Saturday, 1 November 2014

This Week in 49ers History: Week 9, 1988



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

No comments:

Post a Comment