San Francisco 49ers halfback Garrison Hearst (20) is chased by Atlanta Falcons safety Devin Bush (25) and another Falcon on a 69-yard reception in the first quarter Sunday, Sept. 21, 1997, in San Francisco.AP Photo/Susan Ragan

Falcons: Hearst figures in 49ers' passing attack

Web posted September 22, 1997

By Tony Fabrizio
Morris News Service

SAN FRANCISCO -- Any thought that Dan Reeves could work magic early in his tenure as the Atlanta Falcons coach can now be dismissed.

The Falcons are still awful.

Measured against the standard that has defined their place in the NFL for nearly two decades, the Falcons came up woefully inadequate in a 34-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers ON Sunday at 3Com Park.

The Falcons fell to 0-4, as Steve Young completed 17 of 24 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns in less than 2 1/2 quarters. Terry Kirby scored two touchdowns on the ground, and former Georgia star Garrison Hearst caught a 69-yard pass on his team's second play to set up a field goal.

While Atlanta joined Chicago and Indianapolis as the league's only winless teams and frontrunners for the right to draft Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, San Francisco took sole possession of first place in the NFC West at 3-1 heading into next Monday night's showdown with 2-2 Carolina in Charlotte.

``We didn't compete,'' Reeves said, stating the obvious. ``I didn't think I'd ever have a football team that I didn't feel like went out and competed, but we didn't. We were embarrassed.''

Atlanta's sixth consecutive loss here came by the same margin as the average of the others - 27 points. New coaches, players and management and a conventional offense in

place of the run-and-shoot didn't make an iota of a difference. The Falcons were still the Falcons, and the 49ers were still the 49ers.

That was enough to make 49ers defensive end and ex-Falcon Chris Doleman remark, ``Thank God for free agency.''

Doleman, who still lives in the Atlanta area, added, ``It would be nice if San Francisco's team was in Atlanta so that I could stay home. But since they're not, I had to go to them.''

The Falcons played without No. 1 quarterback Chris Chandler, who suffered a bruised sternum a week earlier and was barely able to throw in pre-game warmups. But the 49ers were without starting cornerbacks Marquez Pope and Rod Woodson and pass-rushing specialist Kevin Greene.

Billy Joe Tolliver, who made his first start since 1994, completed 17 of 31 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He was sacked three times and moved the Falcons into 49ers territory only twice in the game.

``We lost the game, so I've got a rating of zero,'' Tolliver said. ``We're in a business of winning, and I didn't get it done.''

Young, scrambling to his right, connected with Hearst for 69 yards on the 49ers' second play. Linebacker David Brandon broke coverage on Hearst when he thought Young was going to run, and that left the running back wide open. A 22-yard field goal by Gary Anderson put San Francisco up 3-0.

Atlanta's defense held for the rest of the first quarter, but Young cut loose in a 21-point San Francisco second quarter.

Passes of 21 and 18 yards to Floyd set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Young to J.J. Stokes, who beat Ray Buchanan on a post.

Young moved the 49ers into scoring position again with passes of 14 yards to Hearst, 11 to Floyd on a screen and 36 to Stokes, who was wide open on a play-action play. Terry Kirby drove for the touchdown from the 1.

The 49ers got the ball again with 1:42 left in the half. Young found Terrell Owens open in single coverage against Michael Booker, hitting him in stride near the left sideline for a 56-yard touchdown. San Francisco led 24-0.

After Tolliver was sacked on the first play of the third quarter and Harold Green was thrown for a loss on the second, the 49ers began their first series of the second half with a short field.

Young picked on Booker again, hooking up with Owens for a 20-yard gain. Kirby then scored on a churning, 10-yard run off left guard.

Tolliver, who hadn't taken his team beyond the 49ers' 45 to this point, moved the Falcons 77 yards for their only touchdown. Passes of 13 yards each to Bert Emanuel and Terance Mathis set up Tolliver's 16-yard scoring strike to Emanuel.

San Francisco rookie quarterback Jim Drukenmiller completed a 25-yard pass to Iheanyl Uwaezuoke in the fourth quarter, and Anderson added a 32-yard field goal.

Reeves said that Chandler's status for next week's home game against Denver doesn't look good.