NFL Old School Game of the Week: Cardinals Rally From 23 Points Down to Shock 49ers

Roy Green raises his arms in celebration after his game-winning touchdown catch against the 49ers in 1988.

In Week 10 of the 1988 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers would play their first ever game in the state of the Arizona as they took on the Phoenix Cardinals(they changed the name to Arizona in 1994).

It would be an experience that the 49ers would like to forget while for the Cardinals it would be one of the greatest victories in team history.

 On March 15, 1988, the NFL voted to allow Brian Bidwell, owner of the St. Louis Cardinals, to move his team to Phoenix, Arizona as the Cardinals would play their home games at Sun Devil Stadium, home of the Arizona State Sun Devils, in Tempe which is about 10 miles away from downtown Phoenix.

For the Cardinals' inaugural season in Arizona, the team was led by head coach Gene Stallings, who was trying to get Phoenix to the postseason for the first time since 1982 and the first time in a non-strike shortned season since 1975.

At quarterback was Neil Lomax, an eight-year veteran who had thrown for a franchise record 4,614 yards in 1984 and 3,387 in 1987, which was tops in the NFL for most passing yards by a quarterback as his favorite targets were wide receivers Roy Green and J.T. Smith.

Following an 0-2 start to the season, the Cardinals would go on a four-game winning streak as Phoenix would improve its record to 5-4 entering their showdown with the 49ers.

While the Cardinals were just hoping to make it to the playoffs, the 49ers had dreams of making it back to the Super Bowl as San Francisco had won two Super Bowls earlier in the decade behind head coach Bill Walsh and quarterback Joe Montana.

However prior to the 1987 season, Walsh traded two NFL draft picks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for quarterback Steve Young, as the creator of the West Coast offense thought that Montana was on the tail end of his career especially after a serious back injury sidelined Montana for several weeks during the 1986 season.

For the 1988 season, Montana would start the game at quarterback but at certain times would be replaced by Young for a series of two, leading to confusion on who really was the 49ers' starting quarterback as San Francisco went 6-3 over the first nine games of the '88 season.

With Montana bothered by his back, Young would get the start for the 49ers' trip to Phoenix to take on the Cardinals as Young hoped to rely on running back Roger Craig and wide receiver Jerry Rice to lead San Francisco to victory.

The 49ers got the ball to start the game as they would use their running game to drive down the field with the biggest run being a 21-yard run by Young as San Francisco moved 53 yards in eight plays to set up a 42-yard field goal by Mike Cofer to give the 49ers an early 3-0 lead.

Neither team could mount a drive for the rest of the first quarter until the 49ers put together a 10-play, 70-yard drive that spilled over into the second quarter as fullback Tom Rathman accounted for 30 yards on the drive with a 16-yard reception and two runs for 14 yards, all leading up to a three-yard touchdown run by Craig to increase San Francisco's lead to 10-0 with 12:06 to go in the second quarter.

The Cardinals would start their next possession at their 27-yard-line as a four-yard run by Stump Mitchell and a quarterback sack by the 49ers' defensive lineman Michael Carter and Larry Roberts would force a 3rd & 14 situation when Lomax completed a 22-yard pass to J.T. Smith only for him to fumble after a hit by San Francisco strong safety Jeff Fuller.

Linebacker Keena Turner would make the recovery to give the 49ers the ball at the Cardinals' 44-yard-line where Young would complete a 14-yard pass to Rice which was followed by a 25-yard run by Craig would give San Francisco a 1st & goal at the Phoenix five-yard-line.

However, the Cardinals' defense would keep the 49ers out of the end zone as a quarterback sack by Phoenix defensive tackle Bob Clasby would stall the drive and force San Francisco to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Cofer which increased the 49ers' lead to 13-0 with 8:24 left in the second quarter.

49ers running back Roger Craig would run for 162 yards on 26 carries and score one touchdown.

The Cardinals would then have its best drive of the game thus far as they drove from their 20-yard-line to the San Francisco 46-yard-line thanks in large part to running back Earl Ferrell, who carried the ball on the first three plays of the drive, as he gained 25 yards on his three carries.

But it was Ferrell who would cough up the football after a hit by 49ers linebacker Mike Walter as free safety Ronnie Lott would make the recovery to give San Francisco the ball at their 38-yard-line.

The 49ers would go three-and-out as a holding penalty would wipe out an eight-yard run by Rice on 3rd & 1 which was followed by Young was running for 11 yards on 3rd & 11 only for an illegal block push the 49ers back another 10 yards to set up 3rd & 21 when Young was sacked once again by Clasby forcing San Francisco to punt the ball back to the Cardinals.

The Cardinals would once again move into San Francisco territory and once again Ferrell would fumble the football as Turner would make his second recovery of the first half to give the 49ers the ball at their 42-yard-line with 1:34 left before halftime.

The drive would begin with a 19-yard pass from Young to Rice which was followed by two runs by Craig for 12 yards and then a 15-yard pass from Young to Mike Wilson to give the 49ers a 1st down at the Cardinals' 12-yard-line.

But the 49ers could not put into the end zone as they ended up settling for another field goal by Cofer, this one from 30 yards out which increase their lead to 16-0 as the first half came to an end.

After the Cardinals went three-and-out on their opening possession of the second half, the 49ers would put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took over six minutes off the clock and did not end until Young threw a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brent Jones, the first touchdown of Jones' career, to increase San Francisco's lead to 23-0 with 7:20 left in the third quarter.

At this point you couldn't blame Phoenix fans for thinking the game was over but there was hope on the Cardinals sidelines that they could come back and win as one year earlier, the Cards scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to overcome a 25-point deficit and defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-28 in the largest fourth quarter comeback in NFL history.

Going to a no-huddle offense, the Cardinals would start their next possession at their 26-yard-line as Lomax would complete a 15-yard pass to Smith on the first play of the drive as three plays later, Phoenix was faced with a 4th & 1 when Stallings decided to keep the offense on the field and go for the 1st down which they got when Ferrell ran for two yards to give the Cardinals a fresh set of downs at the San Francisco 48-yard-line.

After Ferrell caught a pass for nine yards then ran for four more yards to give Phoenix a 1st down, Lomax would hit Green in the corner of the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown to put the Cardinals on the scoreboard as they cut the 49ers' lead to 23-7 with 3:39 to go in the third quarter.

The 49ers would hold the ball for the rest of the third quarter as they drove from their 25-yard-line to the Cardinals' 37-yard-line where they would face a 3rd & 5 as the fourth quarter began with an apparent 1st down as Young scrambled for eight yards, only for it to be nullified by a holding penalty to set up 3rd & 15 when Young was sacked by Phoenix linebacker Kevin Harvey, forcing San Francisco to punt the ball back to the Cardinals.

Taking over at their 34-yard-line, the Cardinals would drive down to the field on the right arm of Lomax as he would complete four straight passes for 52 yards to move Phoenix to the San Francisco seven-yard-line when on 2nd & 5, Green dropped a sure touchdown that ended up costing the Cardinals four points as they settled for a 24-yard field goal by Al Del Greco to cut the 49ers' lead to 23-10 with 10:51 to go in the fourth quarter.

Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax would 19 of 30 passes for 214 yards and threw three touchdowns passes in the second half alone.

Following a 49ers three-and-out, the Cardinals got the ball back at the 50-yard-line as a holding penalty would wipe out a 11-yard pass from Lomax to Ernie Jones on 3rd & 10 as Phoenix ended up punting the ball back to San Francisco, only to get a reprieve as a holding penalty on 49ers cornerback Eric Wright before the punt gave the Cardinals a 1st down at the San Francisco 45-yard-line.

However, the Cardinals would end up punting the ball to the 49ers anyway as San Francisco would begin its next possession at their nine-yard-line hoping to some run clock as Craig carried the ball on three straight plays, gaining nine yards to force another San Francisco punt as the Cardinals would once again take over possession at the 50-yard-line with 4:11 to play.

From there, Lomax would complete four straight passes to four different receivers for 48 yards to put the Cardinals at the 49ers' two-yard-line with a 1st & goal to go.

But two incomplete passes and a run by Ferrell that lost three yards would set up a do-or-die 4th & goal when Lomax found Jones for a five-yard touchdown to make it a 23-17 game with 2:17 left in the game.

Stallings decided against an onside kick as the Cardinals still had two timeouts plus the two-minute warning as the 49ers would take over at their 15-yard-line hoping to pick up a 1st down to put the game away.

Craig would run for seven yards on 1st down, then would lose one yard on 2nd down to set up 3rd & 4 when Young kept the ball on a bootleg around the left side as he would try to stretch the ball to pick up the 1st down while being pursued by Cardinals linebacker E.J. Junior.

Young and the 49ers that he picked up the 1st down but the referees spotted him short which was reviewed by the instant replay booth and upheld, forcing the 49ers to punt the ball back to the Cardinals, who took over at their 34-yard-line with 1:27 to play in the game and needing a touchdown to win.

The drive would begin with Lomax completing a nine-yard pass to Smith which was followed by a 14-yard pass to Jones to give the Cardinals a 1st down at the 49ers' 43-yard-line where Lomax would throw an incomplete pass to stop the clock.

Lomax would then hit Smith for nine yards before connecting with Jones for a 25-yard completion to put the Cardinals at the 49ers' nine-yard-line when Lomax threw a pass out of bounds to stop the clock with six seconds to go.

Having perhaps just one chance to get into the end zone, Lomax lofted a pass for Green in the back of the end zone, who would make the catch despite good coverage from 49ers defensive back Darryl Pollard to tie the game at 23 with three seconds to go.

The play would be reviewed and upheld as Al Del Greco would come on to kick the go-ahead extra point as the 49ers could not pull off a miracle on the ensuing kickoff as time expired with the Cardinals on top 24-23 to complete the second greatest comeback in team history.

The collapse against the Cardinals would not be the low point for the 49ers as they would fall to the Los Angeles Raiders 9-3 the following week to drop San Francisco's record to 6-5.

Walsh would then name Montana the starting quarterback for the rest of the season as the 49ers would go on a four-game winning streak to clinch the NFC West division title with a 10-6 record as San Francisco would beat the Minnesota Vikings 34-9 in the Divisional Round, then knocked off the Chicago Bears 28-3 in the NFC Championship Game to send the 49ers to their third Super Bowl in eight years.

In Super Bowl XXIII, Montana would lead the 49ers on 11-play, 92-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes of the game as his 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor would give San Francisco a 20-16 win and its third Lombardi Trophy in what would be Walsh's final game as the 49ers' head coach.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals seemed destined to return to the postseason especially after defeating the New York Giants 24-17 the following week to improve their record to 7-4 only to go on a five-game losing streak to end the season with a 7-9 record as Phoenix failed to earn a playoff spot.

The following season would be a tumultuous one for the Cardinals as Lomax missed the entire season because of an arthritic hip, which would lead to his retirement in 1990, while head coach Gene Stallings announced he would step down as head coach at the end of the season, only for general manager Larry Wilson to fire him and replace him with running backs coach Hank Kuhlmann.

The Cardinals would go 0-5 under Kuhlmann as they would finish the '89 season with a 5-11 record as it would they would have to wait until 1998 to finally earn a trip to the NFL postseason.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Elway & Broncos Knock off Montana & 49ers in Infamous "Snowball Game"

 Broncos quarterback John Elway threw for 215 yards and two TDs in leading Denver to a comeback win over the 49ers in 1985.

When the San Francisco 49ers traveled to Mile High Stadium to take on the Denver Broncos in week 10 of the 1985 NFL season, they knew they had a daunting task ahead of them as they would have to deal with the noise from nearly 75,000 Bronco fans.

Little did they know that one fan would have a impact on the game not by making noise but by throwing an object onto the field.

The Broncos came into the game atop the AFC Western Division with a 6-3 record while the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers came in with a 5-4 record, hoping to get a win to make up some distance on the 1st place Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Western Division.

Both teams were led by future Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks as San Francisco was led by two-time Super Bowl MVP Joe Montana while Denver had third-year sensation John Elway at the helm.

Two days before their showdown, seven inches of snow fell in Denver forcing the field crew at Mile High Stadium to try and get as much snow off the field before the Broncos' showdown with the 49ers on Monday Night Football.

The crew got the playing field clear but the stands were still filled with snow as the temperature at kickoff was 17 degrees with a wind chill of 9 degrees.

It was a scene reminiscent of the Broncos' last Monday Night Football appearance when they defeated the Green Bay Packers 17-14 in a blizzard(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/08/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-broncos.html).

The 49ers got the ball to start the game as they drove from their 20-yard-line to the Denver 41-yard-line until they were forced to punt when Max Runager shanked the punt as the kick only went one yard to give the Broncos the ball at their 40-yard-line.

While the shanked punt did not immediately hurt the 49ers as the Broncos went three-and-out on their first possession of the game, it come back to haunt after the 49ers went three-and-out on their ensuing possession to give Denver the ball at the San Francisco 37-yard-line.

From there, running back Sammy Winder would carry the ball two straight times for six yards to set up 3rd & 4 when Elway found Steve Watson for 13 yards and a 1st down which was followed by two more runs by Winder for 10 yards to give Denver a 1st & goal at the 49ers' eight-yard-line.

After a two-yard run by Winder on 1st down and a three-yard catch by the running back on 2nd down, Elway found another Denver running back, Gene Lang, for a three-yard touchdown to give the Broncos a 7-0 lead with 4:47 left in the first quarter.

The Broncos would have their own special teams miscue later in the quarter when 49ers linebacker Ron Ferrari partially blocked a punt to give San Francisco the ball at the Denver 40-yard-line.

Montana would hit tight end John Frank for 14 yards to start the drive which was followed by three straight running plays that picked up 18 yards until Montana threw two straight incomplete passes to force the 49ers to settle for a 26-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to cut the Broncos' lead to 7-3.

49ers quarterback Joe Montana completed 17 of 40 passes for 222 yards and threw one TD.

Following an exchange of punts, the Broncos had the ball at their 42-yard-line facing a 2nd & 1 when Elway handed the ball off to Winder, who ran up to the line of scrimmage then tossed it back to Elway on a flea flicker as the third-year quarterback hit Vance Johnson for 50 yards to give Denver a 1st & goal at the San Francisco eight-yard-line.

Three plays later, the Broncos were in the end zone again as Elway connected with Watson for a six-yard touchdown to increase the Denver lead to 14-3 with 8:59 left in the second quarter.

Later in the quarter, the 49ers would be given a great opportunity to score their first touchdown of the game as center Glenn Hyde's 4th down snap went over the head of punter Chris Norman, who managed to get on the football before he was touched by Ferrari to give San Francisco the ball at the Broncos' four-yard-line.

After a two-yard run by Derrick Harmon, Montana lofted a pass to the back of the end zone intended for running back Earl Cooper, who bobbled the ball before making the catch, only to land out of bounds to make the pass incomplete and bring up 3rd down where fullback Roger Craig dropped a Montana pass to set up 4th down.

Instead of taking a 19-yard field goal to make it 14-6, head coach Bill Walsh decided to go for the touchdown as Montana handed it off to Craig who was tackled by Broncos defensive end Andre Townsend one yard short of the end zone to give the ball back to Denver at its one-yard-line.

The Broncos would drive to their 31-yard-line before they had to punt the ball back to the 49ers who took over at their 39-yard-line with 1:43 left in the first half and three timeouts.

The drive got off to a good start as Montana completed a 33-yard pass to rookie wide receiver Jerry Rice to give the 49ers a 1st down at the Broncos' 28-yard-line as the next three San Francisco plays picked up nine yards to set up a 4th & 1 at the 19-yard-line when Walsh decided to go for the 1st down.

This time, Walsh's gamble would pay off as Montana handed it off to Craig, who ran for eight yards and a 1st down at the Denver 11-yard-line.

Two incomplete passes and a nine-yard run by Craig would set up 4th & 1 at the Broncos' two-yard-line when Walsh decided to send in the field goal unit to give the 49ers some points before halftime.

That is when a Broncos fan made his or her presence felt as a snowball landed right in front of holder Matt Cavanuagh just as center Randy Cross snapped the ball distracting Cananaugh just long enough to make him bobble the snap.

The former University of Pittsburgh quarterback tried to gather himself and find an open receiver but ended up throwing an incomplete pass to give the ball back to the Broncos who took over at their two-yard-line and took a knee to run out the clock in the first half with Denver on top 14-3.

After the Broncos punted on their opening possession of the second half, the 49ers got the ball at their 32-yard-line when Montana connected with Mike Wilson for a 44-yard completion to put San Francisco at the Denver 24-yard-line as Craig ran for 11 yards on the next two plays to set up Montana's 13-yard touchdown pass to Wilson to cut the Broncos' lead to 14-10 with 10:41 to go in the third quarter.

It would not take long for the 49ers to get the ball back as Elway was intercepted by Lott on the Broncos' next play from scrimmage to give San Francisco possession at the Denver 40-yard-line.

The 49ers would run the ball five straight times, picking up 34 yards until the drive stalled at the Denver six-yard-line forcing San Francisco to settle for another field goal attempt by Wersching.

This time, no snowballs were thrown as Wersching calmly made the 22-yard field goal to cut the Denver lead to one point at 14-13 with 7:28 left in the third quarter.

The Broncos would then drive 54 yards in nine plays to set up 1st & goal from the 49ers' nine-yard-line when running back Gerald Wilhite carried the ball on three straight plays picking up eight yards to bring up 4th & goal at the one-yard-line.

Denver head coach Dan Reeves decided to go for the touchdown as Elway handed the ball off to Winder, who was stopped at the line of scrimmage by Lott to keep the Broncos out of the end zone and give the ball back to San Francisco.

The 49ers would go three-and-out to punt the ball back to the Broncos, who took over at the 49ers' 45-yard-line where Elway completed a 14-yard pass to Johnson on the final play of the third quarter, which was followed by three straight incomplete passes, forcing Denver to attempt a 48-yard field goal by Rich Karlis.

Karlis' kick was long enough but wide left and no good to give the ball back to the 49ers who took over at their 31-yard-line with 14:40 left in the fourth quarter.

Both teams would trade punts until the 49ers got the ball again at their 37-yard-line with 5:30 to go in the game when Montana completed a 13-yard pass to Craig followed by a 16-yard completion to Rice to give the 49ers a 1st down at the Denver 34-yard-line.

After the next three plays picked up six yards, Wersching was called on to attempt a 45-yard field goal, which he made to give the 49ers their first lead of the game at 16-14 with 3:36 left in the game.

Following a 25-yard return by Lang on the ensuing kickoff, the Broncos took over at their 30-yard-line as the drive began with a two-yard run by Wilhite, followed by a false start penalty and an incomplete pass to bring up 3rd & 13 from the Denver 27-yard-line.

That is when Elway scrambled around in the pocket before firing a long pass intended for Watson, only for the pass to hit the right shoulder of 49ers free safety Dwight Hicks, who was defending the Denver receiver,  and fall incomplete.

However, because Hicks never turned around until the ball hit him, he was called for face guarding or pass interference, giving the Broncos a 1st down at the 49ers' 31-yard-line following the 42-yard penalty.

Two more incomplete passes would set up another 3rd down situation for the Broncos when Elway was able to dodge a safety blitz by Lott and fire a 22-yard pass to Watson to give Denver 1st & goal at the 49ers' nine-yard-line.

The Broncos would run three more plays netting only two yards before calling on Karlis to attempt the go-ahead field goal which he made from 24 yards out to give Denver a 17-16 lead with 1:27 remaining.

Rich Karlis(3) would make the game-winning field goal in the infamous "Snowball Game".

The 49ers would get one last chance as they began their next possession at their 20-yard-line but could not pick up a 1st down as the clock ran out with the Broncos on top 17-16.

While the loss to the Broncos did not keep the 49ers out of the playoffs as they finished with a 10-6 record, it did have an effect on their seeding as San Francisco finished one game back of the Rams for the NFC West division title.

If the 49ers had defeated Denver, they would have finished in a tie with the Rams and won the NFC West based on their division record which was better than Los Angeles and would allow San Francisco to earn the #2 seed and a first round bye in the NFC playoffs.

Instead, the 49ers were forced to travel to the Meadowlands where they would fall to the New York Giants 17-3 in the NFC Wild Card Game.

As for the Broncos, they would miss the playoffs despite finishing with a 11-5 record as Denver would finish one game back of the Los Angeles Raiders for the AFC West division title and would lose out on tiebreakers for a Wild Card spot to both the New York Jets and the New England Patriots.

While the "Snowball Game" did not have an significant effect on the Broncos' season, it did change their stadium policies as the organization announced that if any fan threw a snowball onto the field, they would be ejected from the stadium and possibly be banned from attending any more Broncos games.

Three days later after the incident, an anonymous fan apologized for throwing the snowball in an article that was published in the San Francisco Examiner.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Montana to Rice Last-Minute TD Gives 49ers Stunning Victory over Giants

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.

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.

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.

The loss was one of four for the Giants by a touchdown or less, including the regular season finale which they lost to the New York Jets, which cost the Giants a playoff spot as they finished with a 10-6 record but lost on a conference tiebreaker as the Los Angeles Rams finished with a better NFC record than the Giants.

As for the 49ers, they would struggle for much of the season as Montana and Young continue to trade snaps at quarterback only to have the 49ers fall to a 6-5 record with five weeks in the season.

That is when Walsh decided that Montana would be his starting quarterback for the rest of the season which paid off for the 49ers as they won four of their last five games to finish with a 10-6 record, good enough to win the NFC West division title.

In the playoffs, Rice would dominate as he caught three touchdown passes in the 49ers' 34-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round, then caught five passes for 133 yards and scored two more touchdowns in San Francisco's 28-3 rout of the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game.

Then in Super Bowl XXIII, Rice would catch a then Super Bowl record 11 passes for a record 215 yards and score one touchdown as the 49ers knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 as Montana threw the game-winning touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left for the 49ers' third Super Bowl title in the 1980s.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: "Majik Man" Leads Packers to Upset Win over 49ers

Packers quarterback Don Majkowski ran for two touchdowns and threw another in the Packers' upset win over the 49ers.

Don Majkowski is unfortunately famous for being the quarterback that Brett Favre replaced in 1992 to begin Favre's incredible streak of starting 321 games after the "Majik Man" sprained his ankle in the third game of the 1992 season.
But if you talk to Packers fans, they will tell you about an magical season that Majkowski lead Green Bay on in 1989.
Majkowski arrived in Green Bay in 1987 after a four-year career at the University of Virginia where Majkowski helped the Cavaliers to their first ever bowl game in 1984 where the "Hoos" beat the Purdue Boilermakers 27-24 in the Peach Bowl.
Majkowski was selected in the 10th round of the '87 draft and spent the next two years splitting time with Randy Wright as the Packers' starting quarterback as Green Bay went a combined 9-21-1 over that two-year span.
In fact, the last two decades were considered the dark ages for the Packers has they made the playoffs only twice and four winning seasons since they won the first two Super Bowls.
Majkowski would win the starting job as the 1989 season and with his ability to create plays with his arm and legs, Majkowski earned the nickname the "Majik Man" as he lead Green Bay to a 5-5 record, with four of those wins coming by a field goal or less, including a memorable 14-13 win over the Chicago Bears that became known as the "Instant Replay Game" as Majkowski hit Sterling Sharpe for a game-winning 14-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left after instant replay overturned the referees' call of Majkowski stepping beyond the line of scrimmage to throw the pass.
This win and the others like it dubbed the '89 Packers as the "Cardiac Pack" as they traveled to San Francisco to take on the 49ers in Week 11.
Not only were the 49ers the defending Super Bowl champions, but they had the best record in the league at 9-1, with their only loss being a 13-12 loss to their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams.
Even though they had a first-year head coach in George Seifert, the 49ers still had Joe Montana at quarterback, Roger Craig at running back, Jerry Rice and John Taylor at wide receiver, and an underrated defense that was lead by safety Ronnie Lott.
With the 49ers riding a six-game winning streak and Majkowski limited because of an hyper-extended knee, the Packers were not given much of a chance as they were listed as 11-point underdogs to beat the 49ers in San Francisco.
But to quote legendary ESPN anchor Chris Berman, that is why they play the games.
 The Packers got the ball to start the game and used their running game to drive down the field as running back Brent Fullwood carried the ball six times for 42 yards on a 10-play, 69-yard drive that took up nearly seven minutes which was capped off with an one-yard touchdown run by Majkowski off a quarterback bootleg to give Green Bay a 7-0 lead.

Getting the ball at their 20-yard-line, the 49ers would drive down the field on the right arm of Montana as he completed all six of his passes for 77 yards with the last completion being a four-yard touchdown to Craig which tied the game at 7 with 4:11 left in the first quarter.

49ers quarterback Joe Montana would complete 30 of 42 passes for 325 yards and throw two touchdowns.

The Packers would hold the ball for nearly seven minutes on their ensuing possession which dragged into the second quarter, only to have the drive stall at the San Francisco 43-yard-line, forcing Green Bay to punt the ball back to the 49ers who took over at that 19-yard-line.
However, the Packers would get the ball when on 2nd & 11, Green Bay defensive back Chuck Cecil intercepted a Montana pass intended for Taylor and returned it 16 yards to the San Francisco nine-yard-line.
After two runs by Michael Haddix picked up five yards, Majkowski went back to pass on 3rd & goal and fired a pass that was tipped by 49ers cornerback Don Griffin, only to fall into the hands of Sharpe for a four-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a 14-7 lead with 9:54 to go in the second quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, the 49ers' Terry Greer returned the kick 17 yards to the San Francisco 25-yard-line until he was hit by Packers linebacker Mike Weddington, knocking the ball loose which was recovered by Green Bay's Carl Bland to give the Packers the ball at the 49ers' 25-yard-line.
However, the 49ers would dodge a bullet as they not allowed a 1st down, but force a 38-yard field goal attempt by Chris Jacke which hooked wide right to keep it a 14-7 game.
Following an exchange of punts, the 49ers were pinned back as they had the ball at their two-yard-line.
The 49ers would get out of their territory as Montana hit tight end Brent Jones for six yards on the first play from scrimmage, which was followed by a 13-yard run by Craig to give San Francisco a 1st down at their 21-yard-line.
San Francisco would run five more plays, picking up 19 yards when the two-minute hit as the 49ers faced a 3rd & 3 at their 40-yard-line.
That is the 49ers put the ball back in Montana's hands as he hit Mike Wilson for 13 yards to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Packers' 47-yard-line.
After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Montana would complete his next four passes, with Taylor catching three of them, for 43 yards until he spiked the ball to stop the clock with 16 seconds left at the Packers' nine-yard-line.
Following the spike, Montana would find Rice in the back of the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown, completing a 15-play, 98-yard drive where Montana completed 10 of 12 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown to tie the game at 14 with nine seconds left before halftime.
The Packers would take a knee to run out the clock in the first half as they headed to the locker room tied at 14, but having to go defense to start the second half as the 49ers would be receiving the second half kickoff.
However on the third play of the second half, Montana was sacked by Packers strong safety Mark Murphy, causing a fumble that was recovered by nose tackle Bob Nelson to give Green Bay the ball at the San Francisco 44-yard-line.
The Packers would pick up one 1st down when Majkowski connected with Sharpe for 12 yards to start the drive, but would be forced to punt the ball back to the 49ers after Majkowski was sacked on 3rd & 10 by Charles Haley for an nine-yard loss, pushing Green Bay back to the San Francisco 41-yard-line.

Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe would catch six passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.

The 49ers would get the ball at their 20-yard-line but would quickly be in Packers territory after Montana connected with Craig for a 44-yard catch-and-run to put the 49ers at the Green Bay 36-yard-line, only to have Taylor fumble the ball at the end of a five-yard catch that was recovered by Packers linebacker Tim Harris.
The Packers would go three-and-out punting the ball back to the 49ers who took over at their 28-yard-line and drive to the Green Bay 36-yard-line until a sack by defensive end Blaise Winter temporarily knocked Montana out of the game and forced Seifert to put backup Steve Young for a critical 3rd & 8.
But Young would be dropped for a seven-yard loss after he was sacked by Harris, forcing the 49ers to punt the ball back to the Packers who took over at their six-yard-line.
Following an one-yard run by Fullwood on 1st down, Majkowski would complete three passes in a row, gaining 36 yards, which was followed by two incomplete passes and then a 12-yard completion to Bland to give the Packers a 1st down at the 49ers' 45-yard-line.
The Packers would go back to the running game as Majkowski handed the ball off to Fullwood two straight times, with the second carry resulting in disaster as Fullwood fumbled the football after he was hit by 49ers linebacker Mike Walter, which was recovered by Matt Millen to give San Francisco the ball at their 43-yard-line.
From there, the 49ers would drive 30 yards in seven plays to set up a 45-yard field goal attempt by Mike Cofer, only to have the kick go wide right, keeping the game tied at 14 as the third quarter came to a close.
Majkowski and the Packers would drive to the 49ers' 13-yard-line when the biggest play of the game occurred.
On 2nd & 8, Majkowski threw a pass that was intercepted by 49ers strong safety Chet Brooks, who returned the interception all the way for a 94-yard touchdown, only to have it called back because defensive end Danny Stubbs lined up in the neutral zone, drawing an offsides penalty allowing for Green Bay to keep the football as they moved five yards closer to the end zone.
After Haddix was stopped for no gain on 2nd down, Majkowksi lined up in the shotgun for 3rd & 3, only to run a quarterback draw up the middle for an eight-yard touchdown to give the Packers a 21-14 lead with 11:55 left in the fourth quarter.
The 49ers would get the ball at their 33-yard-line as Montana lead the 49ers down to the Packers' 27-yard-line before Seifert called on Cofer to attempt a 44-yard field goal, which he made to cut the Green Bay lead to 21-17 with 7:43 left in the game.
The Packers could not pick a 1st down on their ensuing possession, forcing them to punt the ball back to the 49ers who took over in Packers territory at the Green Bay 41-yard-line after a 30-yard punt by Don Bracken and an eight-yard return by Taylor.
With 5:49 left on the clock and needing just 41 yards to pick up for the go-ahead touchdown and with one of the greatest clutch quarterbacks in NFL history at the helm, it seemed inevitable that the 49ers were going to score and take the lead.
Things got off to a good start as Montana hit Rice for eight yards to start the drive, which was followed by a five-yard run by Tom Rathman to give San Francisco a 1st down at the Green Bay 28-yard-line.
But a false start penalty on guard Terry Tausch and a sack by defensive end Robert Brown pushed the 49ers back 14 yards for 2nd & 24 from the Packers' 42-yard-line.
Montana would get the 14 yards back when he hit Rice on 2nd down, only to lose five of those yards when tackle Harris Barton drew a false start penalty leading to 3rd & 15 where Montana connected with Rice again but only for one yard setting up 4th & 14 at the Green Bay 32-yard-line.
That is when Montana dropped back and fired a deep pass for Rice, only to have Murphy knock it down at the Green Bay 10-yard-line for an incompletion that forced a turnover on downs and gave the Packers the ball at their 32-yard-line with 2:02 left in the game.
With the two-minute warning and one timeout in the 49ers' pocket, the Packers would need one 1st down to clinch the game.
Keith Woodside would run for just one yard on 1st down, which was followed by an eight-yard run by Majkowski, setting up a 3rd & 1 with 1:51 left as San Francisco burned its last timeout.
Majkowski handed the ball off to Fullwood, who ran for 15 yards to the 49ers' 44-yard-line to pick up the 1st down and allow for Majkowski to take a few knees to run out the clock as the Packers came away with the 21-17 victory.

Packers running back Brent Fullwood carried the ball 16 times for 76 yards, including a 15-yard run that iced the game.

The loss to the Packers would be the last time the 49ers would lose in the 1989 season as they would win their final five games of the regular season, including a 30-27 thriller over the Rams(Click on the link to read about that game: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/nfl-old-school-game-of-week-montana.html) to finish the regular season with a 14-2 record and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The 49ers would then their dismantle their three playoff opponents, the Minnesota Vikings(41-13), the Rams(30-3), and the Denver Broncos(55-10)on their way to their second straight Super Bowl title and fourth in nine years.
As for the Packers, they would finish with a 10-6 record, their best season since 1972, but would miss out on the playoffs as they finished in a tie for the NFC Central Division title with the Vikings, who had a better conference record than the Packers to give Minnesota the division title while Green Bay finished one game back of the Rams and the Eagles for a Wild Card spot.
Majkowski would finish the season with 4,318 yards to lead the league in passing as he was selected to his first and only Pro Bowl.
The 1989 season would be the high point of Majkowski's career as a torn rotator cuff ended his 1990 season which was followed up with a benching during the 1991 season.
Majkowski won the starting quarterback job prior to the start of the 1992 season but then has previously stated was injured during the Packers' third game of the season and never regained the starting quarterback job.
Majkowski would bounce around the NFL for four more years as he served as a backup quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts from 1993-94 and the Detroit Lions from 1995-96 before retiring after the 1996 season.

NFL Old School Game of the Week: Montana + Taylor Lead Niners to Comeback Win over Rams

49ers wide receiver John Taylor put together a historic performance against the Rams in 1989.

For a player that lined up alongside the greatest wide receiver of all time in Jerry Rice, John Taylor did not have a bad career.
In his nine-year career from 1987-95, Taylor caught 347 passes for 5,598 yards and score 43 touchdowns while being named to the Pro Bowl twice.
He also won three Super Bowl rings with the first one being the 49ers' legendary 20-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII where Taylor caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 34 seconds left.
Even though he caught the game-winning touchdown in the game, he was still in Rice's shadow as Rice caught 11 passes for 215 yards to earn Super Bowl MVP honors.
But one Monday night in December 1989, Taylor had the spotlight to himself as he put together a legendary performance against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football.
The 49ers were under the direction of first-year head coach George Seifert, who had taken over head coaching duties after Bill Walsh's retirement following their win in Super Bowl XXIII.
But with an offense which featured Rice, Taylor, running back Roger Craig and perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time in Joe Montana, Seifert's first year was less stressful as they entered the game with Los Angeles with a 11-2 record and one win away from their fourth straight NFC West division title and seventh in nine years.
Standing in their way of another NFC West division title were the Rams, who were 9-4 and one of only two teams who had defeated the 49ers in 1989 as they knocked off the San Francisco 13-12 in Candlestick Park in Week 4 of the season.
The Rams got off to a 5-0 start but then lost four games in a row before going on a four-game winning streak, which included a 20-17 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints where wide receiver Flipper Anderson set the NFL single game record for receiving yards as he picked up 336 yards on 15 catches.
With Anderson and quarterback Jim Everett at the helm of the offense, the Rams had the firepower to match the 49ers' legendary "West Coast Offense".
Plus, if they could pull off the win over the 49ers, they would be a game back of San Francisco with two weeks to go and would hold the tiebreaker for the division title if both teams ended the regular season with the same record.
So to say the game in Anaheim was a big deal, would be an understatement.

Joe Montana would complete 30 of 42 passes for 458 yards and throw three touchdowns, two of them to John Taylor.

The Rams got off to a hot start as they drove 75 yards in eight plays on the opening possession of the game as Everett connected with Anderson for 34 yards on the first play from scrimmage, then hit Ron Brown for 27 yards on a 3rd & 11, all leading to Greg Bell's three-yard touchdown run to give LA a 7-0 lead just 3:43 into the game.
Then after forcing a 49ers punt, the Rams would drive 66 yards in five plays with the key play being a 42-yard pass interference penalty on 49ers cornerback Daryl Pollard, leading to Everett's four-yard touchdown pass to Damone Johnson to increase the LA lead to 14-0 with 4:47 left in the opening quarter.
In a 14-point hole, the 49ers offense needed to get going but on the first play of their ensuing drive, Montana was picked off by Rams cornerback Leroy Irvin, whose 18-yard return gave the Rams the ball at the San Francisco 11-yard-line with a chance for another touchdown.
However, the 49ers defense would hold, forcing a 25-yard field goal by Mike Lansford which increased the Rams' lead to 17-0 with 2:56 left in the first quarter.
But holding the Rams to a field goal was the spark the 49ers needed as Terrence Flagler returned the ensuing kickoff 40 yards to the San Francisco 45-yard-line.
From there, Montana would complete four of his next five passes for 43 yards to set up a 1st & goal at the two-yard-line as the first quarter come to a close.
After the two teams walked down to the other end of the field, the Rams' defense would stiffen as they would not allow another yard, forcing the 49ers to settle for a 19-yard field goal by Mike Cofer to get San Francisco on the scoreboard, but trailing 17-3.
Following an exchange of punts, the Rams got the ball at their 20-yard-line but were quickly in 49ers territory as Everett hit Anderson for 38 yards to begin the drive.
The Rams would drive to the four-yard-line where they lined up to kick a 21-yard field goal, only to have holder Pete Holohan take the snap and try to run it in for a touchdown.
But Holohan was tackled one yard short of the end zone by 49ers linebacker Mike Walter, giving the 49ers the ball at their one-yard-line, but still down 17-3.
Montana threw an incomplete pass on 1st down, then hit tight end Brent Jones for seven yards to set up a 3rd & 3 when Taylor made his first big play of the game.
Montana took the snap, dropped back, and fired a pass for Taylor, who made the catch at the 49ers' 19-yard-line, then cut across the field toward the left sideline, where he faked out defensive back Anthony Newman at the San Francisco 47-yard-line, then ran down the left sideline for the remaining 53 yards to complete a 92-yard touchdown to bring the 49ers to within a touchdown at 17-10 with 2:27 left in the first half.

The 49ers defense would force the Rams to punt on their next possession to get the ball back at their 37-yard-line with 1:24 to go in the first half as Montana would complete five passes in a row to drive San Francisco to the Rams' five-yard-line where they had a 1st & goal with 17 seconds remaining before halftime.
That is when the 49ers started to go backwards as Montana threw an incomplete pass on 1st down, then was sacked for a 12-yard loss by Rams linebacker Kevin Greene on 2nd down, then lost 10 more yards on a holding penalty which wiped out a 22-yard touchdown pass to Craig, which was followed by another loss of five yards on a false start on Cofer's 49-yard field goal.
In total, the 49ers went 32 yards in the wrong direction and would come away with no points as Cofer missed a 54-yard field goal as the first half came to an end with the Rams still leading 17-10.
The 49ers got the ball to start the second half but went three-and-out, punting the ball back to the Rams, who took over at their 44-yard-line.
That is when Everett took command as he hit Holohan for 12 yards to begin the drive, then connected with Holohan again, this time for 16 yards to give LA a 1st down at the 49ers' 24-yard-line.
Everett would then connect with Buford McGee on back-to-back completions, with the second one being a 13-yard touchdown to push the Rams' lead back to double digits at 24-10 with 10:28 left in the third quarter.
After both teams punted on their next possessions, the 49ers got the ball at their 39-yard-line as they drove to the Rams' 12-yard-line in six plays with Montana accounted for all of the 49 yards on offense as he completed four passes for 34 yards and scrambled for 15 yards on two carries.
But on 1st down from the LA 12-yard-line, Montana was intercepted when his pass bounced off the hands of Craig and into the hands of Rams strong safety Michael Stewart, whose 35-yard return gave the Rams the ball at their 37-yard-line.
From there, the Rams would drive 58 yards in nine plays on a drive that would span into the 4th quarter and end with a 22-yard field goal by Lansford to increase the Rams' lead to 27-10 with 13:34 left in regulation.
Down by 17 points again, the 49ers needed "Montana Magic" if they were going to win or at least force the game into overtime.
They would get some of that magic on their ensuing possession as Montana connected with Taylor for 23 yards and then with Jones for 28 yards, leading to a seven-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wilson to cut the Rams' lead to 27-17 with just over 10 minutes to play in the 4th quarter.
But when the Rams got the ball back at their 26-yard-line for their next possession, it appeared LA was on the verge of putting the game away as they drove to the 49ers' four-yard-line where they had a 2nd & goal.
That is when Everett fumbled the snap from center which was recovered by 49ers linebacker Matt Millen at the San Francisco five-yard-line.
It would only take Montana one play to make the Rams pay as he hit Taylor in stride at the 16-yard-line, who then got away from three LA defenders as he once again cut toward the left sideline, where he ran untouched for his second 90+ yard touchdown of the game, this one for 95 yards.

However, Cofer would miss the extra point, keeping it a 27-23 game, which meant the 49ers would now need a touchdown for their next score, instead of a field goal which would have tied the game had Cofer made the extra point.
Nevertheless, the 49ers would get another gift courtesy of the Rams on the ensuing kickoff as Keith Henderson hit Brown on the kickoff, forcing a fumble which Henderson recovered to give San Francisco the ball at the Rams' 27-yard-line with 6:15 left in the game.
Taylor would strike again as he caught a 15-yard pass on 3rd & 5 from the 22-yard-line, setting up Craig's one-yard touchdown run, which gave the 49ers their first lead of the game at 30-27 with 3:42 left in regulation.
The Rams got the ball at their 20-yard-line but after Everett was sacked by 49ers defensive end Pierce Holt, LA head coach John Robinson sent in the punting unit as LA faced a 4th & 17 situation.
Dale Hatcher would get off a 42-yard punt which was returned by Taylor for nine yards, setting the 49ers shop at the LA 46-yard-line with 2:35 left and needed a 1st down to win the game.
After Craig ran for five yards on back-to-back carries and the Rams burned their two remaining timeouts, the 49ers were faced with a 3rd & 5 at the LA 41-yard-line with 2:20 to go.
That is when Montana would connect with Taylor for the 11th and final time in the game, this one for nine yards to give the 49ers a 1st down at the Rams' 32-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.
Montana would take a knee on the next three snaps to run out the clock to complete the improbable comeback as the 49ers came away with a 30-27 win and the NFC West title as Taylor finished the game with 11 catches for 286 yards and two touchdowns.
The Rams would recover from the 49ers loss to win their last two game of the regular season to finish with a 11-5 record and earn the final Wild Card spot in the NFC while San Francisco would win their last two games to finish with a 14-2 and earn home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
The Rams would go on the road and knock off the Philadelphia Eagles 21-7 in the NFC Wild Card Game, then upset the New York Giants 19-13 in overtime on Flipper Anderson's game-winning 30-yard touchdown pass.
This would set up a rematch with the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, who demolished the Minnesota Vikings 41-13, thanks to Montana's four touchdown passes.
In the title game, Montana would complete 26 of 30 passes for 262 yards and throw two touchdowns, one of them to Taylor as the 49ers stomped the Rams 30-3 to earn their fourth trip to the Super Bowl in nine yards, where they destroyed the Denver Broncos 55-10 for their fourth Super Bowl title.