Terrell Ownes is arguably one of the best wide receivers ever to have ever played in the NFL. His journey started off with the San Francisco 49ers where he teamed up with another legend Jerry Rice. Moreover, there was a lot of healthy competition between the two greats.
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Owens recently had a chat with Peyton Manning released by Peyton’s own ‘Omaha Productions.’ During the interview, Owens reflected on his Hall of Fame career and also recalled the time he ruined Jerry Rice’s last home game for San Francisco when the 49ers faced off against the Chicago Bears at Candlestick Stadium.
Terrell Owens Ruined Teammate Jerry Rice’s Final Home Game
After spending 16 seasons in San Francisco, the 2000 season turned out to be Jerry Rice’s last at the franchise. The Week 16 game against the Bears became his final game at the Candlestick Stadium, the erstwhile home for the Niners. However, it was his teammate Terrell Owens who stole the spotlight on the big day.
During his conversation with Peyton Manning, Owens revealed that the Bears defensive players were determined to prevent Jerry Rice from having a good game, and while doing that, they failed to identify the other threats. T.O. started the game in breathtaking fashion, snagging catch after catch, and also broke the Niners’ franchise record with 20 receptions to his name. Incidentally, Jerry Rice held the record at the time with 16 receptions.
However, Rice has no regrets about it and said that he was simply doing his job. “Obviously, the defensive coordinators and the defensive players for the Chicago Bears, they were well aware of that as well. And they tried to prevent it, well they did prevent it from being the best day for Jerry. But for me, I was just doing my job. I was the recipient of 20 passes at the end of the day. I had no idea until halftime,” Terrell Owens said while talking about Jerry Rice’s final home game.
Terrell Owens Broke The Record For Most Receptions In Jerry Rice’s Final Home Game
Jerry Rice’s swansong at the Candlestick stadium became all about Terrell Owens by the end of the game, with the latter recording unfathomable numbers in the game. Owens finished the game with 20 receptions for 283 yards and scored a touchdown. On the other hand, Rice had a rather subdued performance, managing only seven catches for 76 yards.
Courtesy of Owens’ brilliance, the San Francisco 49ers handed out a shutout 17-0 defeat to the Chicago Bears. The 49ers did not have a great season that year and ended up finishing with a 6-10 record. However, the game was supposed to be all about Jerry Rice’s farewell, but it is remembered as the one in which Owens announced his arrival on the NFL scene.
