Game Day Preview: 49ers at Falcons


San Francisco at Atlanta


Focal Point: Anderson vs. Young


Breaking down the 49ers and Falcons


Inside the Falcons playbook

The 49ers (13-4) head east to Atlanta (14-2) for the second time this season as these NFC West rivals play for the first time ever in the playoffs as the Falcons make their first postseason appearance since 1995 and host their first playoff game since 1980.

	NFL POSTSEASON TOUCHDOWN LEADERS
	Thurman Thomas 20 games	21
	Emmitt Smith 16 games	20
	Jerry Rice 22 games	18
	POSTSEASON TOUCHDOWN PASSES
	Joe Montana 23 games	45
	Dan Marino 15 games	30
	Terry Bradshaw 19 games	30
	POSTSEASON PASSING YARDS
	Joe Montana 23 games	5,772
	John Elway 19 games	4,273
	Dan Marino 15 games	3,976
	POSTSEASON RECEPTIONS
	Jerry Rice 22 games	121
	Michael Irvin 16 games	87
	Andre Reed 20 games	85
	POSTSEASON FIELD GOALS
	George Blanda 19 games	22
	Gary Anderson 21 games	21
	Matt Bahr 14 games	21
	Steve Christie 11 games	21
	POSTSEASON SACKS
	Bruce Smith 19 games	12
	Reggie White 19 games	12
	Charles Haley 20 games	11
	Richard Dent 12 games	10½

San Francisco owns a 40-23-1 advantage in the series thanks partly to a dominating stretch which has seen them win eight of the last 10 meetings. The Falcons' two wins have come by a combined 13 points while the 49ers' eight wins have been by a combined 197 points. San Francisco is 23-6-1 mark against the Falcons since 1984.

Since being swept by the Falcons in 1991, the 49ers are 11-3 vs. Atlanta, scoring an astounding 510 points (36.4 per game) in the 14 games, totaling 30 or more points in 11 of those games, 40 or more points in five of those games and 50 or more points twice.

This year, the teams split their regular-season series for the first time since 1995. In Week 4 at 3Com Park, 49ers QB Steve Young threw for 387 yards and three touchdowns, one interception and he added 50 yards rushing as San Francisco bolted to a 31-7 halftime edge en route to a 31-20 victory.

Seven weeks later at the Georgia Dome (Week 11), Falcons RB Jamal Anderson rushed for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns and the Atlanta defense harassed Young (four sacks) all afternoon as Dan Reeves' club raced to a 24-6 fourth-quarter edge and held on for a 31-19 triumph.

The 49ers are 4-3 lifetime at the Georgia Dome, dating back to 1992. Since their second encounter in 1990, the last 17 meetings between the 49ers and Falcons have produced 939 points, an average of 55.2 per contest.

Numbers: In 25 games against the Falcons, 49ers WR Jerry Rice has totaled 158 receptions for 2,481 yards (15.7 avg.) and 25 touchdowns. He has also rushed nine times for 128 yards and three touchdowns and completed two of his four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, including a 41-yard touchdown to WR J.J. Stokes at Atlanta in '95. Rice also recovered a fumble for a score.

In his last 15 games against the Falcons, Young is 10-5 as a starter, throwing for 4,217 yards, 33 touchdowns and just 14 interceptions, and rushing 66 times for 463 yards and seven touchdowns. Including playoffs, in 16 games in 1998, Young has thrown 39 touchdown passes and just 14 interceptions, after throwing for 19 scores and six interceptions in 15 games in 1997.

Including the playoffs, 49ers have scored 217 points (31 per game) in their last seven games, totaling 2,946 yards of offense (420.9 per game), including 1,404 yards rushing (200.6 per game). They have rushed for 120 or more yards in each of those contests.

In their last 19 games including the playoffs, the 49ers offense has totaled 92 touchdowns and 48 field goals in 27 wins, and 11 touchdowns and 12 field goals in eight losses. Since 1993 including the playoffs, the 49ers have scored 30 or more points in 51 of their last 107 games, tallying 40 or more points in 17 of those contests.

Including the playoffs, 49ers have allowed 32 sacks in 13 wins and 23 sacks in four losses this season. Including the playoffs, San Francisco has allowed 42 sacks in their last 12 games, including the playoffs. 49ers WR Terrell Owens has scored a touchdown in nine straight games and 12 of his last 13 contests.

From 1988-93, Falcons QB Chris Chandler owned a combined 15-24 record as a starter with the Colts, Buccaneers and Cardinals, throwing 39 touchdown passes and 58 interceptions. From 1994-98, Chandler is a combined 33-26 as a starter with the Rams, Oilers and Falcons, throwing 85 TD passes and just 42 interceptions. Chandler has thrown a touchdown pass in 26 straight games dating back to 1997.

Since 1997, the Falcons are 20-8 with Chandler as the starter while Falcons backup quarterbacks are just 1-3. Anderson has rushed for 100 or more yards in five straight games and 12 of his last 14 contests.

This season, the Falcons have scored 419 points in 14 wins (29.9 per game), but just 23 points in two losses (11.5 per game). Atlanta has totaled three or more sacks in 20 of its last 32 contests. The Falcons have rushed for 130 or more yards in five straight games, and they have held the opposition under 100 yards rushing in seven of their last nine contests. Atlanta has limited the opposition to fewer than 250 yards of total offense in six of their last nine contests.

The coaches: 49ers coach Steve Mariucci is 2-1 in postseason play, while Reeves is 8-7 in postseason play (7-6 with Broncos, 1-1 with Giants, 0-0 with Falcons).

Postseason history: The 49ers are making their seventh consecutive playoff appearance and 20th overall postseason appearance (19th since merger). They are 24-14 in postseason play (24-13 since merger) while the Falcons are making their sixth playoff appearance (sixth since merger) and they are 2-5 in postseason play.

Things to look for: Following one of the more memorable playoff games in NFL history, a physically and mentally spent Niners squad must travel across the country to face a well-rested Falcons squad still looking for respect despite its gaudy record. The Atlanta defense put a lot of hits on Young in the last encounter and will tee off on him again, especially if injured RB Garrison Hearst isn't up to snuff.

Etc.: The Falcons are hosting their first postseason game since a 30-27 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980 NFC Divisional Playoffs at Fulton County Stadium on Jan. 4, 1981. It's worth noting that the 49ers are making their sixth trip to the East Coast this season (Washington, Buffalo, Carolina, New England, Atlanta twice).

The 49ers are 49-13 against NFC West foes dating back to 1990 and have won 15 of their last 16 games against divisional competition dating back to 1997, their lone loss over that span at Atlanta this season. The Falcons have won nine straight games by a combined score of 267-138 and they are an NFL-best 20-4 in their last 24 contests after opening 1-7 in 1997. Atlanta has won 10 straight home games dating back to 1997.