Rice cooks

In what may have been the most stunning 49er upset in recent history, Jerry Rice takes an 8 yard slant pass from Elvis Grbac the distance for an 81 yard TD in a 1995 showdown with the Cowboys. Texas Stadium is stunned. Rice lined up in the slot on the right side of the football field. The Niners lined up in a 4 wide receiver set on the play, with then 49er RB Derek Loville used as a wide receiver. Rice stutter-stepped to the right and juked the Cowboy safety (Brock Marion) into thinking he was running an out pattern on the short side of the field.

Instead, Rice cut back to the inside and ran a slant pattern--facing one on one coverage from Cowboy LB Darrin Smith. Charles Haley almost sacked Grbac before he had a chance to release the football. Too little, too late. Rice cradled in an 8 yard slant pass and proceeded to burn Kevin Smith with open field ahead of him. Cowboy defensive backs Larry Brown and Brock Marion appeared to gain ground on Rice as he raced upfield, but they soon pooped out. There was one man left to beat--and it wasn't Deion Sanders. It was Darren Woodson. Woodson tripped up Rice at the Cowboy 3, but it was no use. Rice stumbled into the end zone a happy man. And the Niners had a 7 point lead just 1 minute into the ballgame.

If you look closely at Ted Popson's face (he's #85), you'll see a trace of a smile. Even he knew Jerry was gone on this one.