2003 San Francisco 49ers season

2003 San Francisco 49ers season
Owner	Denise DeBartolo York and John York
General manager	Terry Donahue
Head coach	Dennis Erickson
Offensive coordinator	Greg Knapp
Defensive coordinator	Jim L. Mora
Home field	San Francisco Stadium at Candlestick Point
Results
Record	7–9
Division place	3rd NFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	FB Fred Beasley WR Terrell Owens LB Julian Peterson
AP All-Pros	LB Julian Peterson (1st team) FB Fred Beasley (2nd team) SS Tony Parrish (2nd team)
← 2002 49ers seasons 2004 →

The 2003 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 57th season in the National Football League.

The team entered their 2003 season attempting to improve upon their 10–6 output from the previous year. This was the first season under head coach Dennis Erickson, whose hiring was considered as a surprise due to the approach set out by management in attempting to replace Steve Mariucci, which resulted in a search that lasted four weeks.^[1] The 49ers failed to surpass their 2002 record and finished the season 7–9 by losing six close games.

It was the final season that noted 49ers Terrell Owens, Garrison Hearst, Tai Streets, Ron Stone, and Jeff Garcia spent with the team.

Offseason

NFL Draft

2003 San Francisco 49ers draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	26	Kwame Harris	Offensive tackle	Stanford
2	57	Anthony Adams	Defensive tackle	Penn State
3	89	Andrew Williams	Defensive end	Miami (FL)
4	124	Brandon Lloyd *	Wide receiver	Illinois
5	161	Aaron Walker	Tight end	Florida
6	197	Arnaz Battle	Wide receiver	Notre Dame
7	241	Ken Dorsey	Quarterback	Miami (FL)
Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Personnel

Staff

2003 San Francisco 49ers staff

Front office Owner – Denise DeBartolo York Owner – John York Owner – The DeBartolo Corporation President/chief executive officer – Peter L. Harris general manager – Terry Donahue Consultant – Bill Walsh Vice president/director of football operations – John McVay Asst. director of football operations/salary cap – Dominic Corsell Assistant director of football administration – Terry Tumey Personnel consultant – Bill McPherson Head coaches Head coach – Dennis Erickson Associate head coach – Greg McMackin Assistant head coach – Gregg Smith Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Greg Knapp Quarterbacks – Ted Tollner Running backs – Tim Lappano Wide receivers – Eric Yarber Tight ends – Gregg Smith Offensive line – Patrick Morris Offensive assistant – Chris Beake Offensive quality control – Jason Tarver

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Jim Mora Defensive line – Dan Quinn Linebackers – Greg McMackin Secondary – Brett Maxie Assistant secondary – Al Simmons Defensive assistant – Dick Tomey Defensive quality control – Jamie Christian Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Larry Mac Duff Special teams quality control – Jeff Rodgers Strength and conditioning Physical development coordinator – Jerry Attaway Strength development coordinator – Terrell Jones

Roster

2003 San Francisco 49ers final roster

	Quarterbacks  7 Ken Dorsey  5 Jeff Garcia 13 Tim Rattay Running backs 32 Kevan Barlow 40 Fred Beasley FB 20 Garrison Hearst 41 Jasen Isom FB 22 Terry Jackson 25 Jamal Robertson Wide receivers 18 James Jordan 85 Brandon Lloyd 89 Tai Streets 84 Cedrick Wilson Tight ends 49 Aaron Walker 88 Jed Weaver		Offensive linemen 76 Jerome Davis T 63 Derrick Deese T 78 Scott Gragg T 52 Brock Gutierrez C 77 Kwame Harris T 66 Eric Heitmann G 69 Kyle Kosier G 68 Rob Murphy G 62 Jeremy Newberry C 65 Ron Stone G Defensive linemen 91 Anthony Adams DT 72 Chidi Ahanotu DE 96 Andre Carter DE 95 John Engelberger DE 67 Travis Kirschke DT 93 Michael Landry DE 99 Sean Moran DE 94 Andrew Williams DE 97 Bryant Young DT		Linebackers 57 Cornelius Anthony MLB 56 Brandon Moore OLB 98 Julian Peterson OLB 51 Saleem Rasheed OLB 50 Derek Smith MLB 53 Jeff Ulbrich OLB Defensive backs 31 Zack Bronson FS 35 Dwaine Carpenter CB 38 Ronnie Heard FS 25 Rashad Holman CB 28 John Keith FS 33 Tony Parrish SS 29 Ahmed Plummer CB 24 Mike Rumph CB 36 Jason Webster CB 23 Jimmy Williams CB Special teams 86 Brian Jennings LS  4 Bill Lafleur P  2 Todd Peterson K		Reserve lists 83 Arnaz Battle WR (IR) 82 Eric Johnson TE (IR) 67 Dwayne Ledford C (IR) 81 Terrell Owens WR (IR) 55 Jamie Winborn OLB (IR) Practice squad 21 Allan Amundson RB 19 Arland Bruce WR (IR) 74 Alonzo Cunningham G 27 Joselio Hanson CB -- Adam Herzing WR 17 Kahlil Hill WR Rookies in italics 53 active, 6 inactive, 5 practice squad

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 7	Chicago Bears	W 49–7	1–0	San Francisco Stadium	67,554
2	September 14	at St. Louis Rams	L 24–27 (OT)	1–1	Edward Jones Dome	65,990
3	September 21	Cleveland Browns	L 12–13	1–2	San Francisco Stadium	67,412
4	September 28	at Minnesota Vikings	L 7–35	1–3	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	64,111
5	October 5	Detroit Lions	W 24–17	2–3	San Francisco Stadium	67,365
6	October 12	at Seattle Seahawks	L 19–20	2–4	Seahawks Stadium	66,437
7	October 19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 24–7	3–4	San Francisco Stadium	67,809
8	October 26	at Arizona Cardinals	L 13–16 (OT)	3–5	Sun Devil Stadium	40,824
9	November 2	St. Louis Rams	W 30–10	4–5	San Francisco Stadium	67,812
10	Bye
11	November 17	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 30–14	5–5	San Francisco Stadium	67,877
12	November 23	at Green Bay Packers	L 10–20	5–6	Lambeau Field	70,250
13	November 30	at Baltimore Ravens	L 6–44	5–7	M&T Bank Stadium	69,549
14	December 7	Arizona Cardinals	W 50–14	6–7	San Francisco Stadium	66,975
15	December 14	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 38–41	6–8	Paul Brown Stadium	64,666
16	December 21	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 31–28 (OT)	7–8	Lincoln Financial Field	67,866
17	December 27	Seattle Seahawks	L 17–24	7–9	San Francisco Stadium	67,840
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears

The 49ers started the season off strongly, defeating the Bears 49–7. The game was close in the second quarter, with the 49ers leading 10–7, however, the Bears' defense gave way to the 49ers' offense who scored 39 unanswered points. The Bears were also plagued with turnovers; the team lost two fumbles and quarterback Kordell Stewart tossed three interceptions. The 49ers’ offensive line performed exceptionally well, as quarterback Jeff Garcia was never sacked during the course of the game.

Week 2: at St. Louis Rams

Coming off of a blowout, the 49ers played a tight match against the division rivals St. Louis Rams. It was a back-and-forth game, with the lead changing hands four times. The 49ers scored a game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter with a pass to Terrell Owens. In overtime, the Rams' Jeff Wilkins kicked a 28-yard (26 m) field goal to win the game, the team overcoming their four turnovers. The loss meant the 49ers started the season 1–1.

Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns

In a low-scoring contest, the 49ers lost in a squeaker. After a scoreless first quarter, the 49ers struck first, however, they could not get into the end zone, scoring only four field goals. However, it appeared it would be sufficient; the 49ers led 12–0 in the final quarter. This would not be the case, though, as Browns’ quarterback Kelly Holcomb went on to throw two touchdown passes. Losing dropped the 49ers to 1–2.

Week 4: at Minnesota Vikings

Playing against the undefeated Vikings, the 49ers were unable to keep pace with their opponent. Scoring only in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, the 49ers were, at one point, behind 35–0. Several times the 49ers came within striking distance, however, three interceptions sealed their fate. The 49ers lost their third consecutive game and fell to 1–3.

Week 5: vs. Detroit Lions

Attempting to snap a three-game losing streak, the 49ers hosted the Detroit Lions, who were led by former head coach Steve Mariucci. A game riddled with errors, the 49ers fumbled three times (recovery each time), Jeff Garcia threw an interception, and Joey Harrington tossed two. The Lions never led, with the 49ers opening up a 17–0 lead in the second quarter. With their first win since the season opener, the 49ers moved up to 2–3.

Week 6: at Seattle Seahawks

For the second time in four games, the 49ers lost by a one-point differential. Playing against the division rival Seahawks, the 49ers fell behind 17–0 before halftime and had to play catch up in the second half. Slowly closing the gap, the 49ers scored 19 straight points to take the lead 19–17. However, the defense was unable to stop the Seahawks' 2-minute drill as Seattle's team drove into field goal range and scored the game-winning field goal off the foot of kicker Josh Brown and on the final drive of the game, Garrison Hearst fumbled the ball away at their own 43-yard-line to seal the loss. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 2–4.

Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hosting the defending Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 49ers got their third win of the season, knocking off the Buccaneers 24–7. The 49ers led the entire game and statistically dominated on both sides of the ball, both scoring often and forcing turnovers. Both teams were able to score touchdowns on passes of 75 yards (69 m). With the victory, the 49ers moved to 3–4 on the season.

Week 8: at Arizona Cardinals

In an attempt to win their second consecutive game for the first time this season, the 49ers traveled to Arizona to play against their division rival, the Cardinals. The game was close throughout, being tied up in the fourth quarter off a one-yard fumble return for a touchdown. However, it was decided in Arizona's favor in overtime with a 39-yard (36 m) field goal. In that game, kicker Owen Pochman missed two field goals and an extra point, and would be replaced by Todd Peterson for the rest of the season. With the loss, the 49ers instead of improving to .500, they dropped to 3–5.

Week 9: vs. St. Louis Rams

Playing their second straight game against a division rival, the 49ers hosted the St. Louis Rams. The 49ers kick returner Cedrick Wilson returned the opening kick 95 yards (87 m) for a touchdown and the 49ers would not relinquish their lead. The 49ers offense became potent, opening up a 30–3 lead in the third quarter. The win brought the 49ers up to 4–5 heading into their bye week.

Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Coming off their bye, the 49ers strung together their second straight victory, this time over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 49ers shut out the Steelers in the first half, leading 10–0 at halftime. The Steelers offense came together in the second half to put some points on the board, statistically leading the 49ers, however it wasn't enough to close the gap. The 49ers' victory brought them to 5–5.

Week 12: at Green Bay Packers

After completing their first two-game win streak of the season, the 49ers traveled in Week 12 to their conference rival Green Bay Packers. The Packers dominated on both sides of the ball, leading 17–3 at the half. Despite forcing Brett Favre into throwing three interceptions, the 49ers offense could only manage 192 total yards, a majority coming off the performance of their two star players, Garrison Hearst and Terrell Owens. Losing dropped the 49ers back under .500, at 5–6.

Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens

The 49ers were dismantled by

. With the loss, the 49ers fell to 5–7, including six losses on the road.

Week 14: vs. Arizona Cardinals

After an embarrassing loss, the 49ers regrouped to win 50–14 against their division rival Arizona Cardinals. The 49ers’ offense dominated throughout the game, at one point leading 36–0 and rolling up nearly 500 yards (460 m) of total offense. A rare safety was also scored, just after halftime. The defense also performed well, forcing two fumbles. With the win, the 49ers climbed to 6–7 on the season.

Week 15: at Cincinnati Bengals

A high-scoring shootout, the 49ers were slightly outscored by the Bengals, 41–38. The 49ers topped 500 yards (460 m) of total offense, but surprisingly never led in this close game. This can be partially attributed to their four fumbles, three of which were lost to the Bengals. One fumble was returned 10 yards (9.1 m) for a touchdown by Bengals' Kevin Hardy. The loss meant the 49ers fell to 6–8. Of the 49ers' season, this was the 13th time in 14 games in which the home team won (including the last 11 games), the home team outscoring the visitor 422–199 so far this season.

Week 16: at Philadelphia Eagles

Another squeaker, this game marked the sixth time this season the 49ers played a game that was decided three points or less, and the only one of those six in which the 49ers walked away with a victory. The 49ers outgained the Eagles, 414 to 293, and dominated in time of possession, but they failed to put away the Eagles in regulation due largely to three special teams miscues by punter

from 22 yards (20 m) out during overtime. With the victory, the 49ers moved up to 7–8.

Week 17: vs. Seattle Seahawks

The last game of the season, the 49ers hosted division rival Seattle Seahawks. The game was tied at the end of the first quarter and again at halftime, but the 49ers were unable to keep in during the second half, losing 24–17. With the loss, the 49ers clinched a losing season, at 7–9, after winning the division the previous year.

Standings

NFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(2) St. Louis Rams	12	4	0	.750	4–2	8–4	447	328	L1
(5) Seattle Seahawks	10	6	0	.625	5–1	8–4	404	327	W2
San Francisco 49ers	7	9	0	.438	2–4	6–6	384	337	L1
Arizona Cardinals	4	12	0	.250	1–5	3–9	225	452	W1

References

External links

• "2003 San Francisco 49ers Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com.