European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 3, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday january 3, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 49ers rip Vikings 34-9, play bears next for pfc title san Francisco a the Sanfrancisco 49ers, playoff weaklings for the previous three years turned bullies again sunday by reviving the Joe Montana to Jerry Rice show. An old postseason score with the Minnesota Vikings was settled in resounding fashion As the 49ers reversed last year s upset loss in candlestick Park with a 34-9 thumping. It was a Day of atonement for Montana Rice and Roger Craig All shut Down in the 36-24 loss in january one year with redemption conies a trip to Chicago for sunday s pfc championship game the 49ers lost there to the bears 10-9 this Bill Walsh earned his 100th Ca reer Victory in 10 seasons and shrugged off any notion that a series of postseason letdown signalled a franchise decline. His team had been outscored 102-30 i three first round playoff losses since win Ning the super bowl in 1985, despite three straight pfc West titles. The past three years have been Glori Ous years. What other team has done bet Ter than we have we have no apologies to you or anybody else Walsh said. Montana and Rice hooked up on three first half touchdown passes and Craig scored the 49ers final two touchdowns romping a career longest 80 Yards to Seal the coach Jerry Burns barely could recognize the team that had con trolled the game Here a year ago. Our goals were to Stop Rice shutdown Craig and Rush Montana said Burns whose team finished 12-6. Weddin t do any of them. They beat us in every phase of the had not thrown for a touch Down in the postseason since san fran Cisco s super bowl win and was harassed into four sacks and one of the worst performances of his career against the Vikings a year ago. But aided by out standing Protection he completed his first six passes sunday. The 49ers spotted Minnesota a 3-0lead before dominating the game. Getting past the first step has to gives a Little bit of Confidence because we Haven t played Well the last couple times Montana said. For us to beat the team that beat us last time is a Little bit sweeter but we be still got our workout for he hit Rice on scoring passes of 2, 5and 11 Yards As the 49ers built an 18 Point halftime Lead. The 49ers record setting wide receiver had not scored a touchdown in his three previous playoff games. He finished with five receptions for 61 Yards. His three to catches tie Dan nil playoff record. It had really been a Tough year forme said Rice who caught 62 passes in the regular season but was slowed by aright ankle sprain. One of Rice s most important grabs came in the third Quarter with san fran Cisco ahead 21-9. He snatched a Montana pass just ahead of Reggie Rutland who had an open Field ahead of him an could have Cut the margin to five with an interception return for a score. Anthony Carter who caught 10 passe for a playoff record 227 Yards a year ago did not catch a pass until the third Quarter and finished with Only three receptions for 45 Yards. There was no Way we were going Tolet this Guy Embarrass us the Way he did last year 49ers cornerback Tim Mckyer said. Montana completed 16 of 27 passes for178 Yards. Montana was sacked once. Craig finished with 135 Yards on 21 carries his eighth 100-Yard game this season. Vikings quarterback Wade Wilson also had a subpar game throwing two interceptions. He repeatedly was frustrated in attempts to break a big play was sacked six times including five in the first half. He finished 23 for 47.san Francisco gained 378 Yards including 201 on the ground against the league s no. 1 defense. Tackle Keith Mil lard and end Chris Doleman big Factor sin last year s Victory were shut out in sacks this Vikings had 262 total Yards including 54 scored on the game s first Possession on a 47-Yard Field goal by Chu Knelson who was 5-for-5 in last year s play off game Here. Wilson completed All five of his passes for 37 Yards As the Vikings drove 51 Yards before stalling. The 49ers lost 9 Yards the first time they had the Ball reviving memories of the playoff debacle a year ago and the Jerry Rice celebrates one of his three to catches with teammate Steve Wallace. Nine sack 38-16 loss to the los Angel srams in the regular season finale. But big plays on defense including a disputed a the grasp sack of Wilson by Larry Roberts and Ronnie Lett s Gam bling interception gave them consecutive possessions in Vikings territory. They capitalized for two Quick scores. Rice beat All pro cornerback Carl Leefor a 2-Yard to reception in the right front Corner of the end zone with 1 49 left in the first period. It capped a 48-Yard drive in six plays. On the next play Wilson tried to dump the Ball off to Damn Nelson on the right Side after failing to find a receiver. Lott Dove in front of him and made the first of his two interceptions to give san Francisco the Ball at the Vikings 31.Rice scampered 21 Yards to the 9 on an end around. Three plays later he beat rut land at the right end zone Flag to catch Montana s Bullet pass and make it 14-3. San Francisco which won the a fewest put together a 70-Yard drive late in the second Quarter to go up 21-3, a com plete turnaround from the 20-3 halftime deficit they faced a year ago. Rice faked Lee and caught an 11-Yard touchdown pass in the left Corner with 38 second remaining. The Vikings out gained 176-74 in the first half when Wilson had Only 34 net Yards passing revived in the third Quarter. Wilson completed four straight passes including a 21-yarder to Carter on a 61-Yard March that culminated in a5-Yard to to Jones. Nelson hit the upright on the conversion try but the 49ers contained Minnesota in its territory and without a first Down on the next two possessions to kill any Momen Tum. The 49ers then clinched the Victory by taking the Ball 80 Yards. Roger Craig s 4 Yard touchdown run on the 10th playmate it .28-9 with 13 41 to play. Chicago tops Philadelphia in fog Chicago a the fog rolled in on huge Bear paws sat looking Over sol Dier Field on silent haunches and the moved on but not before taking Phila Delphia s chances of reaching the super bowl with it while putting Chicago a step closer to the nil s top prize. What the fog is going on redone sign in the stands from where the Field looked More like a huge bowl of pea soup. What was going on saturday was Chi Cago s 20-12 Victory Over the eagles the bears first playoff Victory since winning the super bowl three years ago. You can t blame this loss on the weather but i could hardly see across the Field and i m sure they could to either eagles coach buddy Ryan said. They d run a play and i did t know who had the Ball or what. Was going on Ryan said. A win s a win baby. That s the Way Mike Tomczak put it to me after the game Chicago coach Mike Ditka said Tomczak started the game but re injured his left shoulder in the third Quarter when 285-Pound All pro Reggie White landed on him just after he threw a pass that was intercepted. Tomczak s injury gave Jim Mcmahon the regular starter the first Chance to show his stuff since his knee was severely sprained oct. 30. Unfazed by the fog Mcmahon completed 2 of 3 passes and directed a run dominated 70-Yard drive to a clinching Field goal. Mcmahon who May end up starting sunday when the bears play Host to san Francisco in the pfc title game did nonstop to talk about Fate after saturday s game. But he was overheard singing Back in the Saddle again on his Way to the Shower. The game began in Sunshine with Chicago scoring 3 02 into the contest when Tomczak threw a 64-Yard touch Down pass to Dennis Mckinnon that gave Chicago a 7-0 Lead it never relinquished. The thick fog descended on Soldier Field in the closing minutes of the first half which ended with the bears up 17-9. Half an hour after the game it had lifted. In the end however fumbles an missed chances not fog determined the outcome. In the first Quarter trailing 7-0, Phila Delphia had second-and-2 at the bears 25. Philadelphia s Randall Cunningham threw two incomplete passes and kicker Luis Zendejas missed a 43-Yard Fiel goal. It got worse. Touchdown passes from Cunningham to Cris Carter and Mike Quick on consecutive plays were nullified by penalties later in the Quarter forcing the eagles to Settle for a Field goal. In the second period Cunningham was stopped Short by linebacker Dante Jones on fourth-and-1at the Chicago 4. In the third Quarter on second-and-10at the bears 11, Cunningham s pass was intercepted by Vestee Jackson and inthe fourth Quarter a sack by Al Harris pushed the eagles out of scoring Range. I be got to give All the credit to thei defense. They would t let us score Ryan said. Most players said the fog limited their vision to Between five and 15 Yards. The Public address announcer could t see what was happening so an aide relayed the plays to the press Box by Walkie talkie. And Many of the 65,534 fans went Home Early. But after conferring with the other officials referee Jim Tunney said the Field was playable and the game continued. At no time could i see less than 50yards," he said. I could see both goal that was two More than bears kicker Kevin Butler saw when he missed one of his Field goal attempts. On the 52-Yard Field goal i could Tsee the goal posts Butler said adding if he could see them that referee should go into the Hall of
