49ERS FACE WILD RIDE FOR SHOT AT ANOTHER SUPER BOWL.

Byline: Dennis Georgatos Associated Press 

In each of their five Super Bowl seasons, the San Francisco 49ers began their championship run as a division winner.

This year, they're in the postseason as a wild card, facing a three-game gauntlet to reach the Super Bowl, starting with Sunday's first-round home game against Philadelphia (10-6).

``It's a little tougher when you're a wild card but they're all capable teams that are in the NFC playoffs,'' 49ers coach George Seifert said Tuesday. ``Some have a little easier road. I mean that's why you try to win more games than the other guy, so you have home-field advantage. But we have a pretty strong club and away we go. We had a good season. Now we have to have a great postseason.''

San Francisco (12-4) closed the regular season with a 24-14 victory over Detroit on Monday night, finishing with consecutive wins. Steve Young sewed up his fifth passing title and Jerry Rice added five catches to end the year with a league-best 108.

Carolina (12-4) won the NFC West title on a tiebreaker, having swept San Francisco this season.

Only one wild card team - the Oakland Raiders in 1980 - has gone on to win the Super Bowl. The 49ers aim to be the next one.

``It's obvious this is the role destiny wants us to take,'' Young said. ``It's been talked about that we've done it a number of ways but we haven't done it this way.''

Seifert said he believes this year's team is better off at this point in the season than last year's, which earned a division title and first-round bye but lost the regular-season finale at Atlanta before being eliminated by Green Bay in a divisional playoff.

``I think we're stronger even though we don't put fear in the hearts of men with our running game,'' Seifert said. ``We are definitely a more effective running team. I think we have much better depth in the backfield then we had at this time a year ago. I think Steve (Young) is playing better now. There's a zest to his play that has been coming on the last few weeks.''

Seifert said the 49ers strengthened the pass rush with the addition of Roy Barker and Chris Doleman and have improved special teams.

``Now that all sounds great, `Hey, the 49ers are better,' '' Seifert said. ``But first off, we have to get through Philadelphia. We still have to win the game.''

Seifert isn't so much worried about bucking the wild-card's discouraging history as he is with contending with the Eagles. Philadelphia is coached by Ray Rhodes, a former 49ers assistant, and led on the ground by Ricky Watters, who led San Francisco in rushing three straight seasons before leaving for Philadelphia.

Rhodes and Watters won Super Bowl rings with the 49ers in 1994, their last season in San Francisco. Rhodes installed a San Francisco-style offense at Philadelphia, although the Eagles tend to run more than the 49ers.

Watters finished second in the NFC with a career-best 1,411 yards.

``Ricky is having a great season. Ty Detmer is a very efficient quarterback and he and the system seem to be perfect for each other,'' Seifert said. ``They've got two good wide receivers, a good young tight end and the offensive system speaks for itself.''

San Francisco has surrendered two straight 100-yard rushing games, including Barry Sanders' 175-yard performance Monday night. But Seifert said he's more worried about maintaining tight coverage in the secondary than San Francisco's run-stopping ability.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: QB Steve Young and the 49ers are in an unfamiliar position as the NFC West Wild Cards.

Associated Press