On the Giants next possession, Ronnie Lott's interception gave the 49ers a first down on their own 31-yard line, where they drove to a 177 lead on Freddie Solomon's 58-yard touchdown reception. Tell the fellows they really did win one for the Gipper.". "I think Joe was thinking of the Gipper when we won. San Diego responded with a drive to the Bengals 33-yard line, but came up empty when defensive back Louis Breeden intercepted a deep pass intended for Charlie Joiner at the 5-yard line. Or write about sports? Clark finished the game with eight receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. 1977 San Francisco 49ers, Then Benirschke missed a 50-yard field goal try on the next play. (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco Linebacker Keena Turner (58) recovers Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) fumble. Thurman had two interceptions and 50 return yards. The Chargers would move the ball inside the Bengals 40-yard line five times during the rest of the game, but failed to score on each possession. (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco 49ers Running Back Bill Ring (30) talks to Terry Bradshaw before game during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. The 49ers won five Super Bowl championships between 1981 and 1994. West Division The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. They've been in the playoffs a total of 28 times in their 73 seasons. The Bills defense managed to force a punt with under a minute left, but Ferguson threw four consecutive incompletions as time expired in the game. Have the San Francisco 49ers gone by any other names? But linebacker Keena Turner never got the message as defensive coordinator Chuck Studley's call was lost in the Silverdome noise. I referred to our first game of the season when we came from a 21-0 first-quarter deficit to beat Seattle. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli), San Francisco 49ers free safety Dwight Hicks (22) raises his arms on a goal line stand during the NFL football game NFC Championship between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, California on January 10, 1982. The game was played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark hauls in a six-yard touchdown pass from Joe Montana with 51 seconds left in the 1982 NFC Championship game against the Dallas Cowboys.. . On the opening drive of the second half, San Diego drove to the Bengals 38-yard line, only to lose their fourth turnover of the day when Reggie Williams stripped the ball from Chuck Muncie and Cincinnati's Ross Browner recovered it. Or write about sports? First, defensive back Mike Fuller returned a punt 27 yards to the Bills 42-yard line. "It was the first time all season we were stopped on that play," asserted Forrest Gregg. Eleven plays carried the Niners to the Cincinnati 11, from where Montana passed to Earl Cooper on the 3. The second best start to a season Montana, selected the game's most valuable player, completed 14 of 22 passes, ran for 18 yards in six carries and scored a touchdown. Following a 4-yard run by Charles Alexander, the Bengals scored a touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Anderson to tight end M. L. Harris, increasing their lead to 100. In the first round, dubbed the wild-card playoffs or wild-card weekend, the fourth seed wild card hosted the fifth seed. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Defensive Back Everson Walls (24) on sidelines during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. NBA. Fellow linebacker Craig Puki later said that he thought Turner had missed two plays, but he was in his stance and evidently did not see Turner race onto the field at the last instance for the first-down play from the 3. ", SF - Montana 1 run (Wersching kick) (9:08), SF - Cooper 11 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) (8:07), CIN - Anderson 5 run (Breech kick) (3:35), CIN - Ross 4 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) (4:54), CIN - Ross 3 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) (14:44), This site is neither endorsed, nor sponsored by, nor affiliated with San Francisco 49ers or NFL Enterprises LLC. Their first season was in 1950, and their most recent season was in 2022. ", "We had our backs to the wall and bad field position hurt us," added Montana. Super Bowl XVI was played to an improbable script. (Won 2 Rounds), Lost Super Bowl The Cowboys fared no better as White was sacked twice on their next drive, once by Jim Stuckey and once by Lawrence Pillers, and the half ended soon after. The 49ers finished 36, thus missing the playoffs despite the expanded sixteen team format. Then 49ers running back Bill Ring lost a fumble on his own 29, leading to White's 26-yard touchdown pass to Tony Hill that put the Cowboys up 10-7. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. All three division winners from each conference then received a bye in the first round. The 49ers and Eagles don't have a rich playoff history, with Philadelphia and San Francisco meeting only one time in the postseason (49ers won 14-0 in 1996 NFC Wild Card round). Joe Montana, in full Joseph Clifford Montana, bynames Joe Cool and the Comeback Kid, (born June 11, 1956, New Eagle, Pennsylvania, U.S.), American gridiron football player who was one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League (NFL). Strock turned in the best game of his life, completing 29 of 43 passes for 403 yards and four touchdowns, while Fouts put on one of the best performances of his Hall of Fame career, completing 33 of 53 passes for 433 yards and three touchdowns. Taking the ball back after the missed field goal, Cincinnati put the game away with a 14-play touchdown drive. Two possessions later, the Bengals were at midfield with 6:53 remaining in the third period. 1963 San Francisco 49ers ", Bunz thought at first that "Alexander would come up inside. SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Moments after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo broke his left foot in a Dec. 4 win against the Miami Dolphins, general manager John Lynch's phone pinged. The AFC champions advanced to a second-and-goal on the 5-yard line before Anderson was sacked for a six-yard loss by Jim Stuckey. Join our linker program. Cincinnati's David Verser returned the ensuing kickoff 40 yards to their 35-yard line, and the team responded with a 7-play 65-yard drive, including a 13-yard scramble by Anderson, to retake the lead with a 20-yard touchdown run by Alexander. He failed to pick up an audible blocking change. Montana finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown to tight end Charle Young. This was the first postseason meeting between the Bills and Jets. San Francisco 49ers Dwight Clark, 1982 NFC Championship, 1981 NFC Championship Game - Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers - January 10, 1982, Freddie Solomon, Randy Cross, Fred Quillan, John Ayers, Dwight Clark. The Bills jumped to a 240 lead by the second quarter against a Jets defense that had only given up 37 first quarter points all season. Later on, with Miami just trying to maintain their lead and run out the clock, Chargers safety Pete Shaw recovered a fumble from Andra Franklin on San Diego's 18-yard line with 4:39 left in regulation. (87) Dwight Clark and (68) John Ayers during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. I told them what to expect. seasons. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. Cincinnati's horrendous luck continued in the ensuing series of plays. 1981 NFC Championship Game - Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers - January 10, 1982 Wide receiver Dwight Clark of the San Francisco 49ers makes "The Catch" in the end zone to. I think the players started thinking about what could have been instead of what was. The 49ers had a chance to increase their lead before halftime, but Wersching missed a 50-yard field goal attempt with less than a minute left. Brunner then made a 17-yard touchdown to Perkins to close out the scoring. While Bill Walsh regarded the fourth-down stop of Johnson as "the play that won the game for us," Chuck Studley considered Bunz' tackle of Alexander more significant. the Todd also made several key completions, including a 29-yarder to Shuler and a 26-yard pass to Derrick Gaffney on third and 20. On third down Anderson passed to Charles Alexander in the right flat, but linebacker Dan Bunz came up fast, grabbed the receiver around the waist, and hurled him backward before he could break the plane of the goal line. "The coaches upstairs spotted it. The 49ers got another chance to score before halftime when they recovered a fumbled punt on the Dallas 42. On third-and-11, Anderson fired a pass intended for Isaac Curtis, but Dwight Hicks intercepted and returned the football 27 yards to the San Francisco 32. The 49ers are one of the NFL's most popular teams largely because they've had more success than most in the league. For the second consecutive season, the team finished with a 2-14 record. The 49ers won the game 28-27. "If I had to do it again, I'd still give it to Pete. Then on third down and 9, Fouts' 21-yard completion to Wes Chandler moved the ball to the Bengals 33. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli). He also was without extraordinary optimism. On San Diego's opening drive, Dan Fouts' 47-yard completion to Wes Chandler set up Benirschke's 32-yard field goal. Here are the San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl wins: XVI: San Francisco 49ers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21 (1982) XIX: San Francisco 49ers 38, Miami Dolphins 16 (1985) XXIII: San Francisco 49ers 20 . An illegal chuck set the Bengals back two more yards and, six plays later, Pat McInally's punt set the 49ers up on their own 34. Ray Wersching's Super Bowl record-tying 4 field goals and Joe Montana's controlled passing helped lift the San Francisco 49ers to their first NFL championship with a 26-21 victory over Cincinnati. Playoff wins over the New York Giants, 38-24, and the Dallas Cowboys, 28-27 on a last-minute Montana pass to Dwight Clark, earned the 49ers a trip to the Silverdome. Nine plays, plus two Niner face mask penalties, carried Cincinnati to the San Francisco 5-yard line, from where Anderson, after dropping back to pass, sprinted into the end zone. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli), San Francisco 49ers running back Bill Ring (30) runs behind a block by 49ers Randy Cross (51) during the NFL football game NFC Championship between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, California on January 10, 1982. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? They were 6-10 in 1980 as Montana and Clark established themselves. All-time Rushing Leader: Frank Gore 2,442 att, 11,073 yds, 64 TD . Had Bunz tackled him low, Alexander's momentum would have carried him into the end zone. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The San Francisco 49ers were established in the All-American Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946. the 1982 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS PENNANT, cleared payment - opens in a new window or tab, Learn more about eBay global shipping program. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. Then Miami was forced to punt and Chandler returned the ball 56 yards for a touchdown. The image of an exhausted Winslow, who finished the game with 13 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown, being helped off the field by two of his Chargers teammates is now an iconic visual of NFL Films. I figured I could go underneath. The San Francisco 49ers secure a hard-fought win over the Dallas Cowboys to reach the NFL's Conference Championships while the Cincinnati Bengals upset the Buffalo Bills. (AP Photo/Al Golub), List of Players: (87) Dwight Clark, (68) John Ayers, (56) Fred Quillan during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Miami's defense subsequently recovered a fumble from Fouts, giving their offense the ball on the Chargers 39-yard line, and Strock took advantage, leading them to score on his 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joe Rose. NCAAM. The 49ers won the game 28-27. This would also turn out to be the final NFL playoff game at Shea Stadium, as the Jets moved to Giants Stadium three years later. Two key plays allowed the Bengals to start their first two drives in Buffalo territory, and they took advantage of their field position with touchdowns on each one. (AP Photo/Al Golub), 49er fans mock effigy of Dallas Quarterback Danny White during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Three plays later from the 40-yard line, Strock took the snap and threw a pass intended for Harris at the 20-yard line. On the ensuing kickoff, the ball hit the ground and bounced back in the Chargers direction, enabling them to recover it and eventually score on running back Chuck Muncie's 1-yard rushing touchdown. Free shipping for many products! According to offensive coordinator Lindy Infante, "It was a staff decision to go for the touchdown. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? This article relating to an American football season is a stub. started the season with 6 (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Quarterback Danny White (11) give his team the play instructions during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. All rights reserved. Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. White threw a completion to Drew Pearson that almost went for a touchdown, but 49ers corner Eric Wright made a key tackle by getting one hand inside Pearson's jersey and dragging him down. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Three turnovers cost the Bengals 17 points in a 20-point first half that set a Super Bowl record; the 49ers staged a dramatic goal line stand that might have saved the game, and Ray Wersching kicked a record-tying four field goals. Five plays, including Johnson's fourth-and-one plunge from the 5 that netted two yards, resulted in a first-and-goal at the 3. was the 2019 San Francisco 49ers, who His initial draft yielded only two players who remained with the Niners into 1981, but they were prize picks -- quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Dwight Clark. This 49ers team was also the only team in history to win more than half its road games while losing all its home games. In the fourth quarter, Williams completed a 75-yard pass to Jimmie Giles on the Cowboys 5-yard line, but the Buccaneers were still unable to get any points on the drive. The emergence of the two teams into title form was unexpected and unprecedented. Then we scored to make it 20-14.". Dorsett was the top rusher of the game with 85 yards and a touchdown, while also catching four passes for 48 yards. One of its victories was over Cincinnati by a 21-3 score. The team that ranked 26th in the NFL in points allowed in 1980 soared into second place in 1981, trailing only Philadelphia. Find out more. Dallas Cowboys 27 at San Francisco 49ers 28 on January 10th, 1982 - Full team and player stats and box score . Brunner completed only nine of 14 passes for 96 yards, but threw three touchdowns and only one interception. Maybe if it had been 24-0, the Bengals might have caved in, but not with the score 20-0.". (AP Photo), San Francisco Wide Receiver Dwight Clark (87) celebrates touchdown during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. ", Griffin, who said he was surprised that the Niners would try a squib kick, revealed that "I used to have a theory on that kind of kick, that the first two bounces would be funny and the next bounce would be high. Aided by an 18-yard completion from Anderson to tight end Dan Ross, Cincinnati scored first with a 31-yard field goal from kicker Jim Breech. San Diego countered with a 6-play, 60-yard drive to score on Fouts' 25-yard touchdown completion to tight end Kellen Winslow. But the Bengals stormed right back on a drive set up by David Verser's 40-yard kickoff to the 46-yard line. Willie Harper recovered, however, for the 49ers. One play later, Pillers sacked White, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Stuckey, and the 49ers had their victory. I don't get but four or five good pops a game and I wasn't going to miss my chance. Thank you very, very much," said Walsh. San Diego then drove 55 yards and cut their deficit to 107 when Fouts, desperately trying to avoid a hit from Eddie Edwards, managed to fire a pass to Kellen Winslow at the line of scrimmage, who subsequently raced 33 yards down the right sideline for a score. The next time they had the ball, New York drove 85 yards to the 49ers 4-yard line, but it ended there and Danelo hit the uprights on a 21-yard field goal attempt. Later on, Benirschke missed a 55-yard field goal attempt, giving Miami the ball with good field position. Free shipping for many products! The 49ers then drove to the Dallas 16-yard line, but once again they failed to score when Montana threw a pass that bounced out of Elliott's hands and was intercepted by Randy White. In addition to his 56-yard punt return touchdown, Chandler caught six passes for 106 yards. Things got even better for Dallas when Walls recorded his second interception from Montana on the next drive at the Cowboys 27. Buffalo struck right back with a 79-yard scoring drive. In overtime, the Chargers took the opening kickoff and advanced to the Miami 8-yard line, but Benirschke missed a 27-yard field goal attempt. The content and information from other sites is the property of their respective owners. Today they all were funny. No, the San Francisco 49ers have been known by that name since 1950. Anderson's final pass was a three-yard heave to tight end Ross which, with Jim Breech's third extra point, narrowed the Cincinnati deficit to 26-21. This was also the first year that both New York City area teams, the Giants and the Jets, made the playoffs together in the same year. 1989 San Francisco 49ers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees Previous Season Next Season Record: 14-2-0, 1st in NFC West Division ( Schedule and Results ) Coach: George Seifert (14-2-0) Points For: 442 (27.6/g) 1st of 28 Points Against: 253 (15.8/g) 3rd of 28 Expected W-L: 12.6-3.4 SRS: 10.67 (1st of 28), SOS: -1.14 Playoffs: After that it looked as if they were trying not to make mistakes. On the next play, receiver Wesley Walker broke open in the end zone and Todd threw him the ball, only to watch it go right through Walker's hands. San Francisco 49ers 252K subscribers Subscribe 44K views 3 years ago #TheCatch #49ers #49ers #TheCatch #DwightClark Take a trip down memory lane of the play that launched the 49ers. The official source for San Francisco 49ers news, schedules, stats, scores and more. We worked like hell on that play. was the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, who The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. (Won 0 Rounds), Lost Divisional Round Check out all the best photos from Rihanna's halftime performance! Super Bowl LIV Game Program 2020 Kansas City Chiefs/San Francisco 49ers NFL $15.00 $13.40 shipping Super Bowl XVI 16 Program 1982 - San Francisco 49ers v Bengals Joe Montana MVP $15.00 0 bids $7.55 shipping 19h 35m or Best Offer Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers 1-29-23 Football Game Notes $22.99 2 bids $4.50 shipping 2d 22h This was the first postseason meeting between the Buccaneers and Cowboys.[2]. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) reaches for pass with San Francisco Linebacker Keena Turner (58) in pursuit during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. and Early in the third quarter, the Bills advanced 69 yards in five plays, starting with Ferguson's 15-yard pass to Frank Lewis and ending with a 44-yard touchdown run by Cribbs to tie the game. San Francisco took the opening kickoff and advanced 85 yards in 13 plays, assisted by a defensive holding penalty on a punt that allowed them to keep the drive going. San Francisco 49ers, American professional gridiron football team based in Santa Clara, California, that plays in the National Football League (NFL). Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. The pass sailed over Winslow's head, but went right into the arms of Brooks for a touchdown to tie the game. straight losses. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Ray Wersching (14) of the 49ers kicks the extra point, as Joe Montana (16) holds the ball, that gave them a 28-27 win over the Dallas Cowboys and a trip to the Super Bowl, Jan. 10, 1982, San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo), San Francisco Line Backer Jack "hacksaw" Reynolds set his sites on Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Danny White (11) during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982.