Thursday, Dec. 5, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
SUN WIRE REPORTS
The San Francisco 49ers have no problem identifying the offensive low point in their season. It was the 23-7 loss at Carolina in September when they narrowly avoided being shut out for the first time in 20 years.
They've gotten healthier and more efficient since then, just in time for the rematch with Carolina on Sunday, with first place in the NFC West at stake.
"I believe we're better, but we have to demonstrate it," 49ers coach George Seifert said Wednesday. "At the same time, they're better too.
Carolina (9-4) handed San Francisco (10-3) its worst loss of the season in beating the 49ers for the second time in three meetings. The 49ers' other two losses this year have both been in overtime to Dallas and Green Bay.
"We got punched in the mouth by this (Carolina) team and now we're going to see what we have to counter that," San Francisco quarterback Steve Young said.
"We know that we played played poorly and we have a lot to live up to, a lot to answer for the first showing," said Young, who seems to have shaken off the two concussions and groin strain that bothered him earlier in the season.
Young was hobbled by the groin injury in the earlier meeting. And he was hit almost every time he went back to pass, including the 49ers' first play when Kevin Greene burst past tackle Harris Barton to nail the quarterback as he threw a 34-yard pass to Jerry Rice.
The completion was negated by a holding call on Barton. Young wound up being sacked four times and threw a goal-line interception. He managed one offensive breakthrough, eluding the rush to complete a deep pass to Derek Loville for a touchdown, keeping alive the 49ers' record consecutive-game scoring streak, now at 303.
"Any game you lose, I'm frustrated and embarrassed, but the way we lost that last one, it was especially tough," said tight end Brent Jones, who was held without a reception for the first time in his career.
It was more of the same in the first meeting between the teams in November 1995, when Carolina's blitzing defense forced San Francisco into five turnovers, three inside the Panthers 5 in a 13-7 Carolina victory. The Panthers scored a touchdown on Tim McKyer's interception of Elvis Grbac's pass and a 96-yard return.
While the 49ers rebounded for their only win against Carolina, a 31-10 decision at Memorial Stadium last December, the concerns remain over handling the Panthers' wide array of blitzes and stunts.
"They give you more variety defensively than anybody else we'll play, with the exception possibly of Pittsburgh," Seifert said.
"I don't know if I've ever seen a team run as many defenses well as I did just watching them play against Tampa Bay."
* DELLENBACH A PACKER: Jeff Dellenbach always wanted to play for the Green Bay Packers. Having grown up two hours away in Wausau, he rooted for the green and gold since he was a toddler. Twelve years after getting drafted by the Miami Dolphins, Dellenbach finally got to put on a Packers uniform Wednesday. Green Bay signed the 33-year-old center as protection in case of injury and to provide veteran offensive line help for the final three regular-season games and playoffs. Dellenbach, waived by New England on Sept. 10, said the first thing he did was call his parents with the news. "They were pretty excited, but I had to tell them to settle down because I know tickets are pretty hard to come by around here," he said.
* FLIPPER GETS CHANCE: It's been a long 14 months for Flipper Anderson. First, he missed almost all of last season after tearing a knee ligament while playing with Indianapolis. Then he was either out of uniform or on the Washington Redskins bench as a third-string receiver for the first 12 games of this season. Now, with Michael Westbrook and Leslie Shepherd injured, Anderson can't wait for his chance to get back on the field when the Redskins play Sunday at Tampa Bay. "I'm hoping Shep and Mike will get better," Anderson said. "But if not, I hope I can get in there and prove to everyone in the league that I'm still the Flipper Anderson of old." Westbrook is certain to miss Sunday's game with a knee injury, while Shepherd feels he'll be able to make only part-time duty at best because of a sore hip, ankle and hamstring and a bruised Achilles tendon.
* RAIDERS SIGN PUNTER: The Oakland Raiders have signed yet another punter, but he'll have to beat out backup quarterback Billy Joe Hobert for the job. The Raiders signed Leo Araguz, who has never appeared in a regular-season NFL game. It's the second straight week they've signed a punter because of injuries. Araguz and Hobert both punted during workouts Wednesday, and coach Mike White said no decision had yet been made on who will punt next Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. Hobert, who has averaged 41.2 yards on nine punts the last two weeks while filling in for injured punters, has made it clear he wants the job.
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