49ers Stay Close to Rams by Blanking Falcons, 20-0

The San Francisco offense, which failed to score a touchdown in the 49ers’ last game, got only one Sunday, but it was more than enough.

The 49ers blanked the Atlanta Falcons, 20-0, to improve to 7-4-1 and remain a half-game behind the Rams in the NFC West.

The last-place Falcons (5-6-1) fell to their fifth consecutive defeat.

Last Monday night in Washington, the 49ers got only two field goals in a 14-6 loss to the Redskins. Sunday, the 49ers scored two touchdowns, but the offense accounted for only one of them.

Jerry Rice made his 13th touchdown catch of the season, most ever by a 49er, by grabbing two-yard pass from Joe Montana in the first quarter. Rice, in his second NFL season, broke a record he shared with former 49ers Gene Washington and Dave Parks.

The 49ers’ other touchdown came on a 76-yard punt return by Don Griffin.

The 49ers did all their scoring in a onesided first half. The offense had 246 yards in the first half and 119 in the second.

“Our running game was better in this game, but still not up to our standards,” Coach Bill Walsh said after his 73rd regular-season victory, the most by any 49er Coach.

“Our pass rush and coverage was very effective. But offensively, we are not as consistent as we should be. We can’t think about the playoffs. We would not even accept a bowl bid at this point in time.”

Wide receiver Dwight Clark, who ran his pass reception streak to 100 games, said: “I’ve felt better about our offense. It has clicked better than it did today. But we got a touchdown and we won.

“Maybe that first half was a start. We’re confident that we can do it on offense, but that wasn’t very pretty out there today.”

Clark, with a 24-yard gain on a diving catch in the second period, became the seventh NFL player in history to catch at least one pass in 100 consecutive games. The veteran receiver had 4 catches for 83 yards Sunday.

His first catch helped set up a 36-yard field goal by Ray Wersching, who also booted one from 26 yards late in the second quarter.

On defense, the 49ers registered eight quarterback sacks and held the Falcons’ usually strong rushing attack to 75 yards.

Atlanta Coach Dan Henning said: “Our defense played a stout-hearted game, but we were outplayed on the other side and the 49ers had a big play on special teams. That was about the story.”

The 49ers’ defense sacked Turk Schonert 7 times for a minus 80 yards. Rookie defensive end Charles Haley was in on four of the sacks.

“I was getting tired of getting hit,” said Schonert after making his first start in two years. “I’m kind of sore right now.

“When you get pressure like they did today, it makes it impossible to read downfield,” Schonert said. “Their pass rush was excellent and forced us into the little misses that cost you a ballgame.”

Said Haley: “They were setting to the outside on their pass blocking. So we wanted to get inside. Dwayne (Board), Jeff (Stover) and I played some games on them and I had a clear path up the middle.”

Montana left the game late in the fourth quarter after completing 21 of 32 passes for 233 yards and 1 touchdown. He has now passed for 944 yards in the three games he’s played since returning after back surgery.

Roger Craig, the 49ers’ fullback, had a 101-yard rushing day, his best of the year. But starting halfback Joe Cribbs left the game with a hip injury and his replacement, Derrick Harmon, suffered a broken ankle.

Schonert passed for 227 yards before being relieved by recently signed Scott Campbell in the final quarter. A 48-yard completion to Joey Jones in the third period set up a field goal attempt, but Ali Haji-Sheikh missed from 39 yards.

The Falcons, shut out for the second time this season, have scored only 7 touchdowns in their last 6 games.

Clark drew holding penalties before catching passes on both of the first-half drives leading to field goals.

A 26-yard completion to Clark gave the 49ers’ a first down at the Atlanta 12 in the closing minutes of the half. Montana was decked while releasing the pass and left the game for one play, replaced by Jeff Kemp.

The drive also included the 49ers’ longest running play so far this season, Craig’s 25-yard gain on a sweep to the left. Craig’s previous high rushing total this year was 69 yards.