Packers hope to top 49ers in sack race

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Wednesday, December 30, 1998 3:00 AM CST

BY TOM MULHERN Lee Newspapers

GREEN BAY The San Francisco 49ers might have a vast array of explosive weapons on offense, but it's not going to matter in Sunday's playoff game against the Green Bay Packers if the line can't protect quarterback Steve Young.

Young set team records this season with 36 touchdown passes and 4,170 passing yards.

San Francisco's offense also set a team record with 6,800 net yards, the second-highest total in NFL history. Only the Miami Dolphins, with 6,936 yards in 1984, have ever gained more.

Running back Garrison Hearst set a team record by rushing for 1,570 yards, meaning four of the team's most prominent offensive records fell this season.

That's saying something, given the offensive success the 49ers have enjoyed the last two decades. This is not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers record book we're talking about.

But the 49ers also broke one other team record, which exposed their Achilles' heel. They allowed 53 sacks, breaking the mark of 47 set in 1988.

The Packers sacked Young nine times in their 36-22 victory Nov. 1, their highest total in 33 years. Five of the sacks came in the final 13 minutes, when the 49ers collapsed after rallying to a 22-19 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

``When you get that much pressure, you beat anybody," Packers defensive end Reggie White said. ``I don't care who the guy is. He can be the greatest quarterback in the world.

``If you (sack) him nine times and then (are) hitting him as he's throwing the ball away, you can rattle any quarterback."

When it comes to the skill positions, it looks like the 49ers do their shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue. In addition to Young, they have three outstanding wideouts, Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and J.J. Stokes, and a terrific back in Hearst.

But the line looks like it came straight off the rack at Wal-Mart, or at least the offensive tackles do. The 49ers have been rotating three players at the two positions, in part because left tackle Dave Fiore and right tackle Kirk Scrafford are playing at less than 100 percent due to injuries. They are relieved by Derrick Deese, a former guard who had been pressed into duty as a starter at right tackle.

Actually, the situation is improved over the last time the 49ers faced the Packers. Fiore, a free agent who came out of nowhere to claim the starting job, missed the Green Bay game with a knee injury suffered in the fourth game. Scrafford had also just returned from retirement.

Jamie Brown, who started at left tackle but hasn't even been active in recent weeks, was so overmatched by Packers defensive end Vonnie Holliday that Scrafford quickly replaced him. At the same time, Deese was being manhandled by White.

Packers defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur also blitzed strong safety LeRoy Butler extensively in that game.

``We came out and played hard," Holliday said. ``Fritz put in a lot of different fronts, (and) we did a lot of stunting. LeRoy was able to come off the corner a lot. It really set it up for the rest of us to get off and make plays. Everybody was just on that night."

The 49ers' line has been effective enough in the running game that they have the NFL's top-ranked rushing offense, thanks in part to Young, who has added 454 rushing yards.

The line is somewhat more effective pass blocking with Fiore at left tackle and Scrafford back at his more natural right tackle spot. But Young was sacked three times Sunday against the St. Louis Rams taking a hard shot each time.

It's hard to imagine how many sacks the 49ers would have given up if they didn't have such a mobile quarterback.

San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci will have to come up with some ways to slow the Packers' pass rush, whether it's taking shorter drops, or keeping in more blockers.

``I think Steve will move out of the pocket some," White said. ``I don't think `Mooch' is just going to let him sit back there, particularly, if there's a lot of pressure. If there's not, then Steve can do that. He can sit back there and throw the ball."

If that happens, the Packers' secondary could be in trouble.

While duplicating the nine sacks will be a lot to ask, White made it clear that the outcome is riding on the shoulders of the defensive linemen.

``If we're going to succeed, the way we beat them is having to play well up front," White said. ``If we don't play well up front, we won't win. If we play well up front, I think we will win."

Tom Mulhern is a reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison.

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