Montana Brings Back 49ers Again, 24-20

Joe Montana would prefer to win in a less-dramatic fashion.

“This is bad for the heart,” he said.

For the fourth time in five games, Montana rallied the San Francisco 49ers to victory, this time with three second-half touchdown passes, two to John Taylor in the fourth quarter, to beat the New Orleans Saints, 24-20, Sunday.

Montana rallied the 49ers to come-from-behind victories against Indianapolis, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia in the first three games this season.

San Francisco is now 4-1, New Orleans 1-4.

Mike Cofer kicked a 41-yard field goal in the second quarter to open the scoring, but missed a 44-yard attempt in the third quarter. It was the first time in 16 attempts that a New Orleans opponent had missed a field-goal attempt.

Montana’s first touchdown pass, coming with seven minutes left in the third quarter, was a 60-yard hookup with Jerry Rice, who beat cornerback Robert Massey, gathered the ball in at the 25 and then outran Massey.

Rice lost the ball at the one-yard line as he attempted to hold the ball aloft. He never regained possession, but the momentum of the ball carried it on through the end zone, and the touchdown was allowed.

“I was across the line,” Rice said. “The replay was a bad angle.”

Following the touchdown, Rice continued on through the end zone and slammed a wall with his hand. He said it was a gesture of excitement over scoring, rather than a display of anger over losing the ball.

Montana first said Rice “got away with one.” Then, he said, “I saw the replays. It looked like he was across the line.” Then, he laughed.

Replay official Gaylord Brian said Cofer got onto the field and kicked the extra point before his crew could notify the field officials that a review was needed.

“Once (the next play is run) we cannot rule on it. Then, we can’t say anything,” communicator Bill Barron said.

He said that if the play had been reviewed, it appeared that Rice lost possession of the ball before crossing the goal line. If that had been the ruling, the 49ers would have had the ball where Rice fumbled.

The first of Montana’s two scoring passes to Taylor came on a 21-yard play and tied the game at 17-17 with 10 seconds gone in the fourth quarter.

A 32-yarder to Taylor gave the 49ers a 24-20 lead with 8:04 left. Taylor was stripped of the ball in the end zone, but Brian said the play was reviewed and Taylor clearly had possession with both feet down before losing the ball.