Rooney Conference Championship: 76 Pittsburgh Steelers vs 94 San Francisco 49ers

76 Pittsburgh Steelers vs 94 San Francisco 49ers

Welcome to the Rooney Conference championship game between the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 1994 San Francisco 49ers.  This afternoon it will be the battle of the giant killers.  The 49ers defeated the second seeded 72 Dolphins, dealing them their first ever loss.  While the 76 Steelers marched into Soldier Field and knocked off the top seeded 85 Bears on a dramatic last second touchdown pass.  One of these two teams Cinderella runs will come to an end today, while the other will play for the ultimate title in the first ever Fantasy Bowl.

Steelers key to victory - Run the football.  Last week, the Niners shutdown the Dolphins two headed monster of Csonka and Morris and came away with the win.  The Steelers can't fall into that same trap and need to be able to move the ball on the ground.

49ers key to victory - Keep things simple.  Don't look for the big play because its not going to happen against this defense.  Throw short passes, get everyone involved and try to keep the Steelers defense off balance.

Weather:  65 degrees, sunny, 5 mph wind

1st Half: 

The 49ers win the toss and elect to receive and return the opening kickoff to the SF 19.  Steve Young comes out firing, but misses his targets on three straight plays and the Niners go three and out.

The Steelers take over on their own 49 and get to work with their running game.  The Niners snuff it out on the first two plays, but Bradshaw completes a third down pass to Stallworth and moves the ball into 49ers territory.  The running game continues to struggle to find room.  Bradshaw bombs one downfield in an attempt to back the 49ers off the line, but its broken up in the end zone by Deion Sanders.  Bradshaw completes a 3rd down pass to Swann for 7 yards down to the SF 32, but its a yard short.  Noll considers going for it, but with how ineffective the running game has been so far, he sends out the field goal unit.  Gerela boots it through and the Steelers draw first blood.  6 plays, 19 yards, 3:34 drive

Steelers 3 - 49ers 0

The 49ers take kickoff to their own 30.  The Niners almost go three and out again, but Young scrambles around and finds Ricky Watters for a 14 yard gain to get them going.  The crowd is energized and the offense has some confidence now.  A quick hand off to Williams Floyd and he pushes ahead for 15 yards.  Young finds Watters for an 8 yard gain and the 49ers are now moving the ball with ease.  The Steelers defense tightens up, but Young is able to convert a couple 3rd downs to keep it going.  The Niners drive down to the PIT 11 before getting stopped.   As the 49ers lineup for the field goal, the Steelers jump offsides.  Its not enough for a first down, but its enough to make coach Seifert change his mind and go for it.  Its a gutsy call because you would hate to drive all this way and eat up that much clock and not come away with points.  Young hands off to Watters who finds a seam and dives ahead for a 5 yard gain.  The fans are on their feet!  Its first and goal from the PIT 1.  They try with Watters again and he's stuffed for a 2 yard loss.  On 2nd and goal, Young is back to pass but can't scramble away from Ernie Holmes and loses another 6 yards.  They lose another yard on a running play and the field goal unit comes out to tie it up.  Big win for the defense, but they were on the field for a very long time.  Doug Brien kick in the 27 yarder to tie it up.  16 plays, 55 yards, 10:53 drive

Steelers 3 - 49ers 3

Pittsburgh gets the ball and starts off on their own 33.  After a sack and another stuffed running play, Bradshaw fires a slant to Theo Bell and he flies down the field for a 42 yard gain before being brought down at the SF 27.  Another Bradshaw pass brings the Steelers down to the SF 17.  The drive stalls at the 13 and Gerela comes out for another field goal.  8 plays, 53 yards, 5:28 drive

Steelers 6 - 49ers 3

It wasn't a touchdown, but the Steelers responded quickly.  The 49ers return the kick to their own 39.  The defense needs a three and out and they get one.  The 49ers get a great punt though and pin the Steelers down to their own 19.

The big play to Theo Bell has backed the 49ers off the line and the Steelers start picking up bigger chunks of yards on the ground.  Bleier runs for 6, Harris for 5.  The Niners start to creep up again and stuff Harris on a 2nd and 5, setting up a 3rd and 4.  With the 49ers close to the line, Bradshaw fires deep and hits John Stallworth, he breaks a Merton Hanks tackle and runs into the end zone for the Steelers touchdown!  A 61 yards touchdown pass to Stallworth!  5 plays, 81 yards, 2:59 drive

Steelers 13 - 49ers 3

San Francisco gets a great run back on the kickoff and returns it to the SF 46.  With 3:14 left in the half, the Niners get the sense that this game is starting to slip away and start to get desperate.  Young throws a couple short passes, but gain little yardage or lose yards.  At the two minute warning, Young finds John Taylor for a 14 yard gain and a first down.  On the next play, Young can't find anyone open, but shows off his great running ability and picks up 15 yards before sliding down at the PIT 22.  Young fires a slant pass to Rice for 15 yards and is brought down at the PIT 7.  On 2nd and goal, they hand off to Watters who pound ahead to the goaline.  They unpile the bodies and the official raises his arms to signal touchdown!  The 49ers get a much needed TD right before halftime.  7 plays, 54 yards, 1:42 drive.

Steelers 13 - 49ers 10

The Steelers start their next drive on their own 26 with 1:28 left and three timeouts.  Bradshaw completes a few short passes for a first down, but isn't able to get beyond the 50 and punt the 49ers deep into their own end.

With 32 seconds left, the 49ers get aggressive and want to try to tie it up before the half.  Young finds Ricky Watters for a 14 yard gain and call timeout.  With only 20 seconds left, they continue their drive and Young is picked off by Glen Edwards and he's sprinting for the end zone.  He dives into the air, but is knocked out of bounds by Watters.  The official gets knocked into and misses it.  The referee on the other side of the end zone calls TD.  The Steelers start to celebrate, but the play is reviewed and its determined that Edwards did not break the plane of the goal before landing out of bounds.  The ball is marked at the SF 1 with 3 seconds.  Noll plays it close to the vest and kicks the field goal.  Gerela bangs in the 18 yarder and the Steelers tack on the extra three right before the half. 

Steelers 16 - 49ers 10

2nd Half: 

The Steelers get the ball first and start on their own 31.  On first down Harris runs for 5 yards and then fumbles, but its quickly recovered by the Steelers.  Harris runs straight forward for another 5.  The Steelers continue to pound the football and try to establish their running game, but eventually the drive is stopped at the SF 49.

The 49ers start on their own 11.  Young makes a couple nice passes to Rice and Jones before the drive stops at their own 35 and are forced to punt.

Once again the Steelers try to establish their running game and appear to be breaking down the 49er defense.  Bleier blasts through for 16 yards and then again run for 4.  Harris takes a hand off and slashes up the right side for 11 yards.  The Steelers get a little tricky and run a reverse with Swann who has a ton of blocking ahead, but gets tripped up by Ken Norton Jr and only comes away with 7 yards.  The 49ers finally get a big play on defense when Dana Stubblefield sacks Bradshaw for a big loss, but the play is nullified after a defensive holding penalty. The continue to run and run well as they pound their way down to the SF 9.  Another short yardage situation for Noll, but he decides to make it a two score game and sends out Gerela.  He boots in a 26 yard field goal.  9 plays, 55 yards, 6:10 drive

Steelers 19 - 49ers 10

The 49ers take over on their own 35 with just over a minute left in the quarter.  Like the Steelers they begin to experience some success on the ground with a couple of nice gains by Floyd.  Young mixes in a few short passes and the Niners are on the move again.  On a 3rd and 3, Young fires downfield and finds Jerry Rice for a big 26 yard pickup down to the PIT 21.  On the next set of down, Young misfires for Rice who was open on 3rd and 5 and they send out Brien for the 33 yard field goal and make it a one score game again.  9 plays, 49 yards, 5:01 drive

Steelers 19 - 49ers 13

With the crowd back in the game, the Steelers try to move the ball on the ground again and grind down the clock, but 49er defense is up to the task this time and force a three and out.

With the ball on their own 37, Young comes out throwing but can't come up with a first down either and the 49ers go three and out.

On the Steelers next possession, Harris runs for 10 yards, but aside from that the Steelers fail to move the ball.  With 6:32 left in the game, the Steelers appear to be content to run the ball, run off as much clock as possible and punt the 49ers in their own end.

San Francisco knows that if they're going to make a move its going to have to be soon.  On a 3rd and 6, Young completes a slant to John Taylor who breaks a tackle and takes off for a 23 yard gain to the PIT 35.  Young throws another strike to Rice for 13 yards.  Marc Logan takes a draw play and runs for 13 yards off the left side down to the PIT 9 with 2:51 remaining.  The crowd is on their feet.  On 1st and Goal, they hand off to Watters and he's tripped up for a 1 yard loss.  2nd and Goal, Young goes to the end zone for Brent Jones, but its batted away by Donnie Shell.  On 3rd and Goal, Young lobs a pass to the back corner of the end zone for Rice and its caught for the touchdown!  Noll throws out the challenge flag contesting that Rice didn't have possession of the ball with both feet down in bounds.  The call is upheld and with the extra point, the 49ers have their first lead of the game!  8 plays, 62 yards, 4:15 drive

Steelers 19 - 49ers 20

The Steelers take over at their own 39 with 1:57 left and only two timeouts.  They did it just last week against the Bears and this time they only need a field goal.  With the crowd on their field and chanting "DEE-FENSE", it feels like deja vu.  Bradshaw drops back to pass, but he's taken down by Stubblefield for a 6 yard loss.  The Steelers call timeout.

With the 49ers defense in prevent, they run a draw play to Harris, but he's stopped after 3 yards.  Bradshaw gets everyone lined up quickly and drops back to pass, he can't find anyone and scrambles out of bounds after a 5 yard gain.  From their own 41, it comes down to this.... 4th and 8.  Bradshaw back to pass and he throws a laser to Lynn Swann for 11 yards and the first down.  Another quick draw play, this time to Bleier picks up 5 yards to the SF 43.  On 2nd and 5, Bradshaw looks for Swann again, but its knocked away by Deion Sanders.  On 3rd and 5, Bradshaw completes a pass to Cunningham, but he's brought down 2 yards shy for the first.  The Steelers wait for the clock to roll down to 3 seconds and then use their final timeout.

Bradshaw shakes his head as he comes off the field, wishing he could have gotten closer as the field goal unit comes onto the field and lines up for the 57 yard attempt.  Gerela already has 4 field goals in this game.  With the crowd going crazy, Gerela lines up, kicks it, its right down the middle, but falls short.  NO GOOD!  Deion Sanders runs down, picks up the ball and celebrates in front of the Steelers sidelines as "Primetime" and the 94 49ers are headed to the Fantasy Bowl!  Jack Lambert makes his way towards Sanders, but the two are broken up.  Several Steelers and 49ers are jawing back and forth and the ending handshake is short.

Final:  Steelers 19 - 49ers 20

Another wild ending for the 76 Steelers, but unfortunately they fall short this time.  The 49ers once again do a great job against the run and hold the Steelers to under 4 yards per carry as a team.  The defense came up big when it needed to once again.  The Young to Rice connection had a lot of success and came up big in the final minutes of the game.  The tension at the end was interesting.  Sanders should probably be careful, he could end up going against a lot of these same players in two weeks.  Speaking of which later today, the 89 49ers will have a chance to make the very first Fantasy Bowl an all Niners championship as they take on the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers.