49ers Are Best in the NFC : Pro football: They clinch division title, home-field advantage in playoffs by beating Buccaneers, 21-14. Montana does not play.

SAN FRANCISCO —  The blowout never materialized, and neither did Joe Montana.

The San Francisco 49ers, who were 20-point favorites, struggled to a 21-14 victory Saturday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that might have been exactly what the 49ers needed.

“If we’d have gone out there and beat ‘em 40-0, we’d have thought we were world champions before we even got to the Super Bowl,” 49er tackle Steve Wallace said.

“Now, we know we (still) have work to do. But we have to feel good about getting the win out of it.”

The 49ers (13-2), who missed the playoffs last season with a 10-6 record, clinched their sixth NFC West title in seven seasons and the home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Steve Young, Montana’s stand-in for the past two seasons, threw for all three of San Francisco’s touchdowns. He had two scoring passes to Jerry Rice and one to John Taylor.

“To have won the game says something about our club,” fullback Tom Rathman said. “Clinching the division and the home-field advantage, that’s a plus, but we need to get better no question about it.”

Montana, activated Friday after spending nearly all of the past two seasons on injured reserve because of elbow problems, watched from the sideline as the club’s No. 3 quarterback. The Buccaneers (4-11) were in position to tie the score after a 12-yard run by Reggie Cobb gave Tampa Bay a first down at the three-yard line with five minutes remaining. But Cobb lost four yards on a sweep and Vinny Testaverde threw three incomplete passes, giving the 49ers the ball.

Tampa Bay got the ball back at its 37 with under a minute left and moved to the San Francisco 35 on three completions. But Testaverde’s desperation pass on the final play was batted down in the end zone by Dana Hall.

“We played them right down to the wire,” Tampa Bay Coach Sam Wyche said. “That was a whale of a football game and it took everything they had to win the game.”

The Buccaneers used a 15-play, 80-yard drive ending in Cobb’s one-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 14:07 remaining to tie the score, 14-14.

But the 49ers quickly went back in front as Young threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Rice, who beat Ricky Reynolds with 11:24 left.

“This was a time to measure our performance,” said Cobb, who rushed for 90 yards in 21 carries. “We want to finish strong, and we played well against one of the best teams in the league. . . . When we get our rhythm going, we can play with anybody.”

Young’s second scoring pass, a 32-yarder to Rice, gave San Francisco its first lead, 14-7, with 10:59 remaining in the third quarter. Rice got a step on Reynolds and Young threaded a pass to him in the corner of the end zone.

Young completed 18 of 31 passes for 270 yards. Rice had seven receptions for 118 yards.

“This year was awesome,” Young said. “As far as our regular-season goal--we accomplished it. Now the playoffs will be like scaling a mountain and we’re going to try to reach the summit.

“I think Joe’s return is great. I was inspired, and I think the team was also.”

Tampa Bay took San Francisco by surprise with a flea-flicker pass for a touchdown before Young threw a nine-yard pass to Taylor to make it 7-7 at halftime.

Tampa Bay’s trick play began as a run to Gary Anderson, who tossed the ball back to Testaverde. Anthony McDowell was alone downfield and Testaverde threw to him for a 51-yard scoring play.