49ers Deflate DeBerg and Defeat the Buccaneers, 31-7 : Defense Has Seven Interceptions and Montana Completes 32 of 46 Passes for 356 Yards

The San Francisco 49ers welcomed the return Sunday of two key components that have been instrumental in the team’s success in recent years--quarterback Joe Montana and an opportunistic defense.

The result was a 31-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Montana, who missed three weeks of the exhibition season with a sprained right ankle, completed 32 of 46 passes for 356 yards, including a four-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wilson in the first quarter.

And the 49er defense, with two rookies starting in the secondary, set a team record by intercepting Tampa Bay quarterback Steve DeBerg seven times.

The NFL record for most interceptions thrown by a quarterback is eight, by Jim Hardy of the Chicago Cardinals against Philadelphia in 1950.

The 49ers’ secondary, playing without injured Pro Bowl cornerback Eric Wright, intercepted DeBerg four times in the first half. Linebackers Jim Fahnhorst and Tom Cousineau came up with the fifth and sixth interceptions to set up San Francisco’s two second-half touchdowns.

Don Griffin, one of two rookies starting at cornerback for the 49ers, made one of three San Francisco interceptions in the second quarter. Tim McKyer, the other first-year 49er cornerback, had the final interception with 34 seconds to go.

Veteran free safety Ronnie Lott had two interceptions and strong safety Jeff Fuller also picked off a DeBerg pass to set up Montana’s touchdown flip to Wilson.

Lott said an effective pass rush was the key to the interceptions. San Francisco sacked DeBerg three times and continually applied pressure.

Said DeBerg: “I lost the game. . . . I just have to take responsibility. Hopefully I can regroup and the team can regroup. . . . This is probably the worst game I’ve ever had.”

San Francisco Coach Bill Walsh, whose team faces the Rams next Sunday at Anaheim, said: “I was very pleased with the outcome, although I think the game was tougher than the score indicates. It was good to prove our ability to get into the end zone. It was an excellent effort, up to our highest expectations.”

The 49ers, who led 14-0 at halftime, also scored on a pair of one-yard runs by Roger Craig; Jeff Kemp’s 10-yard touchdown pass to John Frank, and Ray Wersching’s 30-yard field goal.

Tampa Bay, 2-14 a year ago and losers of 39 of its last 49 games, averted a shutout when DeBerg, who finished with 18 completions in 40 attempts for 210 yards, threw a 31-yard scoring pass to Gerald Carter early in the third quarter.

Tampa Bay offensive tackle Marvin Powell, acquired from the New York Jets in the off-season, said: “It just didn’t happen out there today, but we have 15 more times to rise up and 15 more times to be men.”