On the 49ers' first drive of the game, wide receiver Jerry Rice caught a very long pass from quarterback Joe Montana and appeared to be on his way for a 50-yard touchdown; however, the future Hall of Famer inexplicably fumbled the football into the Giants end zone without being touched. (John Madden said during the telecast that the artificial turf at Giants Stadium may have been a factor.) Giants safety Kenny Hill recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback. New York then drove 80 yards in 10 plays to score on Simms' 24-yard touchdown to tight end Mark Bavaro. San Francisco responded with a 26-yard field goal by Ray Wersching, but in the second quarter, Giants safety Herb Welch intercepted a pass from Montana and lateralled the ball to Elvis Patterson, who ran for 16 yards before being tackled. New York then converted with the turnover into a touchdown on Joe Morris' 45-yard run.