers Coach Mariucci afterward “It took us the whole game to get going, but we won. Can you call this game ugly? I guess you could say that.”

Indeed, sloppy play and penalties had marred the contest. There were 15 penalties, including 10 by the Giants. New York outgained the 49ers, 361 yards to 279, but had been undone by untimely interceptions (neither team fumbled) and penalty flags.

Terrell Owens was held to just eight yards receiving prior to the clutch catch that helped set up the winning field goal; he ended up with four receptions for 41 yards. TE Eric Johnson had the most receiving yards for the Niners with 44 on three catches. Jeff Garcia completed 16 of 26 passes for 166 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Garrison Hearst was the leading rusher with 40 yards on 12 carries.

Kerry Collins went to the air 45 times and completed 28 of those passes for 342 yards; however, he had the three interceptions as opposed to no TDs. Amani Toomer had an outstanding performance, catching 9 passes for 134 yards, but also had a 44-yard catch to inside the San Francisco 10 yard line wiped out by a holding penalty. The Giants gained just 43 yards on the ground, on 22 carries, with Tiki Barber leading the club with 29 yards on 15 attempts and the one score.


Both teams went on to finish the season with 10-6 records; in the case of the 49ers, it was good enough to win the NFC West while the Giants finished second in the NFC East and qualified for the postseason as a wild card team. They met in the Wild Card round, with San Francisco again coming out on top, 39-38, in a far-more exciting and high-scoring game that came down to a botched field goal attempt and missed pass interference call by the officials.

Terrell Owens caught a career-high 100 passes for 1300 yards and led the league with 13 touchdown receptions. The journeyman placekicker Jose Cortez (pictured above left) failed to last through the year with the 49ers and ended the 2002 season with Washington; he went on to see action with four more teams (as well as a brief second stint with the 49ers in 2005).

The Thursday night opening game was deemed a success and became an annual event, although since 2004 the host team has been the defending Super Bowl champion.