11. 1972 PITTSBURGH STEELERS at 6. 1991 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
6. 1991 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Record: 10-6
Pythag: 12-4
3rd NFC West
Off: 3rd
Def: 4th
Did not make playoffs
HC: George Seifert OC Mike Holmgren DC Bill McPherson
1st TM AP none
Candlestick Park: 55 degrees
Joe Starkey/Wayne Walker
Offense
QB Steve Young 30 BYU
RB Dexter Carter 24 Florida St
FB Tom Rathman 29 Nebraska
WR Jerry Rice 29 Miss Vall St
WR John Taylor 29 Delaware St
TE Brent Jones 28 S Clara
LT Steve Wallace 27 Auburn
LG Guy McIntyre 30 UGA
C Jesse Sapolu 30 Hawaii
RG Roy Foster 31 USC
RT Harris Barton 27 UNC
Defense
LDE Pierce Holt 29 Angelo St
NT Michael Carter 31 SMU
RDE Kevin Fagan 28 Miami
LOLB Charles Haley 27 James Madison
LILB Keith DeLong 24 Tenn
RILB Mike Walter 31 Ore
ROLB Bill Romanowski 25 B College
LCB Merton Hanks 23 Iowa
RCB Don Griffin 27 Mid Tenn St
SS Dave Waymer 33 N Dame
FS Todd Bowles 28 Temple
K Mike Cofer 27 NC St
P Joe Prokop 31 Cal Poly Pomona
KR Dexter Carter 24 Florida St
PR John Taylor 29 Delaware St
The 49ers look to join Dallas/Denver as the only teams with 6 teams currently moving forward; this '91 group is the 6th seed in Region 11. 3rd in offense/4th in defense. Just 10 games for 30 year old Steve Young, 21 scores/8 picks. Both receivers go over a thousand yards, Jerry Rice and John Taylor are both 29, they combined for 23 TDs. On defense, 28 year old Larry Roberts and 27 year old Charles Haley combined for 14 sacks.
11. 1972 PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Record: 11-3
Pythag: 12-2
Off: 5th
Def: 2nd
1st NFC Central
d. Raiders Div Rnd 13-7
Lost Dolphins AFC Title 21-17
HC Chuck Noll DC Bud Carson
Offense
QB Terry Bradshaw 24 La Tech
RB Franco Harris 22 R Penn St
RB Frenchy Fuqua 26 Morgan St
WR Ron Shanklin 24 N Tex
WR Frank Lewis 25 Grambling
TE John McMakin 22 Clemson
LT Jon Kolb 25 OK St
LG Sam Davis 28 Allen
C Bruce Mansfield 31 Wash
RG Bruce Van Dyke 28 Missouri
RT Gerry Mullins 23 USC
Defense
LDE LC Greenwood 26 Ark PB
LDT Joe Greene 26 All Pro N Tex
RDT Ben McGee 33 Jack St
RDE Dwight White 23 A&M Comm
LLB Jack Ham 24 Penn St
MLB Henry Davis 30 Grambling
RLB Andy Russell 31 Missouri
LCB John Roswer 28 Mich
RCB Mel Blount 24 Southern
SS Ralph Anderson 23 W Tex A&M
FS Mike Wagner 23 W Illinois
K Roy Gerela 24 N Mex St
P Bobby Walden 34 UGA
KR Preston Pearson 27 Illinois
PR Glen Edwards 25 Florida A&M
How about a Steelers/49ers matchup in Rnd 1? The '04 Steelers advanced in the top half of the region, if this 11th seeded group also wins, it'll be the 5th Pittsburgh team to move forward. 2nd in defense, 5th in offense, this sure seems like a really even matchup. Mean Joe Greene is the All Pro on the club, 26 years old. 24 year old Jack Ham and 23 year old Mike Wagner combined for 13 picks. Terry Bradshaw is 24, 19 scores and 12 picks. Franco Harris is a 22 year old rookie, rushed for a thousand yards in 10 games, scored 11 times. Could be a preview of a bigger game down the road - winner here will be home in the next round to face the '53 Eagles - let's go to the Stick.
1st Qtr
Preston Pearson takes the opening kick to the Steeler 41.
3 and out - Niners start at the 28.
1/10 - Steve Young - Jerry Rice, 6 yards. And here we go.
2/4 - Steve Young - John Taylor. 6 yards - Niners at the 40.
1/10 - Young to Tom Rathman out of the backfield - 7 yards.
2/3 - Young in trouble -- Young's got to run -- Young's gonna go all the way to the Pittsburgh 42.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Young - to Dexter Carter in space, Carter's got the first down at the 32.
The drive ends here -- Cofer FG and it's 3-0.
Another good Pearson return, Steelers at the 42.
3 and out. Good start for the Niner defense.
Niners at the 13.
1/10 - Young - again in trouble - Steeler front four likely to get some pressure today - but Young slips it and gets a dozen.
1/10 - Niners first planned run of the day - 14 yards for Carter.
1/10 - Rathman gets 1
2/9 - Keith Henderson gets 3.
3/6 - Rathman, draw -- he gets right to the sticks....Rathman is just short. 4th and inches just shy of midfield.
Holmgren and Seifert are gonna go for it. Okay - here we are - 4th and inches.
4/1 - Young. Sneak....first down.
But that's it - Niners do have to punt - Steelers start at their own 14.
1/10 - Franco Harris loses 1
2/11 - Incomplete - just nothing at all for the Pittsburgh offense so far today.
3/11 - Terry Bradshaw's first completion is to Ron Shanklin, 12 yards.
1/10 - Franco busts one -- Franco goes 47 yards -- it's the last play of the qtr and the Steelers are at the Niner 28 as the qtr ends
2nd Qtr: Niners 3 Steelers 0
Defense so far today; Pittsburgh has a first down at the SF 28.
That's as far as the drive goes - Gerela FG ties the score. Niners will start at the 23.
1/10 - Henderson gets 6.
2/4 - Young, rolling -- Young - fires over the middle -- Jamie Williams, 15 yard pickup.
1/10 - Carter stacked up.
2/10 - Carter gets 2
3/8 - Young - Taylor - 11 yards, Niners cross midfield.
1/10 - Young - Brent Jones - 5.
2/5 - Incomplete
3/5 - Young - Jones - 10 yards and the Niners reach the 28.
1/10 - Young flips to Rathman, he gets 8.
2/2 - Rathman is stacked up.
3/2 - Young - sneak -- he's going to come up just short ---- 4th and a foot just outside of the 18.
Niners are gonna go for it again - pass up the short FG, just outside the Steeler 20, game tied at 3.
4/1 - Keith Henderson - Henderson's through the line -- Henderson is gonna go -- Into The End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN NINERS - Keith Henderson rumbles 19 yards for the game's first TD. Little more than 6 to go in the half Steelers start at the 21.
3 and out - Niners at the 35, little more than 4 left in the half.
1/10 - Henderson gets 3
2/7 - Henderson picks it up
1/10 - Harry Sydney gets a yard
2/9 - Young looks downfield -- Rice -- he's got it -- a 30 yard gain, the Niners are at the Steeler 23 yard line and we hit the 2 minute warning.
But the drive stalls - Cofer FG makes it 13-3 San Francisco with a little more than a minute left in the half, Steelers at the 35.
1/10 - Charles Haley gets the first sack of the game, Steelers stop the clock.
2/15 - Bradshaw to Frenchy Fuqua - he's out of bounds just short of the first down.
3/1 - Give to Fuqua - he picks it up, Steelers timeout with 45 seconds left, they are at their own 46.
1/10 - Bradshaw - vertical game - Shanklin's got it - it's 27 yards - Pittsburgh uses its final timeout, 33 seconds left in the half, Steelers at the Niner 27.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Bradshaw - Dave Smith - Smith's got it -- first down at the Niner 10-- but Smith can't get out of bounds -- Bradshaw is sprinting - Bradshaw sprinting -- Bradshaw is just able to stop the clock by spiking the football with 4 seconds left in the half -- Noll knows he can't get off another play - Gerela comes on -- he kicks the FG and we hit the locker room.
Third Qtr: Niners 13 Steelers 6
Just one TD, that Keith Henderson run - winner here will be home for the '53 Eagles in round 2. Niners at the 28.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Ratham bulls his way for 9
3/1 - Henderson picks it up
1/10 - Young dump off to Henderson, out of bounds at the 41.
2/7 - Henderson gets a couple
3/5 - Young - Ric --- Picked Off by Mel Blount -- Mel Blount steps in front of Jerry Rice and Intercepts Young - Steelers, down a score, will start at midfield. Big play for the Steeler defense.
3 and out - Niners defense doesn't yield at all - Niners start at the 13.
1/10 - Young - Jones, 8 yards.
2/2 - Sydney picks it up.
1/10 - Young - Williams, 8 yards.
2/2 - Keith Henderson gets another first down, 9 yard run to the 42.
1/10 - Young, screen pass to Sydney, he's got 11 yards and the Niners cross midfield.
1/10 - Carter for 2.
2/8 - Sydney for 11, Niners at the 34.
1/10 - Dexter Carter busts one -- all the way to the Steeler 5, San Francisco has a first and goal.
1/goal - Rathman is stacked up
2/goal - Rathman -- Rathman is gonna drive -- Into the End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN NINERS - An 87 yard scoring drive for San Francisco and with a little more than 4 minutes to play in the 3rd it is now 20-6 San Francisco.
Steelers at the 39.
1/10 - Bradshaw to Fuqua in space, Fuqua has a step -- Fuqua with the good YAC, all the way to the Niner 33 yard line.
1/10 - Bradshaw 7 yards to Frank Lewis.
2/3 - Preston Pearson carry to the 17 - Steelers have another first down.
1/10 - Franco goes all the way to the 4 yard line -- that's the last play in the qtr - Steelers have put it together now - first and goal when the 4th begins.
4th Qtr: Niners 20 Steelers 6
Long scoring drive for San Francisco makes this a 2 TD game, Pittsburgh has first and goal at the 4.
But they can't move the ball -- Noll decides to take the sure points, but that still leaves it 20-9.
Niners start at the 37 - 3 and out - Steelers got the quick stop, they will start at their own 24.
3 and out including a Larry Roberts sack - Niners start at their own 44, 10 minutes left, up 11.
1/10 - Sydney for 3
2/7 - Young -- Young dials one up -- Taylor --- 35 yard strike -- and the Niners are at the Steeler 18 yard line!
1/10 - Young to Henderson, 2 yard pickup.
2/8 - Carter loses 1
3/9 - Young - Rice -- Rice breaks a tackle -- Rice to the sideline -- Rice cuts up field -- Rice is going to be --- knocked out of bounds at the 2 yard line! Niners first and goal at the 2!
They don't get in - a couple of runs go nowhere and then Mean Joe Greene buries Young on third down - Cofer kick makes it 23-9, with less than 5 to play, Niners up 14 points.
Steelers at the 27 - they gotta get it going now - no time to waste.
4 passes -- all incomplete. Niners take over on downs with 4 minutes to play in the game, at the Steeler 27. This is over.
3 run plays get 5 yards -- Cofer FG makes it 26-9. It's all done.
Steelers start at the 25 and it's Jim Gilliam in at QB for Bradshaw - he gets Picked Off by Don Griffin -- Niners will run out the clock.
Final: 49ers 26 Steelers 9
San Francisco hangs it on the Steelers today, the defense not allowing a TD - the 6th seeds in region 11 moving on for a second round home game against the '53 Eagles - that makes 6 49er teams in the second round, tying Dallas/Denver for most of any franchise. Just 9 first downs for the Steelers today.
Young: 18 for 26, 197 yards, 1 INT
Bradshaw: 10 for 23, 119 yds
Henderson: 13 carries, 49 yds, 1 TD
Harris: 10 carries, 66 yds
Taylor: 3 catches, 52 yds
Shanklin: 3 catches, 45 yds
Cofer: 4 FGs
Player of the Game: Charles Haley
