NFL : Montana Sits Out 49ers’ Victory

With Joe Montana sitting out the game, Steve Young threw for a touchdown and Spencer Tillman ran for a score in the San Francisco 49ers’ 24-6 exhibition victory Wednesday night over the Denver Broncos.

The 49ers are 3-0 in exhibition play. Denver has scored only one touchdown in losing two of its three exhibitions.

Montana was given the night off because of the team’s three-day turnaround from an overseas exhibition. The 49ers, who beat Chicago on Saturday at Berlin, used the opportunity to take a longer look at the other quarterbacks.

San Francisco dominated the first half but led only 10-3 on Young’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice and a 37-yard field goal by Mike Cofer.

The 49er field goal followed cornerback Kevin Lewis’ interception of John Elway and a 44-yard return to Denver’s 27.

Tracy Bennett’s 29-yard field goal three seconds before the end of the half got Denver on the board. Elway, recovering from a bad start, set up the score by completing all five passes for 48 yards during a nine-play, 55-yard drive that reached San Francisco’s 11.

He finished with nine completions in 19 attempts for 87 yards after completing one of his first six and failing to get a first down during Denver’s three first-quarter possessions.