2000 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2000 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League and their 55th overall. Jerry Rice entered the 2000 season as the oldest player in the league at the wide receiver position. At the end of the year, however, with the emergence of Terrell Owens, Rice decided to leave the team after sixteen seasons to join the Raiders. Running back Charlie Garner would join Rice in Oakland. The 49ers improved from 4–12 in 1999 to 6–10, but still suffered back-to-back losing seasons for the first time  since their four consecutive losing seasons from 1977 to 1980. Without Steve Young, who retired after the 1999 season, the 49ers fully relied on second-year quarterback Jeff Garcia, who enjoyed his best year and was named to the Pro Bowl at the end of this season. Regular season. Schedule. Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Season summary. Week 1 at Atlanta Falcons. Jeff Garcia opened scoring on a four-yard touchdown to Fred Beasley but after four consecutive Morten Anderson field goals the Falcons got touchdown catches from Terance Mathis and Shawn Jefferson while Ashley Ambrose picked  off Garcia and scored. Beasley and Terrell Owens caught additional San Francisco touchdowns in the 36–28 loss. Week 2 vs. Carolina Panthers. San Francisco's home opener was a disaster as four straight Panthers touchdowns ultimately led to a 38–22 Niners loss. With the game out of reach Garcia was benched and former Seahawks washout Rick Mirer completed a touchdown to J. J. Stokes and a two-point conversion throw to Owens on a subsequent Fred Beasley score. Week 3 at St. Louis Rams. The Niners led 10–3 and closed to 27–24 but the defending Super Bowl champs put the  game away 41–24. Garcia was intercepted twice, the second time at the Rams goal line with 47 seconds to go. This was the game famous for Terrell Owens posing on the Cowboys mid-field star after his first touchdown of the game. This led to a more emphatic gesture by Emmitt Smith when he scored as he slammed the ball securely to the star. When Owens scored again he repeated his gesture then was hammered by George Teague in response. Week 4 at Dallas Cowboys. Though the Niners won 41–24 it was a costly affair for coach Steve Mariucci; not  only was Owens suspended for their following game (creating a rift between the two) but Mariucci clashed with an enraged Jerry Rice during the game, Rice angry after coming into the game with only eleven catches – in a bigger irony Rice would catch two touchdowns. Week 5 vs. Arizona Cardinals. The Niners led wire to wire in winning 27–20. Jerry Rice led Niners receivers with seven catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Week 6 vs. Oakland Raiders. The two Bay Area NFL teams met for only the ninth time and first since the Raiders returned to Oakland. After two  Sebastian Janikowski field goals the Niners took a 14–6 lead on scores to Owens and Rice. In the third after a Tyrone Wheatley score and two pointer tied the game the Raiders forced a fumble, completed a deep strike to Andre Rison, then Tim Brown caught a 30-yard score. The Raiders next scored on a Rich Gannon run. Garcia then completed a touchdown to Owens where he outmaneuvered five Raiders defenders. A missed Janikowski attempt led to the tying Niners score. In overtime Janikowski missed again but Wade Richey’s kick was blocked and in the ensuing Raiders drive  Brown caught the game-winning touchdown (34–28 final). Week Seven at Green Bay Packers. San Francisco’s perennial struggle against the Packers continued in a competitive game as Jeff Garcia threw four touchdowns in erasing a 21–7 gap then tying the game at 28 in the final five minutes. The Packers faced third down only once on their final field goal drive and Garcia’s final pass to Charlie Garner reached the Packers 28. Week Eight at Carolina Panthers. The Niners in a 34–16 loss were swept for the second straight season, second time by their former coach, and third  time in the six seasons of the Panthers’ existence. Steve Beuerlein had three touchdown throws while Garcia had two scores and also a pick six by the Panthers' Mike Minter. Week Nine vs. St. Louis Rams. With Trent Green forced to start in Kurt Warner's stead the Rams at Candlestick Park had themselves a battle as the Niners led four different times and Terrell Owens caught two scores. Green's score to Marshall Faulk in the third tied the game then after an exchange of punts Faulk caught another score. A Pete Stoyanovich field goal made for a 34–24  Niners loss. Week Ten at New Orleans Saints. Former Bengals washout Jeff Blake threw three touchdowns and led five scoring drives to a 31–0 Saints lead, enough to absorb 15 points by the Niners who fell to 2–8 while the long-luckless Saints reached 6–3. Week Eleven vs. Kansas City Chiefs. The Niners ended their five-game slide and a two-game slide against Kansas City by scoring three times on the ground (by Charlie Garner and Jeff Garcia) in the second quarter, limiting the Chiefs to one touchdown while intercepting former 49ers quarterback Elvis Grbac once. Week Twelve vs.  Atlanta Falcons. Jason Webster’s 70-yard pick six was the lone touchdown amid five field goals by both teams as the Niners ground out a 16–6 win. San Francisco sacked Chris Chandler four times. Week Fourteen at San Diego Chargers. The Niners had an easy time of it, winning 45–17 as they intercepted Ryan Leaf four times. Watching from the sidelines was Leaf’s backup and a future Niners head coach, while Jerry Rice, embroiled in a salary cap dispute with the Niners front office, caught what would be his final two scores with the team that drafted him . Week Fifteen vs. New Orleans Saints. The Saints were on their way to their best season in nearly a decade and took an important step in a 31-27 comeback win at San Francisco. Following a 69-yard Garcia touchdown to Terrell Owens the Saints mounted two touchdown drives and Garcia was intercepted with 23 seconds remaining. Week Sixteen vs. Chicago Bears. Rumor of a Jerry Rice divorce from the Niners would come true subsequently as San Francisco’s last home game of the season saw a ceremony honoring Rice and Flash 80 caught seven passes for 76 yards. But  it would be Terrell Owens who made history with twenty catches, setting a new NFL single-game record previously held by Tom Fears in 1950. Week Seventeen at Denver Broncos. The Niners’ disappointing season ended in ugly fashion as the playoff-bound Broncos erupted to lead 38–0. The Niners ended their season and a 38–9 loss on a Garcia touchdown to J. J. Stokes in the final minute.