(From week 5 of the 1989 NFL season, using Action PC Football by Dave Koch Sports. For this game, I'll be handling all the Saints coaching duties, both offense and defense, while the computer controls the 49ers.)
You're looking LIVE at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana where today the undefeated New Orleans Saints are taking on the 3-and-1 San Francisco 49ers. For the 49ers, Joe Montana is out, so in at quarterback is Steve Young, the 5th year pro out of BYU. Bobby Hebert leads the Saints....
In the early going it was all San Fran. To start things off, a 12-play drive resulted in a field goal. A three-and-out by New Orleans (3 plays, 0 yards) was followed by a 1-play 68-yard TD strike, Young to Rice, for a 10-0 lead, just like that -- the worst beginning imaginable for the Saints. But there's no quit in these Loosianna Tigers... Let's have a look at the first quarter stats:
With the Niners, it's pick your poison. After his early TD, I decided to concentrate on Rice and I got a healthy dose of the running the game as a result. Sometimes you have to just decide you don't care. Let Craig run, I reasoned (through clenched teeth), I'm not going to let Rice beat me. That's tough medicine, though, believe me.
On offense, I didn't even try to run. It was Hebert early and often. Later, I started mixing in some screens. Hilliard is dangerous out of the backfield and the Niners were keying on him in the run game.
I was running a mixture of man and zone on defense. I was doubling Rice whenever possible but going zone to limit Young on the scrambles. When the D turns its back to him, he takes off. Hebert to Hill for a 48-yd TD in the 2nd was pay-back for the earlier Rice score. By that time, the pass pressure was starting to heat up on Young, too.
Hebert goes to a short-medium passing game. TE Brenner sees plenty of balls and keeps the chains moving. 21-10, New Orleans, after 3.
A big sequence in the 4th. After a "Roughing the Passer" call nullifies a 49ers' interception, Hebert calls for play action and goes deep to Eric Martin, hitting him in stride for a 48-yard touchdown and a 28-10 lead.
Final, in an upset: New Orleans 28, San Francisco 16. In the end 7 sacks on Young were too much to overcome. The Saints took few chances on defense, blitzing little. It was the front 3 that got to Young, Frank Warren recording 3 sacks on the day. Young was knocked out of the game with 3 minutes to go. With Montana already out, Steve Bono took over. Might as well have been Sonny Bono for as much difference as it made. That was just blood in the water to the Saints' D.
A look at the stats shows that Craig and Rathman ran all over the Saints, but, after that 68-yarder, Rice put up a big fat goose-egg. Taylor, whom I also started doubling late, catches 1 for 17 yards. Oh, yeah, the Saints' defense showed up big today. And here they are (check out the Sack column):
New Orleans advances to 5-0 on the year. San Francisco falls to a disappointing 3-2.
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