<
>

49ers Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana will break down film for ESPN+

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The list of legendary hosts for the ESPN+ show Detail has just added another in the form of the San Francisco 49ers' forever franchise quarterback: Joe Montana.

ESPN+ and Granity Studios will unveil Montana as their newest host Friday when two new episodes of the popular analysis show Detail -- which was created by Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant -- drop. The episodes feature "Joe Cool" breaking down a memorable 1989 regular-season game against the Philadelphia Eagles and providing insight into his fourth Super Bowl win, a 55-10 destruction of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV.

"There is no one better to continue the expansion of historical editions of Detail on ESPN+ than a legend like Joe Montana," Brian Lockhart,vice president and executive producer or original content for ESPN+, said. "He was a pioneering quarterback who processed and played the game with uncanny insights and instincts that made him an all-time NFL great. It is the kind of unique expertise that Kobe brought to basketball and had in mind when he created Detail and sought to expand his concept."

The first episode features Montana taking viewers inside a game in which he was sacked eight times but threw five touchdown passes. The 49ers trailed by 11 in the fourth quarter before winning by 10.

In one scene, Montana walks the viewer through what was called an "Arrow" concept in which receivers John Taylor and Jerry Rice run short, in-breaking routes with the option to cut back outside, while two more receivers run deep corner routes. Montana throws to Taylor on the short side of the field and relays how he told his sons about the play. He asked if they thought Taylor gets touched by the nearest defender. They say yes, but, as Montana says, Taylor finds a way to escape and go all the way for a touchdown.

The second episode shows Montana detailing the various route options that were built into the offense for his receivers and how that could change based on what the defense was giving them.

"There was one rule for our receivers and that is do not look at the quarterback until you make a decision," Montana said.

On one play, Rice opts for a deep, in-breaking route that goes for a big gain in a game in which Montana threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns on his way to Super Bowl MVP.

As host of Detail, Montana follows in the footsteps of Peyton Manning, who broke down quarterback play throughout last season for the show. Among the others to serve as the lead analyst for their respective sports: Cal Ripken Jr. on current baseball players, former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier on top UFC fighters, UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma on women's hoops and Alabama coach Nick Saban on college football, among others.

Montana, of course, is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He led the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories, winning three Super Bowl MVPs and two regular season MVPs and earning induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Bryant created the show in 2018 and is the founder of Granity Studios. All 80-plus episodes of Detail can be found exclusively on ESPN+.