The 1988 season was a lot of things for the San Francisco 49ers. It was eventful, stressful, rewarding in the greatest way and bittersweet, all in just a few weeks.
Coming off of such a dominant 1987 season, the stinging playoff loss
to the Minnesota Vikings was still being felt throughout the team and
organisation. Team owner Edward DeBartolo Jr was known for many
positive qualities, but a lack of patience and a strong will to win
sometimes got the better of him. After such a disappointing playoff
exit, his desire to win it all was now at unfathomable and almost
unbearable levels. This translated into intense, constant pressure
upon the shoulders of the man that 'Eddie' had entrusted to get
results: head coach Bill Walsh. In 1988 the relationship between
owner and coach grew increasingly strained.
Adding to the tension was the growing controversy at the quarterback
position. Joe Montana was still the incumbent starter and had shown
countless times that he was a quarterback for the ages, however, his
health was a cause for serious concern.
Following a trade for promising left-hander Steve Young at the start
of 1987, Montana was under more pressure to perform after sitting out
virtually all of 1986 with a back injury that almost ended his
career. He excelled during the '87 season only to underperform in
the postseason defeat to the Vikings and was replaced in the second
half by Young, who performed well on the big stage and in 1988 he was
eager to gain more playing time.
Both quarterbacks would start games throughout the season as
Montana's health issues lingered and Walsh tried to decide on the
most suitable player for the role. In several games both players
featured, with each enjoying various levels of success. The
competitive tension between the two signal-callers was palpable
throughout 1988 and this no doubt furthered the strain on Walsh.
Despite all this, by Week 9 of the 1988 season the 49ers had a 5-3
record going into a hotly anticipated rematch with the Vikings at
Candlestick Park.
Hot off of dumping the Niners out of the '87 playoffs, Minnesota had
started the new season brightly and also had five wins to their name.
The grudge match was well balanced both in terms of season records
and the talent possessed by the two opponents, who were each among
the top scoring teams in the league.
The build-up to the contest was heavily affected by Montana's fitness
problems. Early on in the week it was announced that Joe was
suffering from dysentery and there was a very real chance that he
could miss the game, with the situation then made worse when it
became apparent that Montana was also battling crippling back spasms,
news that came as a grave concern to the 49ers
after the close call of 1986.
As a consequence, Steve Young would finally get to start for the
49ers versus the team against whom he had shown such promise in the
previous postseason.
The game
The first quarter of the game can be summed up with one word: Edgy.
Neither team was able to find a way through the opposing defense in
the opening period, resulting in a scoreless start to the game that
was finally broken in the second quarter when Vikings quarterback
Wade Wilson scrambled in from two yards out. Wilson, picked by the
Vikings in the 1981 draft, would have his only pro bowl season in
1988.
The 49ers responded with a 30yard field goal by new kicker Mike
Cofer. The second-year player was picked up by the team before the
1988 season after the retirement of 10-year 49er veteran Ray
Wersching.
Throughout the first half it was apparent to the entire stadium that
Steve Young had yet to find his rhythm. With the offense struggling
to click, no doubt a result of playing with a quarterback who was so
different to Montana, the boo-birds gradually began to fill The Stick
with negative outbursts directed at the young triggerman, which
continued as the teams entered the locker rooms at half-time with the
score 7-3 in Minnesota's favour.
After adjustments were made during the interval, Young managed to
ease into the game more successfully and moved the offense into the
red zone. Running back Roger Craig did the rest, crossing into the
end zone from a yard out to give the 49ers their first lead of the
game.
The relief was short-lived, however, as Pro Bowl receiver Anthony
Carter, who up until this point had been virtually absent in the
game, lit up the scoreboard with a 67-yard receiving touchdown that
restored the Vikings' advantage.
Not to be outdone and with his confidence growing, Young found
wideout John Taylor for a 73-yard score. A big-play target renowned
for his incredible hands, Taylor went on to be selected for the 1988
Pro Bowl.
The Niners took a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter but running back
Rick Fenney rumbled in from 12 yards for the Vikings to seemingly put
the visitors on the way to a repeat of their playoff success.
As
the clock wound down the tension inside the stadium mounted as the
49ers attempted to engineer another lead change, and the home fans
would not be disappointed as Young – with his team down four points
with five minutes remaining – drove San Francisco down the field
before taking his first steps on the way to NFL glory.
On a passing play which required primary target Mike Wilson to run a
curl pattern, Young took the snap and flowed back from the line.
Immediately he saw that Wilson was covered and, under immense
pressure from an aggressive Vikings defense, the 49er offensive line
retreated almost as quickly as the mobile and athletic Young.
The crowd expected a sack as Young stumbled backwards after making
contact with center Randy Cross as the pocket collapsed around him,
however, the 49ers' quarterback somehow remained on his feet and with
a Madden-esque spin move evaded the hands of a a defender and reeled
out to the right side of the line.
In an instinctive move, Young took off and slipped away from two
further defenders as he made his way to the left side of the field.
Escaping the grasp of yet another Viking he sprinted up the field
with strong blocking from his team-mates, however, with the goal-line
approaching he began to stumble
With 5 yards to go until the end zone, it looked as if Young would
quite literally fall short of the plane but, summoning up all of his
effort, he dived and crossed the threshold for the touchdown.
Young had evaded at least five Viking defenders and rushed 49 yards
for a spectacular touchdown. It was the third time the 49ers had
come from behind in the game and Minnesota never recovered, San
Francisco earning revenge by a 24-21 scoreline.
This win took the 49ers to 6-3 but they lost the next two games and
looked set to miss the playoffs with a 6-5 record after 11 games.
Lesser teams would have crumbled under the increasing pressure that
Walsh and San Francisco faced, however, the Niners rallied and
qualified for the postseason with a 10-6 record, setting up another
rematch with the Vikings in the divisional round.
Once again the hosts emerged victorious with an emphatic 34-9 triumph
before convincingly beating the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship
game and then famously winning Super Bowl XXIII on the final drive
with a touchdown pass from Montana to Taylor.
It was to be the final game as head coach for Walsh. After several
more years of quarterback controversy, Montana would left for Kansas
City and Young took the reins, leading the 49ers to a fifth NFL title
with success in Super Bowl XXIX.
As a bonus, here are some random facts about the two kickers that
were mentioned in this article!
Austrian-born kicker Ray Wersching is a certified accountant and even
practiced accountancy during the NFL offseason. As well as having
held numerous 49ers records, Wersching was also famous for having a
superstition that meant that he couldn't look up as he ran onto the
field to kick a field goal!
Mike
Cofer spent five seasons with San Francisco from 1988 to 1993. After
retiring from football he had a short stint in NASCAR, racing in the
2002 Truck Series.
Thanks for reading,
Paul Kadwill
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