Midway through the third quarter, San Francisco receiver Freddie Solomon lost a fumble while being tackled by Green that linebacker Rich Milot recovered on the 49ers 36-yard line. A few plays later, a pass interference penalty on defensive back Ronnie Lott moved the ball to the 6-yard line, and Riggins took it the final six yards to the end zone with three more runs, making the score 14–0. Then on their next drive, Theismann completed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Brown, giving Washington a 21–0 lead with just over a minute left until the final quarter.