SAN FRANCISCO — On a night dedicated to 49er excellence with reminders of Joe Montana's charismatic ability to rally his team and the touchdown-scoring return of Jerry Rice, there would be no John Elway comeback to crash San Francisco's celebration.
And while Denver was unraveling, losing Terrell Davis because of a separated shoulder and allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to claim the AFC West Division and the home-field advantage through the playoffs, the 49ers were making a statement of their own: If the Green Bay Packers aim to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they will have to travel through San Francisco.
The 49ers (13-2), buoyed by Rice's 14-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter and returning two of Elway's three turnovers for touchdowns in the second half, broke a 17-17 tie to pull away for a 34-17 victory over Denver (11-4) before 68,461 in 3Com Park Monday night.
"There was a lot of electricity out there," said San Francisco quarterback Steve Young, who completed 22 of 34 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown. "I haven't seen that here for a while; you have no idea how it feels to play before a crowd like that. That kind of electricity can push us to the Super Bowl."
Rice, extending his streak to 177 games with at least one catch and scoring the 166th touchdown of his career, became the first non-kicker in NFL history to reach the 1,000-point mark. Rice, without explanation, left the stadium without comment.
Seemingly lost to the 49ers for the season because of two torn knee ligaments and damaged cartilage in the team's opening game against Tampa Bay on Aug. 31, Rice opened the festive night running through a gantlet of teammates and jumping into the arms of teammate William Floyd, the crowd cheering wildly.
When the game began, Rice, who holds NFL records for most touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards, ran onto the field 11 times, his arm raised to remind Floyd that he was being replaced, and while two plays were officially wiped out by penalties, he was back in prime time.
On his initial two pass routes, Rice was a decoy while Young looked elsewhere, but on the 49ers' second possession, he ran up field, cut right and Young located him for a 16-yard gain, Denver cornerback Ray Crockett hitting him with a glancing blow to his reconstructed left knee.
Rice got up, a victory already for nervous 49er fans, and then went back to crafting memories for his well-wishers.
