|
|
|
|
|
Hill and Niners get it done in 20-13 victory
By Pearl Allison Lo December 15, 2007 |
||
|
|
|||
|
This third-string quarterback didn’t succumb to the Cincinnati Bengals as completion was the name of the game in a Shaun Hill led San Francisco 49ers’ 20-13 victory over the visiting Bengals. The crowd was pumped as Hill went 21 of 28 for 197 yards, with 1 touchdown, no interceptions, 2 sacks, and a 12-yard scramble in his first career start. He also had a spin around and jump pass completion in the game. While Hill’s numbers weren’t huge, it was an exciting game for the Niners players and fans alike. Despite the one TD, the team completions helped score field goals, and the Niners are now 10-1 when Frank Gore has 20+ carries; he had 29 for 138 yards this game. Hill, taking over after Trent Dilfer was injured last game, continued his great play this game, playing the last 2 weeks with a broken finger. He seemed to read the defense better this week and looks like he could be just what the 49ers have been searching for as the 49ers broke a 5-game home losing streak and 3-game overall losing streak. Net yardage for both teams were huge, as SF had 337, 156 rushing and 181 passing, and Cincinnati had 313, with 252 passing and 61 rushing. On the Bengals’ first drive, 49ers’ Walt Harris made a nice deflection on a long pass to Travis Henry. The 49ers had a couple penalties in the first quarter. They also had to use a timeout because they had too many men on the field. On their first drive, Hill completed a 17-yard pass to Arnaz Battle and a 21 yard pass to Delanie Walker, but the Walker play was erased because of an illegal motion penalty. On the Bengals’ second drive, another long ball failed to make Henry’s hands. SF Donald Strickland received an illegal contact penalty. On the Niners’ second drive, Hill completed a 15-yard pass to Vernon Davis, a 14-yard pass to Darrell Jackson, a spin around and jump completion to Maurice Hicks for 7 yards, a 10-yard pass to Jackson, and then Hill played quarterback keeper and ran a naked bootleg right in to the end zone. SF got the first score at 13:03 in the second quarter to make it 6-0. completions and long ones hicks to 25, 7 yards, However the Niners didn’t do too well defensively afterwards at first. Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer completed a 13-yard pass, a 25-yard pass to Daniel Coats, which SF’s Derek Smith didn’t see until it was in Coasts’ hands, and a 13-yard pass. SF defensive players failed to see the ball at least twice. However they got the stop when it counted, preventing the Bengals from reaching the end zone. Shayne Graham made a 24-yard field goal at 8:35 to make the score 7-3. Next Cincinnati drive, Henry finally caught a long pass, for 52 yards, right near the end zone and into it to give the Bengals the lead for the first time. It was 9-7 at 4:45. The Niners retaliated right after however. Hill completed a 19 and then 13-yard pass to Jackson. At 0:17, Hill spiked the ball with 1 timeout left, which they didn’t need, as Hill threw 13 yards to Davis in the end zone. This gave SF back the lead, 13-10, at 0:14. The 49ers continued the scoring when the game resumed after the half. Frank Gore ran 20 yards and then it was the little things that counted as SF went down the field for 6:45 and 12 plays. They were unable to make it to the end zone but Joe Nedney kicked a FG at 8:19 in the third quarter to increase the Niners’ lead to 17-10. Nedney increased SF’s lead again when he made a 38-yard field goal at 0:58 to make it 20-10. Graham made a 35-yard FG at 11:22 in the fourth quarter to bring the score a TD apart, 20-13. San Francisco stopped Cincinnati’s final drive at 3:00. A pass to Travis Henry in the end zone was ruled incomplete because he didn’t have control of the ball when he fell. This turned the ball over to San Francisco on downs and essentially the game. San Francisco now has a 10-3 series lead as they broke the 2-game losing streak to the Bengals. Game Notes: On Wednesday, Alex Smith was placed on injured reserve. QB Chris Weinke was also signed. The 49ers had 3 near interceptions. Michael Robinson had a speedy 30-yard kickoff return. He left later in the game with a shoulder stinger. Dashon Goldson and Jackson were injured during the game. T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught his 100th team pass during the game, tying a team record. Corey Mays suffered an injury. Prayers go out to the friends and family of the fan who died during halftime last week’s game, Torrey. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||