Wild West shootout, Part 3

Falcons, 49ers meet yet again with season at stake

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Posted: Saturday January 09, 1999 01:49 AM

Long drought ended: Thanks largely to the running of Jamal Anderson, the Falcons won their division for the first time since 1980 AP

ATLANTA (AP) -- It's time to forget about the Cheeseheads.

After vanquishing a familiar nemesis, the San Francisco 49ers face a team they're not used to seeing at this time of year. All conditions are ripe for a letdown, which isn't a good state of mind when you're two victories from the Super Bowl.

"As big as the game was last week, this game becomes even bigger," said coach Steve Mariucci, whose 49ers meet the Atlanta Falcons in a divisional playoff Saturday at the Georgia Dome.

San Francisco, which finished two games behind the Falcons in the NFC West, earned another trip to Atlanta by surviving a wild-card death match against Green Bay last Sunday.

Terrell Owens caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Steve Young with three seconds remaining for a 30-27 victory, ending a streak of three straight postseason losses to the Packers.

"That was one of the hurdles this organization needed to get over," Mariucci said. "It was a physical drain and an emotional drain and I think we were all spent when that thing was over.

"But that's how it is in the playoffs. Every game is big and emotional. You empty the tank, then refill it as the week goes on."

While the 49ers have won more Super Bowls (five) than Atlanta has won playoff games (two), the Falcons are hungry for respect and dancing up a storm after winning their first division title since 1980.

The Dirty Birds moved into first with a 31-19 victory over San Francisco in mid-November and wouldn't let go, finishing the regular season with a nine-game winning streak.

"We chased them for two months and they didn't blink," Young said. "I've got to give them credit for winning the division title."

Now, just six days after their most emotional victory of the season, the 49ers face the rested, healthy Falcons for the third time in 3 1/2 months.

"If you asked any coach if he had his druthers, he'd rather have a bye week and freshen up, rather than play a real physical and emotional game, then have a short week and travel," Mariucci said. "That's a no-brainer.

The win over the Packers has given Steve Young and the 49ers some momentum, but their defensive line is ailing AP

"But while the bye week can freshen you up physically, it's not bad playing a game, either, especially with all the things that came from that [Green Bay] game."

Confidence is the main thing. Now that an albatross has been lifted from their backs, the 49ers feel like this could be their year to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.

"As a wild card, you've got to get on a roll," Young said.

The Falcons hope their 14-2 season is the first step toward escaping a pitiful history. This is only the eighth winning season and sixth playoff appearance since the team joined the NFL in 1966.

Coach of the year Dan Reeves, who plans to be back on the sideline less than a month after heart bypass surgery, has assembled his roster with low-round draft picks, brilliant trades and older players who weren't wanted elsewhere.

"We have some steals on our team," running back Jamal Anderson said. "Think about some of the guys who start on our team. Go across the board."

Pro Bowl quarterback Chris Chandler was acquired for two low-round draft picks. Pro Bowl running back Jamal Anderson was a seventh-round pick. Pro Bowl safety Eugene Robinson was signed as a free agent after Green Bay decided he was too old at age 35.

"When you look at the Falcons, you're looking at a bunch of guys who were low-round picks for the most part," Anderson said. "We love to play the game, but for one reason or another someone else didn't want us. Now, they all want us."

Atlanta will try to set the tempo and keep San Francisco's explosive offense off the field by handing off to Anderson, who set a Falcons record with 1,846 yards rushing and an NFL mark with 410 carries.

Anderson ran for 123 yards in a 31-20 loss at San Francisco in Week 4, then had 100 years in the return match at Atlanta.

"Obviously, we'd like to keep him under 100 yards," Norton said. "At the same time, if we keep the big plays down from him and make someone else beat us, I think it makes our chances better."

Young was the NFL's third-rated passer and is surrounded by offensive weapons. Owens, Jerry Rice and J.J. Stokes all caught at least 63 passes, while Garrison Hearst finished second to Anderson in the NFC with 1,570 yards rushing.

But the 49ers defensive line is so battered that Charles Haley was coaxed out of retirement for the playoffs.

 

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