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| Jerry Rice caught four passes for 109 yards including the game-winning touchdown. |
Entering the 1988 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers were a team at a crossroads.
They had made the playoffs the previous three years without winning a playoff game, including a shocking 36-24 upset at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings the year before.
While the 49ers had arguably the greatest football of all time in wide receiver Jerry Rice and versatile running back Roger Craig, the quarterback situation was muddled as veteran Joe Montana was trying to hold off Steve Young for the starting quarterback job.
Despite having led the 49ers to two Super Bowl titles earlier in the decade, some thought Montana's days in San Francisco were numbered after head coach Bill Walsh had traded for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Steve Young before the 1987 season and allowing him to appear in eight games during the regular season.
Following a poor performance by Montana in the 49ers' playoff loss to the Vikings, the door was open for Young to become the starting quarterback.
However, Montana would start the 1988 season as the starting quarterback as he threw three touchdown passes in the 49ers' 34-33 win over the New Orleans Saints in the season opener.
But Montana bruised his right elbow during the game and did not practice for much of the week prior to the Giants game, paving the way for Young to get the start as the 49ers traveled to the Meadowlands to take on the Giants.
Like the 49ers, the Giants were at a crossroads as they were coming off a 6-9 season in 1987, missing the playoffs one year after winning the Super Bowl.
The Giants were led by head coach Bill Parcells but were missing their best player as linebacker Lawrence Taylor was out for the first four games of the 1988 regular season because of a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Despite the absence of Taylor, the Giants won their regular season opener 27-20 against the Washington Redskins as they prepared to host the 49ers in a early season showdown.
The 49ers got the ball to start the game at their 28-yard-line but would turn it over when Young was sacked by Giants linebacker Andy Headen, forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive end Eric Dorsey at the San Francisco 30-yard-line.
After Morris picked up 18 yards on three straight running plays, Giants quarterback Phil Simms fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to Lionel Manuel to give New York a 7-0 lead just 3:48 into the game.
Following the touchdown, the 49ers would get the ball back at their eight-yard-line when Young would lead San Francisco down the field as he would complete five of his next eight passes for 45 yards to set up a 3rd & 4 from the Giants' 18-yard-line when Young was sacked again, this time by Dorsey, leading to another fumble that was recovered by New York linebacker Pepper Johnson at the Giants' 24-yard-line.
A pair of 15-yard penalties on the 49ers helped the Giants drive to the San Francisco 34-yard-line where the Giants lined up to attempt a 52-yard field goal.
But the Giants never got a kick away as center Bart Oates' snap bounced to holder Jeff Hostetler, who was tackled at the New York 44-yard-line, giving the ball back to the 49ers.
From there, Young would three passes in a row for 42 yards to set up a 35-yard field goal by Mike Cofer on the second play of the second quarter to put San Francisco on the scoreboard as they trailed 7-3.
After forcing the Giants to go three-and-out on their next possessions, the 49ers got the ball at their 43-yard-line when Walsh decided to call on the running game to get San Francisco down the field.
On the 10-play, 57-yard drive, Craig would carry it twice for 28 yards, while fullback Tom Rathman had two carries for 12 yards, which was followed by Doug Dubose carrying the ball on the last two plays of the drive, with the final run being an one-yard touchdown to give the 49ers their first lead of the game at 10-7 with 9:18 left in the second quarter.
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| 49ers running back Roger Craig accounted for 179 yards of total offense as he carried the ball 18 times for 110 yards and caught nine passes for 69 yards. |
Following an exchange of punts, the Giants got the ball at their 29-yard-line with less than four minutes to go in the first half.
The Giants would pick up one 1st down until a sack by 49ers defensive end Kevin Fagan dropped Simms for a 13-yard-loss and a holding penalty on left tackle Jumbo Elliott forced a 2nd & 33 from the New York 17-yard-line.
Simms would hit running back George Adams for six yards on 2nd down, then connect with Mark Ingram for 25 yards on 3rd down to set up 4th & 2 from the Giants' 48-yard-line.
That is when Parcells decided to gamble and go for the 1st down which he got when running back Joe Morris went up the middle for a 11-yard run to the 49ers' 41-yard-line.
Simms would connect with Ingram for again, this time for nine yards, which were followed by two straight runs by Adams for 13 yards to the 49ers' 19-yard-line with 23 seconds left before halftime.
Simms would throw two straight incomplete passes, forcing the Giants to settle for a 36-yard field goal by Allegre to tie the game at 10 with just nine seconds left in the first half.
However, the 49ers would get one more chance to put points on the board after Allegre's kickoff went out of bounds to give San Francisco the football at their 35-yard-line, which was followed up by a 20-yard run by Young, who went out of bounds at the New York 45-yard-line with enough time on the clock to give Cofer a shot at a 62-yard field goal.
But Cofer's kick was short and the score remained tied 10-10 as the two teams went into the locker room for the halftime break.
After the 49ers defense forced the Giants to punt on their opening possession of the second half, Walsh decided to insert Montana into the game as the 49ers offense came out onto the field to begin their initial possession of the second half at their 41-yard-line.
If Montana's elbow was sore, it didn't show as he completed five of seven passes 42 yards to set up a 26-yard field goal to give the 49ers a 13-10 lead midway through the third quarter.
The Giants would get the ball back at their 31-yard-line and would drive to the 49ers' 39-yard-line until they were faced with another 4th & 2 situation.
Again, Parcells decided to go for the 1st down, but this time it was unsuccessful as Morris would be stopped one yard short, giving the 49ers the ball at their 38-yard-line.
Following another exchange of punts, the 49ers got the ball at their 27-yard-line as went back to the running game as Craig carried the ball four times for 34 yards while Rathman ran for 10 yards on one carry and caught a 11-yard pass to lead San Francisco to the New York 18-yard-line as the game went into the 4th quarter.
But two straight incomplete passes, including a rare drop by Rice on what would have been a touchdown, forced the 49ers to call on Cofer to attempt a 35-yard field goal, which sailed wide right to keep it a three-point game at 13-10 with 12:51 left in regulation.
Both teams would trade punts on their ensuing possessions giving the ball back to the Giants who took over at their 17-yard-line as they drove down to the 49ers' 21-yard-line, thanks in large part to Simms, who hit Manuel twice for 39 yards and Morris for 16 yards to help set up a 39-yard field goal attempt by Allegre that would tie the game.
But Allegre's kick sailed wide left keeping it 13-10 in favor of the 49ers with 3:18 left in regulation and a chance to run out the clock.
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| Giants wide receiver Lionel Manuel caught six passes for 80 yards and scored both of the Giants' touchdowns. |
With the help of an illegal use of the hands penalty on left guard Jesse Sapolu, the Giants were able to force a three-and-out as the 49ers were set to punt the ball from their 13-yard-line with 2:15 left.
Barry Helton's punt only traveled 34 yards to the San Francisco 47-yard-line, where it was fielded by Giants wide receiver Phil McConkey, whose 32-yard return set the Giants up at the 49ers' 15-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.
After Morris was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Simms dropped back to pass and found Manuel for a 15-yard touchdown to put the Giants ahead 17-13 with 1:21 left in the game.
Even though they had the lead, the Giants knew the game was far from over as the 49ers had two timeouts left and Joe Montana behind center.
On the ensuing kickoff, Dubose looked to make a good return as he picked up Allegre's kickoff at his 14-yard-line and ran nine yards before fumbling the ball which was recovered by teammate Sam Kennedy at the San Francisco 23-yard-line.
On 1st down, Montana threw a pass to Rice, who dropped his second pass of the game, which was followed by Montana fumbling the snap from center Randy Cross on 2nd down, with Montana recovering it after an one-yard-loss setting up 3rd & 11.
That is when Walsh called "76 All Go" a play that called for four wide receivers to run down the field in hopes that the quarterback would hit him on a deep pass.
As the 49ers broke the huddle, Wes Chandler and Calvin Nicholas lined up on the left side while Rice and Mike Wilson lined up on the right side, with Rathman in the backfield and Montana behind center.
Montana took the snap, dropped back, and fired a pass toward the right sideline that was caught by Rice in stride at the 49ers' 45-yard-line when Giants safety Kenny Hill, who was running over to help on the play, collided with cornerback Mark Collins, allowing for Rice to run in untouched for a shocking 78-yard touchdown to give San Francisco a 20-17 lead with 42 seconds left in regulation.
The Giants took over at their 27-yard-line but only made it to the 49ers' 47-yard-line as time ran out as San Francisco had come away with the 20-17 win.
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