It failed when Carthon dropped the pass in the end zone. But a fourth-quarter gamble on a fake punt worked splendidly. You have to have guts and character to pull a fake. In what has become Montana's own private party, Hostetler stole the sunshine of the day with a gutty performance that earned the 49ers' respect. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 176 yards, didn't throw an interception and made all the plays when he had to.
People talk about what are the different signs of a leader.
If he's not a leader, I don't know what is. Montana spent the afternoon getting pounded by a stiff Giants ' pass rush that sacked him three times. We knew he'd get rid of the ball fast. Any time you hit a guy like that and put pressure on him and not let him do the things he's used to doing, you've done a good job. The defense played so well and with so much confidence that it didn't mind its offense settling for field goals instead of touchdowns.