Wersching's squib kickoff was fielded by David Verser on the 5-yard line. You don't help a team like San Francisco with four turnovers. 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. was the 1990 San Francisco 49ers, who (Won 0 Rounds), Lost Divisional Round and (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated/Getty Images), Wide receiver Dwight Clark of the San Francisco 49ers makes "The Catch" in the end zone to defeat the Dallas Cowboys 28-27 during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Get a summary of the San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams football game. On Buffalo's ensuing drive, Ken Riley intercepted a pass from Ferguson on the Bills 48-yard line. The San Francisco 49ers last missed the playoffs in 2020. The 49ers won the game 28-27. 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. San Diego countered with a 6-play, 60-yard drive to score on Fouts' 25-yard touchdown completion to tight end Kellen Winslow. Two of the plays were passes, for nine and 14 yards, to wide receiver Freddie Solomon, a doubtful quantity in the 49ers' pregame plan because of a knee injury suffered three days earlier. The three division winners were seeded 1 through 3 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams were seeded 4 and 5. They've been in the playoffs a total of 28 times in their 73 seasons. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. Clark finished the game with eight receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. 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 . Brunner completed only nine of 14 passes for 96 yards, but threw three touchdowns and only one interception. 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. Then with just over 10 minutes left in the game, Cribbs ran for a 45-yard touchdown, increasing the Bills lead to 3113. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Now down 17-0, New York had a good chance to get back in the game when Mark Gastineau forced a fumble from Ferguson on the Bills next drive. After that it looked as if they were trying not to make mistakes. The use of any team names, words, trademarks, logos or photos have been used for descriptive purposes only. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli), Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett (33) scores a touchdown while San Francisco 49ers safety Dwight Hicks (22) gives chase during the NFL football game NFC Championship between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, California on January 10, 1982. ", Middle linebacker Jack Reynolds, in his 12th consecutive playoff season, "thought Johnson would carry the ball in all those short-yardage situations.". 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. (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. The game was played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The postseason tournament concluded with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, 26-21, on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan . In a play that would become known as The Catch, 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark made a leaping grab at the back of the end zone to score the winning touchdown with 51 seconds left in the game. Clapping his other hand over an ear to muffle the shrieks of exuberant players, Walsh said, "I thought it might be you calling. Dallas responded with Danny White's 20-yard pass to Butch Johnson setting up a 44-yard field goal by Rafael Septin. In addition to his 56-yard punt return touchdown, Chandler caught six passes for 106 yards. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Joe Montana (16) lines up on the ball during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco 49ers Running Back Bill Ring (30) catches kick off during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. ", Then, turning to Gregg, he said: "Congratulations, you had a fine, fine season. Thurman had two interceptions and 50 return yards. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. So when the Bengals defeated Buffalo, 28-21, and San Diego, 27-7, in the AFC playoffs, Gregg became the first ex-player to coach in the Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco Running Back Johnny Davis (38) makes touchdown during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Dallas took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 80-yards, including a 25-yard gain on a screen pass reception by Tony Dorsett, to score on running back Ron Springs' 1-yard rushing touchdown. The 49ers finished 36, thus missing the playoffs despite the expanded sixteen team format. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. The rivalry stems from the proximity of Oakland and San . The lost yardage on the grounding penalty pushed the Buccaneers out of field goal range and they ended up punting. Super Bowl, Lost Conference Championship But once again this amounted to nothing as Fouts was intercepted in the end zone by rookie safety Bobby Kemp. Anderson was injured early in the drive and replaced for two plays by Jack Thompson. As a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Detroit Lions in the 1950s, the Texan Layne frequently delighted in unorthodox strategy while en route to National Football League championships. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. In the first round, dubbed the wild-card playoffs or wild-card weekend, the fourth seed wild card hosted the fifth seed. A key aspect that had worked against Tampa Bay in the first half was starting field position. All teams and players mentioned are registered trademarks of the NFL and its respective teams. His teams also won postseason games in the Sun and Bluebonnet Bowls. Willie Harper recovered, however, for the 49ers. With Montana holding, Wersching kicked a 22-yard field goal, increasing the Niners' lead to 17-0. Although they finished last again in 1980, the Bengals improved their record to 6-10 under the first-year leadership of Forrest Gregg. (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco 49ers Running Back Bill Ring (30) makes good yardage during kick off runback during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. 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. 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. Joe Montana, selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1979 National Football League Draft, had a stellar career with the 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.A master of late-game comebacks, Montana directed his teams to 31 fourth quarter come-from-behind wins during his illustrious career, including a 92-yard drive in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XXIII. The official source for San Francisco 49ers news, schedules, stats, scores and more. (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco 49ers Fans during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. In the third quarter, Miami drove 74 yards and tied it at 24, with Strock's 15-yard touchdown completion to Rose. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. However, the Cowboys needed only a field goal to win, and still had enough time left in the game for one last drive. Both conference champions had losing records the previous season, the only time this has happened. (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana in action against the Dallas Cowboys during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. This was the first postseason meeting between the Giants and 49ers.[2]. No questions or answers have been posted about this item. The best start to a 49ers season Kevin Long finished the 58-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the score to 3127. 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. [2], The Cowboys crushed the Buccaneers, limiting them to 24 rushing yards and 222 total yards. Montana, selected the game's most valuable player, completed 14 of 22 passes, ran for 18 yards in six carries and scored a touchdown. 49ers running back Amos Lawrence returned the following kickoff 47 yards to the Giants 48-yard line. "There is still a long way to go, but I am certain we have turned the corner and are becoming a well-based, more versatile team that will be a consistent contender in the years to come.". Bill Simpson's interception at the Buffalo 1-yard line with two seconds left in the game preserved a 3127 victory and gave Buffalo their first playoff win since 1965. Meanwhile, the Bengals lost two of their first five games, then bowed only to New Orleans, 17-7, and San Francisco the rest of the way. The Chargers defense quickly gave the offense another scoring opportunity, forcing a punt from Pat McInally that went just 32 yards to the Bengals 45. (AP Photo/Al Golub), The 49ers with Joe Montana at start of game during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys punt returner James Jones (23) returns a punt during the NFL football game NFC Championship between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, California on January 10, 1982. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. "We lost, but there is lots to be proud of. 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 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. We had great success with that play all season, but the 49ers got great penetration. Nathan rushed for 48 yards, caught nine passes for 114 yards, and scored two touchdowns. 1982 San Francisco 49ers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees Previous Season Next Season Record: 3-6-0, 3rd in NFC West Division ( Schedule and Results ) Coach: Bill Walsh (3-6-0) Points For: 209 (23.2/g) 7th of 28 Points Against: 206 (22.9/g) 23rd of 28 Expected W-L: 4.6-4.4 SRS: -2.43 (18th of 28), SOS: -2.77 the The win sent the 49ers to their first Super Bowl and snapped their three-game playoff losing streak to the Cowboys. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 17 from the 44, but Montana was able to convert with a 39-yard completion to Dwight Clark, which led to a 22-yard field goal by Ray Wersching that gave them a 107 lead on the first play of the second quarter. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. They were 6-10 in 1980 as Montana and Clark established themselves. Montana finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown to tight end Charle Young. The San Francisco 49ers currently play in the 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. The Bengals, admitted to the American Football League in 1968, won a Central Division title in the realigned NFL in 1970, but succumbed to Baltimore in the playoffs. After a Bengals punt, Chandler gave the Chargers good field position with a 7-yard return to the 45-yard line. 49ers is a registered trademark of the Forty Niners Football Company LLC. 1977 San Francisco 49ers, One of its victories was over Cincinnati by a 21-3 score. New York then drove 52 yards in 13 plays to score on 48-yard field goal by Joe Danelo, making it 2410. Both conference champions had losing records the previous season, the only time this has happened. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. Philadelphia Eagles running back Boston Scott, center, runs for a touchdown during the first half of the NFC Championship game between the Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Jan. 29 . [1] The 49ers were the fifth team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the playoffs.[2]. The 49ers won the game 28-27. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) finds hole in 49ers line to make yardage during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. have appeared in the Super Bowl 7 times, in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2012 and 2019. What they didn't know was that we worked our tails off all week on that play, too.". Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The 49ers won the game 28-27. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. (Won 2 Rounds), Lost Super Bowl 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). seasons. After 15 games in warm weather climates, the 1982 championship contest was played in the Pontiac (Mich.) Silverdome, 25 miles from Detroit. "We weren't even picked for third in our division," he noted. The Jets took advantage again with another Leahy field goal to bring the team within 11 points at 24-13. (Schedule and Results), Other Notable Asst. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. I think the players started thinking about what could have been instead of what was. The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games then meet in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Passing, Rushing, & Receiving; Defense; Kick/Punt Returns; Kicking & Punting; 49ers Starters; Full Site Menu; NFC Championship - Dallas Cowboys at . Do you have a blog? Cribbs was injured and knocked out of the game on the first play, but his replacement Roland Hooks rushed five times for 24 yards and caught a pass for 6, while Ferguson finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Butler, tying the game back up at 21 on the first play of the fourth quarter. "We didn't want to get stopped by those blitzes. Dorsett was the top rusher of the game with 85 yards and a touchdown, while also catching four passes for 48 yards. (Won 1 Round), Lost Wild Card Round This was the first postseason meeting between the Giants and Eagles. (Corky Charles Trewin/NFL), Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) make run against the San Francisco Defensive Line. We had run twice to the left, and David Verser missed a block on the second call because of the crowd noise. Delivery times may vary, especially during peak periods. John Ayers revealed that the coach had instructed the Niners to treat the second half as though the score was 0-0. All-time Rushing Leader: Frank Gore 2,442 att, 11,073 yds, 64 TD . On their next drive, Anderson's five completions moved the ball deep into Chargers territory, but Willie Buchanon put an end to it when he recovered a fumble from Ross that had been forced by Woodrow Lowe. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? After that, Nathan's 17-yard reception and Tommy Vigorito's 6-yard run moved the Dolphins to the Chargers 26-yard line where von Schamann attempted a 43-yard field goal, but at the last second, Winslow extended his 6'5" frame at the line just enough to deflect the kick with his fingers, causing it to fall short of the goal posts and sending the game into overtime. Later on the drive, Johnson converted a fourth and inches situation with a 7-yard run, and Anderson eventually finished it off with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Bass, making the final score 277. This year has been a bit different, however, as the 49ers used a third-string . Aided by two receptions from Charlie Joiner for 49 yards, the Chargers then drove 74 yards to the Miami 10-yard line, where Benirschke eventually kicked the winning field goal. That the 49ers and Bengals were in the Super Bowl was remarkable in itself. This season was the only one in an 18-season span in which the 49ers did not win at least ten games. 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. He also was without extraordinary optimism. White completed 15 of 26 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown. Have the San Francisco 49ers gone by any other names? (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. You can't spot 'em 20 points. CBS's broadcast of the Giants-49ers NFC Divisional Playoff game also featured the introduction of the telestrator to a national audience. Jan 24, 2019 at 09:15 AM. Taking the ball back after the missed field goal, Cincinnati put the game away with a 14-play touchdown drive. In January of 1979, owner Edward DeBartolo, Jr., reached across the backyard fence to Palo Alto and secured the coaching services of Bill Walsh, who had compiled a 17-7 record in two seasons at Stanford University. (Won 2 Rounds), Lost Conference Championship Despite a game-time temperature of 9F (23C) and a 35-mile-per-hour wind that sent wind chills as low as 59F, Bengals' quarterback Ken Anderson threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions, and rushed for 39 yards to lead his team to a victory. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held in a cold-weather city. Free shipping for many products! NFC West Division (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) make run in open field during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Join our linker program. 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. The team was coming off a Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. 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. . The 49ers-Raiders rivalry, once commonly known as the Battle of the Bay, is a professional American football rivalry between the National Football League (NFL)'s San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders.This rivalry is unique in that both teams are members of different conferences within the NFL and have never met in a postseason game. With Montana passing and Cooper and Ricky Patton running, the Niners advanced to the Cincinnati 5 with 18 seconds remaining before intermission. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. (87) Dwight Clark and (68) John Ayers during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. The Bills converted this turnover into a 24-0 lead as Ferguson completed a 28-yard pass to running back Joe Cribbs before hooking up with Lewis for a 26-yard scoring completion. This 49ers team was also the only team in history to win more than half its road games while losing all its home games. The 49ers, who lost 12 of 26 fumbles in their NFC title march, opened their first Super Bowl game on an inauspicious note. 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.. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Fouts then led his team down to Miami's nine-yard line. Join our linker program. "Montana will be the great quarterback of the future," said Walsh of his third-year field general. Then Walls recovered a fumble from running back Walt Easley at midfield to set up White's 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Doug Cosbie, giving Dallas a 2721 advantage. Find out more. Their first half drives started from the 21, 20, 8, 20, 8 and 19-yard lines. "Dan had to make a perfect tackle in the open, noted the defensive coordinator. the In 1980 the 49ers drafted two players who stuck for more than one season, signed two key free agents, and added another key player by trade -- tight end Charle Young. One play later, Pillers sacked White, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Stuckey, and the 49ers had their victory. There are only four teams left in the 2022 NFL season's playoffs as we head to the conference . 2010 San Francisco 49ers, Cowboys coach Tom Landry twice rejected long field-goal attempts from the 34 and 37, and each time White (who also played punter) punted the ball out of bounds at the 8.[5]. "He told us we couldn't let their offense on the field too long or eventually Anderson would burn us.