1985: Montana & 49ers Beat Marino & Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX

The playoffs have often yielded surprises when it comes to Super Bowl participants, but such was not the case in Super Bowl XIX on January 20, 1985. Both the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins were widely perceived to be the best that their respective conferences had to offer.

The 49ers had roared to the top of the NFC West with a 15-1 record in 1984 and easily dispatched the Giants and Bears in the postseason. Under the innovative guidance of Head Coach Bill Walsh, the club was best known for its offense but was solid on defense as well. QB Joe Montana (pictured above) skillfully directed the attack, RB Wendell Tyler ran for 1262 yards, and there were three Pro Bowlers on the offensive line in C Fred Quillan, G Randy Cross, and OT Keith Fahnhorst. The defense had to make due without star pass rushing DE Fred Dean for much of the season due to a contract dispute, but still had solid performers in DE Dwaine Board and OLB Keena Turner. All four members of the backfield were selected for the Pro Bowl (cornerbacks Ronnie Lott and Eric Wright, FS Dwight Hicks, and SS Carlton Williamson).

Miami, under Head Coach Don Shula, went 14-2 in winning the AFC East and defeated the Seahawks and Steelers in the playoffs on the way to the Super Bowl. The passing game was nothing short of spectacular as second-year QB Dan Marino re-wrote the record book in setting new season records for passing yards (5084) and touchdown passes (48, exceeding the previous mark by 12). WR Mark Clayton set a new standard for TD catches in a season (18) and he and WR Mark Duper each caught over 70 passes and exceeded 1300 yards. The defense included the “Killer Bees”, ends Doug Betters and Kim Bokamper, NT Bob Baumhower, and LB Bob Brudzinski, plus Pro Bowl ILB A.J. Duhe.

There were 84,059 fans in attendance at Stanford Stadium along with the usual mammoth television audience. Following a punt by the 49ers, the Dolphins drove 45 yards on six plays, featuring a 25-yard pass from Marino to RB Tony Nathan, and scored the first points of the game on a 37-yard field goal by Uwe van Schamann. San Francisco wasted no time in responding, however, as short passes by Montana and runs by Tyler got the Niners to the Miami 48 yard line. Facing a third-and-seven situation, Montana took off on a 15-yard run for a first down, and on the next play he threw to RB Carl Monroe for a 33-yard touchdown.

Miami went into a no-huddle offense the next time it had the ball and Marino completed five straight passes, including the last for a two-yard TD to TE Dan Johnson (pictured below). The Dolphins held a 10-7 lead after one quarter.


The 49ers punted following their next possession, but a defensive adjustment caused Miami to go three-and-out the next three times it was on offense. Coach Walsh had gone to an “elephant” defense, a 4-2-5 alignment with safety Tom Holmoe as a nickel back and another safety, Jeff Fuller, lined up at linebacker along with Turner, and it proved to be effective. Marino, who had completed nine of his first ten passes, didn’t complete another until near the end of the half.

Meanwhile, San Francisco took control of the game. Following a poor 37-yard punt by Reggie Roby from his own end zone, the 49ers had good field position at the Miami 47. Montana again showed off his mobility by running for a 19-yard gain on the first play, and then passed to WR Dwight Clark for another 16 yards. Two plays later, he tossed an eight-yard scoring pass to RB Roger Craig and the 49ers retook the lead at 14-10.

With the 49ers getting the ball in good field position at their own 45 to start their next possession, Tyler and Craig ran the ball for a total of 15 yards and then Montana threw back-to-back completions to TE Russ Francis for another 29. Following a five-yard carry by Craig, Montana ran six yards for a touchdown on a quarterback keeper and the lead was strechted to 21-10.

San Francisco scored once more in the second quarter, on a nine-yard drive that covered 52 yards and culminated in a two-yard run by Craig for a touchdown. Coming down to the last two minutes of the half, Marino began completing passes again, going 7 for 11 as the Dolphins drove to the 49ers’ 13 yard line and van Schamann kicked a 31-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining.

It wasn’t over, however, as G Guy McIntyre fumbled the squibbed Miami kickoff and WR Jim Jensen recovered for the Dolphins at the San Francisco 12. Another van Schamann field goal, this time from 30 yards, made the score 28-16 at halftime.

Miami received the second half kickoff but wasn’t able to maintain the momentum generated at the end of the second quarter. Nathan was thrown for a one-yard loss, Marino threw an incompletion, and then the quarterback was sacked for a nine-yard loss by Board. Following Roby’s punt, the 49ers took nine plays to drive 43 yards and Ray Wersching kicked a 27-yard field goal.


Once again the Dolphins had difficulty moving the ball as Marino (pictured at left) faced tremendous pressure from the San Francisco defense. The Niners’ offense continued to move effectively – on their next possession following the field goal, Montana hit on five passes, including 40 yards to Tyler and 14 to Francis, and completed a 16-yard TD pass to Craig for the second-year running back’s third score of the day.

Miami, desperate to get back in the game, moved to the San Francisco 27 on its next possession, but Marino threw a long pass intended for Clayton that Wright intercepted at the one yard line. The third quarter ended with the 49ers ahead by 22 points.

The Dolphins had to punt at the end of their next possession but got a break when CB Dana McLemore fumbled the kick and WR Vince Heflin recovered for Miami at the San Francisco 21. But on the first play, Marino threw into the end zone and was intercepted by Carlton Williamson. For all intents and purposes, the game was over.

Each team got the ball once more, but there was no more scoring and the 49ers came away the winner, 38-16.

San Francisco ran up 537 yards to Miami’s 314 and also had a significant edge in first downs (31 to 19). The 49ers ran a well-balanced attack, gaining 211 yards on the ground and 331 through the air. Meanwhile, the Dolphins, with a suspect running game to begin with, were held to just 25 yards rushing. Marino was sacked four times, especially notable since the quarterback had suffered only 13 sacks during the entire regular season.


Joe Montana, the game’s MVP, completed 24 of 35 passes for 331 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and also ran five times for 59 yards and a TD. Wendell Tyler led the rushers with 65 yards on 13 carries, catching four passes for 70 yards as well, while Roger Craig (pictured at right) gained 58 yards on 15 attempts and in addition had 7 pass receptions for another 77 yards, both team-leading figures to go with his three TDs. Dwight Clark also gained 77 yards on his 6 catches.

For Miami, Dan Marino threw 50 passes and completed 29 of them for 318 yards with a TD and two interceptions. Tony Nathan caught 10 passes, for 83 yards, to lead the club both in receptions and rushing - albeit with just 18 yards on five attempts. Mark Clayton gained 92 yards on 6 catches, and TE Joe Rose contributed 6 receptions for 73 yards. Mark Duper was held to just one catch for 11 yards.

“Montana is the guy who made it go for them,” said Don Shula afterward. “He beat everything we put against him. Whenever they needed him to, he wiggled loose and kept them going.”

Montana spoke in terms of the whole team’s effort. “All week, all we heard was ‘Miami, Miami, Miami’,” he said. “That motivated us. We felt we had more tools than Miami – passing, running, a great defense – and we wanted to prove it.”

Bill Walsh summed up by saying, “This is the best game we have played since I joined the 49ers. It was a great performance by a truly great team. This is one of the best teams of all time.”

For Walsh, Montana, and the 49ers, it was the second championship in four years, and they would win twice more before the conclusion of the decade (although Walsh had stepped aside as coach by the last one).

Dan Marino went on to play 17 seasons in the NFL, all with the Dolphins. Altogether, he passed for 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns over the course of his Hall of Fame career. But he never again played in the Super Bowl.

1982: 49ers Defeat Cowboys for NFC Title on Montana to Clark TD

The NFC Championship game at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on January 10, 1982 brought together two franchises with different histories – and heading in divergent directions. The visiting Dallas Cowboys were no stranger to the upper echelons of the postseason - since the restructuring due to the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, they had appeared in eight NFC title games, winning five of them, and had prevailed in two of the ensuing Super Bowls. The host 49ers had never won a championship, dating all the way back to the team’s origins in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) of 1946-49. San Francisco had five postseason appearances in the preceding 35 years, losing the AAFC title to the Browns in 1949 and NFC title games to the Cowboys following the 1970 and ’71 seasons.

The Cowboys, under venerable Head Coach Tom Landry, won the NFC East with a 12-4 record. While they lost to the 49ers along the way, they had won four of their last five regular season games and decimated the Buccaneers in the Divisional playoff round. QB Danny White had a solid season, ranking second in the league in passing, and RB Tony Dorsett ran for 1646 yards. Two rookies in the defensive backfield paid dividends as CB Everson Walls led the NFL with 11 interceptions and FS Michael Downs contributed seven pickoffs. Dallas was a strong, consistently solid club, and was expected to contend.


San Francisco had not been expected to jump so high after four straight losing seasons. However, in the third year under innovative Head Coach Bill Walsh, the 49ers broke out in a big way, going 13-3 to win the NFC West. The emergence of third-year QB Joe Montana (pictured at right) had been the key as he led the NFL in passing and ran the complex West Coast offense with a cool precision. The running game was ordinary, but WR Dwight Clark was a dependable, if not speedy, target and the offensive line, led by G Randy Cross, stepped up. Two veterans, LB Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds and DE Fred Dean, contributed significantly to the defense, as did the backfield that contained three rookie starters – most notably CB Ronnie Lott, who achieved All-Pro recognition in his first year. The Niners had easily beaten the Giants in the Divisional round to advance to the conference title game.

The 49ers drove to the first score of the day, an eight-yard touchdown pass from Montana to WR Freddie Solomon in the first quarter. Dallas came back with a 44-yard field goal by Rafael Septien and then, following a fumble by San Francisco RB Bill Ring, the Cowboys struck again as White connected with WR Tony Hill for a 26-yard TD. The score was 10-7 in favor of Dallas after one quarter.

The Niners regained the lead in the second quarter when Montana, throwing while falling down, hit Clark for a 20-yard touchdown. But as the game settled into a back-and-forth affair, the Cowboys again came back on an 80-yard drive, including a pass interference call on Lott that gained 34 yards, and was capped by a five-yard scoring run by Dorsett. Dallas took a 17-14 lead into halftime.

The teams exchanged turnovers in the third quarter. Following San Francisco LB Bobby Leopold’s interception of a tipped pass, the 49ers went back ahead when RB Johnny Davis ran for a two-yard TD.

Early in the fourth quarter, Septien cut the San Francisco margin to 21-20 with a 22-yard field goal. Another fumble by the Niners, this time RB Walt Easley, gave Dallas the ball at midfield. Four plays later, a 21-yard scoring pass from White to TE Doug Cosbie made the score 27-21 and put the Cowboys in a commanding position with time running down.

Walls intercepted a Montana pass on the next possession, but the Cowboys were unable to move the ball and punted. With 4:54 left on the clock, San Francisco took over at its 11 yard line. Using short passes and runs by RB Lenvil Elliott, the 49ers moved methodically down the field. Coming out of the two-minute warning, they ran Solomon on a reverse, and he picked up 14 yards to the Dallas 35. Despite a heavy Dallas pass rush, Montana completed passes of 10 yards to Clark and 12 to Solomon. Elliott took off around end for a seven-yard gain.

San Francisco faced a third-and-three situation at the Dallas six with time down to 58 seconds. Montana took the snap and rolled to his right. With DE Larry Bethea about to hit him and his primary receiver (Solomon) covered, he fired an off-balance pass that was high and to the outside of Clark, coming across the back of the end zone. The 6’4” receiver leaped and grabbed the ball for a touchdown (pictured at top). With the successful extra point by Ray Wersching, the 49ers clung to a one-point lead.

The Cowboys got the ball back with 51 seconds still to go, and it seemed as though they might yet pull off a comeback of their own. White fired a pass to WR Drew Pearson that covered 31 yards to the San Francisco 44, where he was pulled down by CB Eric Wright. However, on the next play DT Lawrence Pillers caused White to fumble, and DE Jim Stuckey recovered for the Niners. San Francisco was on the way to its first Super Bowl appearance by a score of 28-27.

The 49ers outgained Dallas (393 yards to 250) and had more first downs (26 to 16). However, they also turned the ball over six times, to three by the Cowboys, which nearly proved fatal.

Joe Montana completed 22 of 35 passes for 286 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions (two by Everson Walls). Dwight Clark caught 8 passes for 120 yards and the two big TDs while Freddie Solomon contributed 6 receptions for 75 yards and a score. Lenvil Elliott led the Niners with 48 yards on 10 carries.

For the Cowboys, Danny White (pictured below) was successful on 16 of 24 passes for 173 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Tony Dorsett, who had to sit out three series in the first half due to an eye injury, gained 91 yards on 22 rushing attempts. RB James Jones, RB Ron Springs, and TE Billy Joe DuPree each caught three passes, while Tony Hill’s 43 yards on two receptions, including a TD, led the club.


“I was split out right,” Clark said in recounting the decisive touchdown pass. “Both Freddie (Solomon) and I go down into the end zone and slide back on the end line. The two defensive backs who were on me were watching Joe and when he scrambled out I just slid down the end line and got a step on them. When the ball went up it was just a matter of me going up and getting it. Joe put it in a place where it was either going to be caught by me or be incomplete. There was no chance of an interception.”

“The 49ers aren't a better team than us, but the game ended at the right time for them,” summed up Tom Landry.

“It's kind of like driving a car off the end of a cliff,” said Dallas safety Charlie
Waters, following what was the final game of his eleven-year career. “All I will remember is that they drove 89 yards on us.”

San Francisco went on to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, another upstart team, in the Super Bowl. It would be the first of four during the decade of the ‘80s, all with Montana at quarterback and three with Walsh as head coach. While Dallas would return to the postseason in three of the next four years, they would not make it back to a Super Bowl until the game following the 1992 season.

1994: Montana Leads Chiefs to Win Over Steelers in Overtime

From 1990 to ’92, the Kansas City Chiefs had made it to the postseason, only to win one playoff game over the course of the three years. For the 1993 season, Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer’s team had obtained QB Joe Montana (pictured at right) in a trade from the 49ers – the 37-year-old all-time great was injury-prone and past his prime, but still a masterful performer. Another veteran addition, RB Marcus Allen, also paid dividends. Both Montana and Allen had Pro Bowl seasons. So did DE Neil Smith, who led the NFL with 15 sacks, and LB Derrick Thomas. The team went 11-5 in 1993 to win the AFC West.

The Chiefs hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card playoff game on January 8, 1994 at Arrowhead Stadium. Pittsburgh had been in the postseason in the first two years under Head Coach Bill Cowher, but had struggled at times in ’93, going 9-7 to finish second in the AFC Central and claim a wild card spot. RB Barry Foster, who had run for 1690 yards in ’92, went down with an injury that cost him half the season and hindered the offense. With QB Neil O’Donnell, they ran a ball-control offense and leaned on an outstanding defense that included LB Greg Lloyd and CB Rod Woodson.

There were 74,515 in attendance on a cold day with temperatures in the teens. The Steelers struck first, following a Kansas City punt on the game’s opening possession. Pittsburgh drove 66 yards in nine plays, highlighted by an O’Donnell pass to RB Merrill Hoge that covered 32 yards. O’Donnell connected with TE Adrian Cooper for a 10-yard touchdown and early 7-0 lead.

Later in the period, after the teams traded punts, the Chiefs put together a seven-play, 75-yard drive in which Montana was briefly knocked out of the game with a rib injury. Veteran backup QB Dave Krieg threw just one pass, but it was complete to WR J.J. Birden for a 23-yard touchdown. The score was 7-7 after one quarter.

Pittsburgh responded with a long, 15-play drive that led to a 30-yard field goal by Gary Anderson. Following a Kansas City punt, the Steelers advanced to the Chiefs’ 35 at the two-minute warning, but O’Donnell threw an incompletion on a fourth-and-seven play. Montana completed three passes and Kansas City made it to the Pittsburgh 42, but on fourth-and-one DE Gerald Williams sacked the veteran quarterback for a seven-yard loss and the Steelers got the ball back at their 49 with just under a minute remaining in the half. They made the most of it, as O’Donnell completed a 26-yard TD pass to WR Ernie Mills. Pittsburgh took a 17-7 lead into halftime.

The teams continued to trade punts in the third quarter until Kansas City went on a 49-yard drive that culminated in a 23-yard Nick Lowery field goal. Now behind by seven entering the fourth quarter, the Chiefs put together another scoring drive. Montana hit on passes of 22 yards to WR Willie Davis and 19 yards to Birden and Allen ran two yards for a touchdown. With Lowery’s extra point, the score was tied at 17-17.


The Steelers came right back, however, as O’Donnell got Pittsburgh into Kansas City territory with a 26-yard pass to WR Dwight Stone, and seven plays later he tossed a 22-yard scoring pass to TE Eric Green. The Chiefs went three-and-out in their subsequent possession, but Pittsburgh couldn’t move the ball. In a pivotal play, Kansas City TE Keith Cash blocked Mark Royals’ punt, which WR Fred Jones returned 31 yards to the Steelers’ nine yard line. Montana threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to WR Tim Barnett on a fourth-down play and the score was again tied at 24-24 with 1:43 left on the clock.

The Chiefs got another opportunity to win the game in regulation when the Steelers went three-and-out, using up just 29 seconds on three pass plays (one a completion). Following a 50-yard punt by Royals, Montana drove the offense from the Kansas City 28 to the Pittsburgh 25, but Lowery’s 43-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right and the game went into overtime.

The Chiefs had the first possession in the sudden death period but had to punt, and the Steelers were able to advance to midfield before having to do likewise. Three passes got Kansas City to midfield, and then Montana completed an 18-yard throw to Cash to the Pittsburgh 32. Six plays later, at just over 11 minutes into overtime, Lowery kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the Chiefs the 27-24 win.

Kansas City outgained the Steelers (401 yards to 369) and had the edge in first downs (28 to 21). Neither team suffered a turnover and each was penalized five times. Pittsburgh had a four-to-three advantage in sacks.


Joe Montana completed 28 of 43 passes for 276 yards with a touchdown; Dave Krieg’s one pass produced the 23-yard TD. Keith Cash caught 7 passes for 56 yards while J.J. Birden gained 72 yards on 6 receptions that included a touchdown. Marcus Allen (pictured at right) led the Kansas City running attack with 67 yards on 21 carries, scoring once, and also caught four passes for 29 yards.

For the Steelers, Neil O’Donnell went to the air 42 times with 23 completions for 286 yards and three TDs. WR Jeff Graham caught 7 passes for 96 yards to lead the club. RB Leroy Thompson gained 60 yards on 25 attempts.

“Part of the fun of the game is having to deal with pressure,” said Montana afterward, as one who, in the twilight of his career, had once again delivered a clutch performance in the postseason.

Montana and the Chiefs continued their heroics the next week, defeating Houston in the Divisional playoff, but came up short in the AFC Championship game at Buffalo.

1990: Division Rivals Knock Giants & 49ers From Ranks of Unbeaten

Ten games into the 1990 NFL season, both the defending-champion San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants were sporting perfect 10-0 records. With the teams scheduled to meet in San Francisco the next week, speculation was rampant that it could be a showdown of unbeaten teams for supremacy in the NFC. But first they each had to face fierce division rivals on November 25.

In the case of the Giants, coached by Bill Parcells, it meant traveling to Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium to take on Buddy Ryan’s Eagles. The Giants had been successful with a conservative offense that rarely turned the ball over, in combination with a solid defense. The Eagles played in the style of the brash Ryan, aggressive on defense while dependent upon the flashy skills of QB Randall Cunningham (pictured above) on offense. They had gotten off to a slow start in ’90, going 1-3 to begin the season (including an opening-game loss to New York at Giants Stadium), but had won their last four games prior to hosting the Giants and were 6-4 overall.

The first half was closely fought. New York scored initially on a 15-yard pass from QB Phil Simms to WR Mark Ingram and the Eagles responded as Cunningham connected with WR Fred Barnett for a 49-yard TD. In the second quarter, Cunningham capped a drive of over nine minutes by leaping into the end zone for a touchdown from a yard out. TE Mark Bavaro caught a four-yard scoring pass from Simms, but the extra point was missed and the Eagles led by the slender margin of 14-13 at halftime.

Roger Ruzek kicked a 39-yard field goal to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 17-13 in the third quarter, but in a span of 22 seconds in the fourth quarter the Eagles essentially put the game away. First, Cunningham passed to WR Calvin Williams for a six-yard touchdown. Then, LB Seth Joyner deflected a Simms pass that was intercepted by MLB Byron Evans, who ran untouched for a 23-yard TD. That provided the final score of 31-13 as the Eagles toppled the Giants.

The Eagles controlled the ball for over 38 minutes and rolled up the most yards against the Giants thus far with 405. The Giants, who typically ran the ball 60 percent of the time, were forced to throw 40 passes. Phil Simms, who had only been intercepted twice in the previous ten games, was picked off twice by the Eagles and completed only 17 of his passes.

Randall Cunningham passed for 229 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions, and ran for 66 yards on 9 carries with a TD. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. RB Keith Byars caught 8 passes for 128 yards.

It was the first regular season loss for the Giants in 14 games dating back to December 1989, and the Eagles had beaten them then. It also delayed the Giants from clinching the NFC East title.

Meanwhile, at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, the 49ers ran into trouble against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams, under Head Coach John Robinson, were having a poor season and came into the game at 3-7 and hardly seemed a match for the two-time defending league champions that had won a record-tying 18 straight games. Under Head Coach George Seifert, the 49ers were known for their passing offense, led by QB Joe Montana and WR Jerry Rice.

However, in the wind and rain at Candlestick Park, the Rams forced four turnovers in the first half and took a 21-7 lead. RB Cleveland Gary accounted for the first two TDs of the game, first on a 22-yard option pass from FB Buford McGee and then on a 10-yard run in the second quarter. The 49ers scored on a five-yard pass from Montana to WR John Taylor, but McGee ran for a six-yard touchdown to provide the 14-point margin at the half.

It appeared that the 49ers might pull off a successful comeback in the third quarter. Montana threw a screen pass to RB Harry Sydney that was good for a 23-yard touchdown. Mike Cofer booted a 42-yard field goal before the period was over that pulled the Niners to within 21-17.

But on San Francisco’s next possession, Montana was intercepted by Rams SS Vince Newsome and LA went 90 yards in 17 plays to score a game-clinching touchdown as Gary ran in from a yard out. The final score was 28-17.

The Rams outgained the 49ers, 350 yards to 291, and turned the ball over twice, as compared to a total of six times by the Niners. Joe Montana threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times. Jerry Rice caught 7 passes for 72 yards, but gave up one of the fumbles.


Meanwhile, WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson caught 8 passes for 149 yards and Cleveland Gary (pictured at left) ran for 68 yards on 24 carries and caught three passes for 27 yards while scoring three touchdowns. QB Jim Everett was successful on 16 of 27 passes for 224 yards with one picked off.

The 49ers won the showdown against the Giants the next week, stripped of the glamour of being a battle of unbeatens, by a low score of 7-3. San Francisco lost once more in the regular season to finish atop the NFC West at 14-2. New York ended up winning the NFC East at 13-3. The two teams met in the NFC Championship game, where the Giants prevailed and went on to win the Super Bowl over Buffalo.

The Eagles lost their next two games after upsetting the Giants, and ended up in second place in the NFC East at 10-6. They qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team, but lost to the Redskins in the first round, costing Ryan his job. For the Rams, the upset of the 49ers was the high point of an otherwise dismal year. They defeated the Browns the next week, but lost their last four games to finish at 5-11 for third place in the NFC West.

1982: Joe Montana Passes Mistake-Prone 49ers Past Cardinals

It had been over two months since NFL teams had last taken the field as the St. Louis Cardinals hosted the San Francisco 49ers at Busch Stadium on November 21, 1982. The players had gone on strike – the first to occur during the season – following the second week of action. The work-stoppage was over, 57 days later, and now Week 3 was occurring late in November.

Head Coach Bill Walsh’s 49ers were coming off a championship season in 1981, but had lost their first two games in ’82 prior to the strike. The Cardinals were 1-1 under Head Coach Jim Hanifan and coming off of a 7-9 year in ’81. The teams had just four days of practice prior to the contest.

There were 38,064 fans in attendance – and, as was the case in many NFL venues on this day, many no-shows (13,328). The 49ers took the early lead as Ray Wersching booted a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter and RB Jeff Moore scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter for a 10-0 lead.

With 30 seconds remaining in the first half, the Cardinals got on the board as WR Roy Green made a diving catch of a 17-yard pass from QB Neil Lomax for a touchdown. The 49ers got the ball back but fumbled, and LB Charlie Baker recovered for St. Louis. But an opportunity to tie the score at the half was lost when Neil O’Donoghue missed a 44-yard field goal attempt on the last play (he also missed from 47 yards in the first quarter). San Francisco remained in the lead at 10-7.

The Cardinals took advantage of two turnovers in the third quarter to go in front. First, DE Curtis Greer recovered a fumble that set up O’Donoghue’s tying field goal from 30 yards out. Then CB Jeff Griffin intercepted a Joe Montana pass and O’Donoghue kicked a 32-yard field goal to make the score 13-10 in favor of St. Louis. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the failure to get a touchdown on one or both possessions allowed the 49ers ample room to recover.

The turning point in the game came when San Francisco got the ball back, still in the third quarter. Facing a third-and-18 situation in his own territory, Montana connected with WR Renaldo Nehemiah on a 55-yard pass play. Two plays later, Montana threw a six-yard TD pass to TE Russ Francis that put the Niners back in the lead at 17-13.

The Cardinals had a chance to make a big play of their own, but Lomax overthrew Green on what could have been a 45-yard TD pass. Now in the fourth quarter, the 49ers regained possession and went 91 yards in 10 plays with Montana hitting WR Dwight Clark for a 33-yard touchdown.

San Francisco had another big play that set up a third passing touchdown. Montana passed to rookie RB Vince Williams, who proceeded to gain 55 yards to set up a 17-yard TD pass to RB Earl Cooper. In a stretch of 13 minutes, the Niners had scored three touchdowns to take control, at 31-13, of what had been a close game.

38-year-old veteran QB Jim Hart replaced the second-year Lomax with nine minutes remaining and led the Cardinals to a score on a three-yard carry by RB Ottis Anderson. But it was too-little, too-late as the 49ers won by a final score of 31-20.

San Francisco outgained the Cardinals by 448 yards to 254 and had 22 first downs to 15 for St. Louis. The 49ers were damaged by their three turnovers, as opposed to none by the Cardinals, but the failure of the home team to better capitalize on their opportunities set the stage for the Niners to take control.

Joe Montana completed 26 of 39 passes for a then-team record 408 yards with three touchdowns against one interception. The fourth-year veteran out of Notre Dame spread the ball around well as eight different receivers caught at least two passes apiece. In the second half alone, he completed 15 of 20 for 238 yards and all of the TDs.


Dwight Clark (pictured at left) led the club with 6 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown while Renaldo Nehemiah gained 93 yards on three receptions and Jeff Moore contributed four catches for 87 yards to go along with his 9 rushing attempts for 19 yards. Indeed, the 49ers gained just 77 yards on 26 running plays, and Earl Cooper led the way with 30 yards on 7 carries.

For the Cardinals, Neil Lomax was successful on just 9 of 23 passes for 82 yards and a TD. Jim Hart was more proficient, completing 8 of 11 throws for 72 yards. Ottis Anderson led the club with 65 yards on 15 rushes, including a TD, and also caught 6 passes for 51 yards. WR Pat Tilley slightly led in pass receiving yards with 53 on four receptions.

“It's a good way to come back,” Montana said afterward. “My timing wasn't there early and I made a lot of mistakes. But I thought we played well. I wasn't surprised; we looked like we were in good shape in practice.”

There was concern that the players might go back on strike if they voted to reject the preliminary settlement that had allowed play to resume. The Cardinals’ player representative, guard Terry Stieve, said, “Here in St. Louis, we'll ratify it and I have a gut feeling it will be ratified by the players throughout the league. The fans are the forgotten group in this thing, so it's time both sides realize the importance of the fans. I don't blame them for feeling cheated in this deal.”

The games did continue through what became a nine-game regular season. Division play was done away with and the top eight teams in each conference qualified for a playoff tournament. The 49ers didn’t make it that far - plagued by injuries and (according to Coach Walsh) diminished intensity, they ended up with a 3-6 record and a woeful eleventh place in the 14-team NFC. St. Louis made out better, going 5-4 and making it to the postseason as the sixth seeded team in the conference. They were handily beaten by Green Bay in the first round.

Joe Montana topped NFL quarterbacks with 346 attempts and 17 touchdown passes (tied with Pittsburgh’s Terry Bradshaw and Dan Fouts of the Chargers) and ranked second in completions (213) and yards (2613). While he was at it, he set a record by stringing together five straight 300-yard passing performances (since exceeded).

Dwight Clark led the league with 60 pass receptions and was second with 913 receiving yards. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro and was named to the Pro Bowl.

The losing record by the 49ers would be their last until 1999 – a string of 16 consecutive seasons in which they would never finish with fewer than 10 wins. The club won four NFL championships during that run.

1987: 49ers Defeat Bengals with Montana to Rice TD on Final Play

The San Francisco 49ers were coming off of a bad opening game loss to the Steelers as they took on the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium on September 20, 1987. Star QB Joe Montana (pictured at right) had passed for over 300 yards but was also intercepted three times and the 49ers trailed throughout. The Niners, under Head Coach Bill Walsh, had won at least ten games in five of the previous six seasons and had two Super Bowl victories and it was anticipated that they would contend once more.

The Bengals had won their opening game at Indianapolis. In their fourth season under Head Coach Sam Wyche, they had not won nearly as steadily as the 49ers but were coming off of a 10-6 record in ’86.

It certainly seemed that Cincinnati would keep up the momentum as they scored on their first possession, driving 80 yards in 13 plays capped by a two-yard touchdown run by FB Larry Kinnebrew. The next time they got the ball, the Bengals again put together a sustained scoring drive that ended with a 23-yard field goal by Jim Breech. The 49ers had just two short possessions that ended in punts and Cincinnati led by 10-0 after the opening quarter.

San Francisco finally put together an eight-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter that resulted in Montana’s 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Mike Wilson. But the Bengals came back as QB Boomer Esiason tossed a 46-yard TD pass to TE Rodney Holman seven plays later. After another punt by the Niners, Breech capped the Cincinnati possession with a field goal, this time from 42 yards, and the Bengals took a 20-7 lead into halftime.

However, the 49ers dominated the third quarter. On their first possession, Montana passed to WR Jerry Rice for a 34-yard touchdown to narrow Cincinnati’s margin to 20-14. Then LB Keena Turner picked off an Esiason pass that led to Ray Wersching kicking a 24-yard field goal. The Bengals went three-and-out when they got the ball back and San Francisco responded with an 11-play drive that resulted in Wersching’s tying field goal from 31 yards.

In the fourth quarter, Cincinnati got a break when S David Fulcher recovered a fumble by Niners TE Ron Heller; four plays later Breech put them back in front with a 41-yard field goal. After the 49ers went three-and-out, the Bengals held onto the ball for ten plays that resulted in Breech’s fourth field goal of the day, this time from 46 yards.

When San Francisco went nowhere in three plays and had to punt with less than a minute remaining, it appeared that Cincinnati’s 26-20 lead was safe. The Bengals ran the clock down to six seconds. With fourth down on their own 30 yard line, Coach Wyche elected to run the ball rather than punt or take a safety, figuring that keeping the ball on the ground would use up the remaining time. RB James Brooks began to run a sweep but was stopped immediately by 49ers DE Kevin Fagan for a five-yard loss.

The play took up just four seconds, giving San Francisco one shot with 0:02 remaining and the ball on the Bengals’ 25 yard line. Montana lobbed the ball into the end zone where Rice leaped high to make the catch for a touchdown. Wersching kicked the extra point and the 49ers came away with a stunning 27-26 win.

Cincinnati outgained San Francisco in total yards (292 to 261) and significantly in rushing yardage (128 to 56), although both teams averaged less then three yards-per-carry.


Joe Montana hit on 21 of 37 passes for 250 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Mike Wilson led the receivers with 7 catches for 104 yards and a score, while Jerry Rice (pictured at left) had four receptions for 86 yards and two TDs. RB Roger Craig was the team’s top rusher with 35 yards on 12 carries.

For the Bengals, Boomer Esiason completed 14 of his 29 passes for 180 yards with a TD and one picked off. James Brooks and WR Cris Collinsworth caught three passes apiece, for 28 and 32 yards respectively, while Rodney Holman had the most receiving yards with 55 on his two catches that included the one long touchdown. Larry Kinnebrew gained 84 yards on 22 carries with a score to lead all runners.

In a season that was affected by a strike and games utilizing replacement players, the 49ers ended up with a 13-2 record to win the NFC West. They were upset by Minnesota in the Divisional round of the playoffs. Cincinnati had a disappointing 4-11 tally to place at the bottom of the AFC Central. These teams would next meet in the Super Bowl following the 1988 season.

Jerry Rice’s game-ending touchdown was just one of many highlights in a season (his third) in which he scored an astounding 22 touchdowns in just 12 games (due to missing the three games with replacement players, plus one that was eliminated altogether, during the strike) while catching 65 passes for 1078 yards. The total of receiving TDs set a new record that lasted 20 years, until 2007 – when New England’s Randy Moss had the advantage of playing in all 16 games to exceed Rice’s total by one. To further put it in perspective, Philadelphia’s Mike Quick was second to Rice in touchdown receptions in ’87 with 11 – exactly half as many.

31-year-old Joe Montana, in his ninth year, led the NFL in passing (102.1 rating), completion percentage (66.8), and touchdown passes (31); he tied with Seattle’s Dave Krieg in percentage of TD passes (7.8). Both he and Rice were consensus first team All-NFL selections.

1982: 49ers Defeat Bengals in Super Bowl XVI

The teams that met in Super Bowl XVI following the 1981 NFL season were both new participants and were not favored to be playing for a title at the beginning of the year. The San Francisco 49ers, under innovative third-year Head Coach Bill Walsh, had gone 6-10 in 1980 (and, moreover, had back-to-back 2-14 seasons in 1978 and ’79) and didn’t give cause for optimism when they lost two of the first three games in ’81. But they caught fire and went 12-1 the rest of the way, winning the NFC West with a 13-3 overall record. In his first full season as the starting quarterback, Joe Montana (pictured) broke out in a big way as he passed for 3565 yards and led the league with a 63.7 completion percentage. WR Dwight Clark may not have been fast, but he was reliable and caught 85 passes for 1105 yards. The defense had three rookies starting in the secondary, but CB Ronnie Lott and FS Dwight Hicks rose to the occasion.

The Cincinnati Bengals, coached by Forrest Gregg, were also coming off a 6-10 season in ’80. They dominated the AFC Central with a conference-best 12-4 record in ’81. Along with their new tiger-striped uniforms, another new addition was rookie WR Cris Collinsworth, who caught 67 passes for 1009 yards. Along with TE Dan Ross (71 receptions, 910 yards), they helped veteran QB Ken Anderson revitalize his career as he threw for a career-high 3754 yards and led the NFL in passing (98.4). FB Pete Johnson led the ground attack with 1077 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The 49ers defeated the Giants in the Divisional round and then won a thrilling 28-27 NFC Championship game over Dallas. Cincinnati got past Buffalo in the Divisional playoff and handily beat the Chargers for the AFC title on a bitterly cold day that gounded San Diego’s potent aerial attack.

Super Bowl XVI was held at the Pontiac Silverdome on January 24, 1982 with 81,270 in attendance. It was the first such contest to be held in a cold-weather city, but while the weather conditions were icy in the Detroit area, inside the domed stadium it was a comfortable 70 degrees. The Bengals got the first break of the day as 49ers RB Amos Lawrence fumbled the opening kickoff and Cincinnati recovered at the San Francisco 26 yard line. But six plays later, Hicks intercepted a badly thrown pass by Anderson at the five and returned it 27 yards.

The 49ers proceeded to drive down field, with Montana effective on short passes and, on a double-reverse, hit TE Charle Young for a 14-yard gain on a third-and-one play. The 68-yard, 11-play drive ended with a one-yard quarterback sneak by Montana for a touchdown and 7-0 lead.

Cincinnati drove deep into San Francisco territory, but early in the second quarter they again turned the ball over as Collinsworth was stripped by CB Eric Wright after making a 19-yard gain and CB Lynn Thomas recovered for the 49ers at their own eight yard line. Montana again led a methodical drive, going 92 yards on 12 plays and ending up with another touchdown, this time on an 11-yard pass to RB Earl Cooper.

San Francisco placekicker Ray Wersching squibbed the ensuing kickoff, and Bengals WR David Verser fumbled; while Cincinnati recovered, it was at their three yard line. Seven plays later the Bengals punted and the 49ers drove to a 22-yard field goal by Wersching with 15 seconds left in the half. That wasn’t it for the first half scoring, however – Wersching again squibbed the kickoff (what he referred to as a “knuckleball”), taking advantage of the artificial turf and its tendency to make the ball bounce unpredictably, and once more the Bengals had difficulty fielding the kick as RB Archie Griffin fumbled at the 11 yard line. San Francisco’s LB Milt McColl recovered at the four, and Wersching booted a 26-yard field goal with five seconds left to provide the 49ers with a 20-0 halftime lead.

Cincinnati came out strong in the third quarter, driving 83 yards in nine plays highlighted by a 13-yard Anderson pass to WR Isaac Curtis on a flea flicker play. Anderson ended the possession with a five-yard TD run. Later in the quarter the Bengals drove deep into 49ers territory once again, highlighted by a 49-yard Anderson-to-Collinsworth pass and a two-yard run by Pete Johnson on fourth-and-one at the Niner five. With first-and-goal at the three, Anderson handed off to the power-running Johnson once more, who bulled down to the one. On second down, it was Johnson again, attempting to follow All-Pro OT Anthony Munoz into the end zone from the left side but being held to no gain. Anderson tried a quick pass to his right to RB Charles Alexander, who was hit hard by LB Dan Bunz and stopped short of the goal. Now with fourth-and-inches, the Bengals went back to Johnson and he attempted to score over right tackle but was stopped by Bunz and LB Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds. The 49ers defense had held.

The 49ers punted following the ensuing possession and the Bengals got the ball back on their own 47. Now in the fourth quarter, Cincinnati again drove deep into San Francisco territory, this time scoring on a four-yard TD pass from Anderson to Dan Ross. With the score 20-14, the Niners responded by turning conservative, abandoning the short passing game and featuring the ground attack. The 50-yard drive ended with a 40-yard Wersching field goal and resulting nine-point lead.

With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Eric Wright picked off an Anderson pass at midfield that effectively sealed the win. Ray Wersching kicked his fourth field goal of the contest from 23 yards out to pad the lead at 26-14. Cincinnati scored once more on a three-yard Anderson-to-Ross pass with 15 seconds left, but any chance for a miracle finish was ended when the 49ers recovered the onside kick that followed. The final score was 26-21.

The Bengals outgained the Niners, 356 yards to 275, but were undone by four turnovers (to San Francisco’s one) and the failure to score in the third quarter thanks to the goal line stand. Joe Montana, the game’s MVP, completed 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and a TD with no interceptions. Dwight Clark and the other starting wide receiver, Freddie Solomon, both caught four passes, while Solomon had the most yards with 52 to Clark’s 45. The running game accounted for 127 yards on 40 attempts, with Ricky Patton topping the group with 55 yards on 17 carries.

Cincinnati’s Ken Anderson (pictured below) had to pass often, 34 times in all, and completed 25 of them for 300 yards and two touchdowns as well as two interceptions. Dan Ross set a Super Bowl record (tied three times since) with 11 pass receptions, for 104 yards and two scores. Cris Collinsworth accumulated 107 yards on his 5 catches. Pete Johnson was held to just 36 yards on 14 rushes.

Summing up the feeling of coming up short after an outstanding season, Anderson said, “When you walk out on the field for this game, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. And when you walk off after the game, and you haven’t won, it’s the worst feeling in the world.”

San Francisco fell back to earth in the strike-shortened ’82 season, going 3-6, but then commenced on a remarkable run in which the team never had fewer than 10 wins in any of the next 16 seasons – until 1999, long after Montana and Walsh were gone from the scene. There would be four more championships in that span. Cincinnati made the playoffs again in 1982 with a 7-2 tally, lost in the first round, and fell into mediocrity for most of the next five years until returning to the postseason – and a Super Bowl rematch with the 49ers – following the 1988 campaign.

1991: Giants Dethrone Two-Time Champion 49ers for NFC Title

For most of the 1990 season, it seemed as though the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants were mirroring each other while on a collision course for supremacy in the NFC. Both teams started out with 10-0 records. A week before they were due to square off at Candlestick Park, both lost for the first time, and to division rivals in each instance – the 49ers falling 28-17 to the Rams and the Giants by 31-13 at Philadelphia. San Francisco won the ensuing matchup, 7-3.

The 49ers, under second-year Head Coach George Seifert, had won the previous two Super Bowls and looked poised to join the Packers as winners of three straight NFL titles. They ended the ’90 regular season with a league-best 14-2 record, coasting to first place in the NFC West, and defeated Washington in the Divisional playoff round. To be sure, weaknesses were beginning to show due to wear and tear as safety Ronnie Lott missed five games and RB Roger Craig limped through a sub-par season. Still, QB Joe Montana and WR Jerry Rice, who led the league with 100 pass receptions, 1502 receiving yards, and 13 touchdown catches, provided plenty of heroics on offense.

The Giants, coached by Bill Parcells, ended the regular season with several question marks. Their conservative, ball-control offense, led by QB Phil Simms, suffered only 14 turnovers. The defense, featuring LB Lawrence Taylor (pictured at bottom), was top-ranked in the NFL and also had solid performances from LB Pepper Johnson, NT Erik Howard, and veteran CB Everson Walls. However, the team lost three of its last six games and Simms and starting RB Rodney Hampton were eliminated from the postseason by injuries. To be sure, the Giants still won the NFC East with a 13-3 record, and they crushed the Bears in the Divisional playoff. But they were dependent upon unproven backup QB Jeff Hostetler, operating an offense rendered even more conservative, and 33-year-old RB Ottis Anderson (pictured at top).


There were 65,750 on hand at Candlestick Park on January 20, 1991 for the NFC Championship game. The first half ended at 6-6 with both teams booting two field goals apiece – from 47 and 35 yards by San Francisco’s Mike Cofer and 28 and 42 yards by veteran placekicker Matt Bahr (pictured at right).

The 49ers finally scored a touchdown in the third quarter as Montana connected with WR John Taylor on a 61-yard play. Bahr narrowed the margin to 13-9 with a 46-yard field goal late in the same period.

Montana was knocked out of the game with a broken finger after being sacked with under ten minutes remaining in the game. Meanwhile, the Giants utilized a fake punt that turned into a 30-yard run by LB Gary Reasons, setting up a fourth field goal by Bahr from 38 yards that made it a one-point contest.

49ers backup QB Steve Young kept the ball on the ground, throwing just one pass, and it was almost enough. But with 2:36 remaining, Lawrence Taylor recovered a fumble by Craig. It was the only turnover of the game, and a costly one. Hostetler, completing two key passes, moved the Giants 33 yards in six plays into field goal range. With time running out, Bahr kicked his fifth field goal, from 42 yards, and the Giants were the winners by a 15-13 margin.


In the defensive struggle, New York won the battle for ball control, keeping the offense on the field for 39 minutes and outrushing the 49ers, 152 yards to 39. Even with San Francisco’s superior air attack, the Giants had the upper hand in total yards with 311 to 240. Jeff Hostetler (pictured at left) performed capably, completing 15 of 27 passes for 176 yards and, most importantly, not throwing any interceptions. Ottis Anderson was the top rusher with 67 yards on 20 carries. WR Mark Ingram and TE Mark Bavaro each caught five passes, with Ingram gaining the most yards (82, to the tight end’s 54). Matt Bahr, in his first season with the Giants after nine years in Cleveland, made five of his six field goal attempts, which were crucial.

Before having to leave the game, Joe Montana completed 18 of 26 passes for 190 yards and a TD with none picked off. Thanks to the long touchdown, John Taylor had the most receiving yards with 75 on two receptions, while Jerry Rice had the most catches with 5, but for just 54 yards. The weak rushing attack was led by Roger Craig, with 26 yards on 8 attempts.

New York went on to defeat Buffalo in a closely-fought Super Bowl that was decided by one point. However, Coach Parcells left in the offseason and the Giants slumped under his successor, Ray Handley. The 49ers missed the playoffs in ’91 despite a 10-6 record, but rebounded to make the playoffs in each of the following six seasons with one Super Bowl victory mixed in.