(First in a five-part series examining the offenses and defenses of the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. Today: San Francisco's offense.) NEWLN: Super Bowl Analysis By IRA KAUFMAN UPI Sports Writer
NEW ORLEANS (UPI) -- When Bill Walsh resigned as San Francisco's coach and offensive guru a year ago, many predicted the 49ers' offense would not be the same.
They were right. The offense improved.
'They are like a missile ready to explode,' Rams Coach John Robinson says of the offense Joe Montana will direct in Sunday's Super Bowl against Denver. The 49ers led the NFL in five major offensive categories during a 14-2 regular season, then turned things up to warp speed in playoff games against the Vikings and Rams.
You start, naturally, with Montana, a two-time Super Bowl MVP and the top-rated career passer in league history. Before he stops in Canton, Ohio, for his Hall of Fame bust, Montana has a few more dozen secondaries to pick apart.
'The most impressive thing about Joe Montana is that he makes the right decision almost all the time,' says Tampa Bay Coach Ray Perkins. 'People don't realize just how important that is.'
Nurtured by Walsh since entering the league as a third-round draft choice in 1979, Montana enjoyed his best year in Walsh's absence, completing 70.2 percent of his attempts and registering a 26-8 ratio of TD passes to interceptions. His postseason protection has been impeccable, with Montana firing four TD passes against the Vikings and hitting 26 of 30 attempts against the Rams.
'You can write all the adjectives you want about Joe,' says San Francisco safety Ronnie Lott, 'but you can't measure the depth of his heart. That's what makes him special.'
San Francisco's remarkable figure of 8.17 yards per pass attempt is testimony to Montana and his outstanding receivers. Jerry Rice led NFL receivers in yardage (1,483) and TDs (17), but his success is a given. The most pleasant surprise for offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren was the emergence of John Taylor into a Pro Bowl receiver.
'Taylor's good, but he's definitely no Jerry Rice,' says Buccaneers safety Mark Robinson. 'He certainly benefits from all the attention Rice receives.'
Taylor, who caught the winning pass against the Bengals in last year's Super Bowl, added 1,077 yards and 10 TDs and has scored in each playoff game.
Tight end Brent Jones knows how to get open down the middle and will keep Pro Bowl strong safety Dennis Smith honest. Add fullback Tom Rathman, seventh in the NFC with 73 receptions, and versatile Roger Craig and it's obvious a defense has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
'They offer a two-pronged attack, but the main guy you have to get after is Craig,' says Mark Robinson. 'We shut him down pretty good in Tampa and almost won the game.'
The 49ers prefer to run off-tackle and Rathman is a plugger who rarely fumbles and even more rarely breaks off a long gain. Craig still has the burst to get outside, but the 49ers averaged a mediocre 4.0 yards per rush.
Rookie coach George Seifert prefers to substitute freely along the offensive line, led by Pro Bowl left guard Guy McIntyre and right tackle Harris Barton, a budding star. The weak spot is at right guard, where both Bruce Collie and Terry Tausch have struggled.
Denver Coach Dan Reeves knows his revamped defense faces an imposing challenge.
'I know we're going to have to put some points on the board because nobody has been able to stop the 49ers all year,' Reeves says. 'They're certainly coming into this game hotter than any team we've played in the past.'
