But after forcing a Dallas punt, Montana threw a 20-yard touchdown to Clark to retake the lead, 1410. (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. ", Studley explained further: "The Bengals tried to shield Danny off and make him run around, but he hit Alexander quick in the flat. Kevin Long finished the 58-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the score to 3127. 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. But it was later discovered that only once did the 49ers play short-handed -- and that occurred on the fourth-and-one from the 5. [2], This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the 49ers and Bengals.[2]. Although they finished last again in 1980, the Bengals improved their record to 6-10 under the first-year leadership of Forrest Gregg. 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. No questions or answers have been posted about this item. Amos Lawrence, after returning the kickoff 17 yards, fumbled on the 26, where John Simmons recovered for the Bengals. They've been in the playoffs a total of 28 times in their 73 seasons. The Catch was the game-winning touchdown reception in the 1981 NFC Championship Game played between the Dallas Cowboys and the eventual Super Bowl XVI champion San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on January 10, 1982, as part of the 1981-82 NFL playoffs. The 1982 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise 's 33rd season in the National Football League and their 37th overall. San Francisco 49ers Franchise Encyclopedia. This was the first postseason meeting between the Buccaneers and Cowboys.[2]. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. The lost yardage on the grounding penalty pushed the Buccaneers out of field goal range and they ended up punting. Three plays later, running back Tony Dorsett scored on a 5-yard rushing touchdown to give Dallas a 1714 lead. Their defense would shift as late as possible before the snap of the ball and we often didn't know who or where a guy would come into the gap. 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. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. The 1982 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 33rd season in the National Football League and their 37th overall. West Division (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. San Francisco 49ers, American professional gridiron football team based in Santa Clara, California, that plays in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers then drove to the Bengals 20-yard line, but on third down, Fouts tripped over the foot of guard Doug Wilkerson and was downed for an 11-yard loss. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. In 2022, the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Conference Championship. Cincinnati eventually drove inside the 10, but the Bills made a key defensive stand, as defensive end Ken Johnson sacked Anderson at the 15 on third down and then Robb Riddick leaped high in the air to block Jim Breech's 33-yard field goal attempt. 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. The Bengals' next-to-last possession of the game endured for just one play, on which an Anderson pass, intended for Collinsworth, was intercepted by Wright on the Cincinnati 47 and returned to the 22, where he fumbled when trying to lateral the ball to a teammate. started the season at 0-9. White completed 15 of 26 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown. Then on third down and 9, Fouts' 21-yard completion to Wes Chandler moved the ball to the Bengals 33. . They had progressed to the San Francisco 27 when Anderson completed a 19-yard pass to Cris Collinsworth. But Johnson kept the Bengals moving on those plays, first rushing for eight yards and then gaining 14 yards on a screen pass on third down and 8. In 10 plays, seven of them rushes, the Niners advanced 50 yards and, with 5:25 remaining, Wersching kicked his third field goal, a 40-yarder that raised the NFC club's lead to 23-14. The 49ers finished 36, thus missing the playoffs despite the expanded sixteen team format. As Bunz handled lead blocker Alexander on the fourth-down smash, Reynolds led the charge that snuffed out Johnson. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Randy White (54) on bench during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Two possessions later, the Bengals were at midfield with 6:53 remaining in the third period. "This was for the world championship and there was no way I was going to miss it," explained Solomon, who caught four passes for 52 yards during the game. 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. Walsh, a graduate of San Jose State -- where he also earned a master's degree in education -- was without professional playing experience. 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. Tell the fellows they really did win one for the Gipper.". The team was loose all week and never tensed up. 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. . [3] After the ensuing kickoff, the first quarter ended with Giants having a 104 to 1 advantage over Philadelphia in total yards gained. (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. But Miami re-tied the game with Strock completing six consecutive passes, the last a 50-yard score to Bruce Hardy. The official source for San Francisco 49ers news, schedules, stats, scores and more. But the Bengals stormed right back on a drive set up by David Verser's 40-yard kickoff to the 46-yard line. the The 49ers won the game 28-27. The San Francisco 49ers last made the playoffs in 2022, when they lost the Conference Championship. Six plays later (one a 14-yard catch by tight end Dan Ross), Charles Alexander scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. This game marked a disappointing end to a promising season for the Eagles, who had started out 9-2, but then lost all but one of their remaining games. the On second and 8, Williams was sacked by Harvey Martin for a 9-yard loss, and then turned the ball over with consecutive incompletions. 1982. Todd also made several key completions, including a 29-yarder to Shuler and a 26-yard pass to Derrick Gaffney on third and 20. started the season going 8-0. The use of any team names, words, trademarks, logos or photos have been used for descriptive purposes only. Wersching's squib kickoff was fielded by David Verser on the 5-yard line. After another Buffalo punt, Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson completed an 18-yard pass to Ross to give his team a first down on the Bills 41-yard line. 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 . After Commissioner Pete Rozelle's presentation of the Vince Lombardi Trophy to 49ers Owner Edward DeBartolo, Jr., a telephone was thrust into Walsh's hand. "We lost, but there is lots to be proud of. "He told us we would have to score at least two more times," reported the left guard. Although the Super Bowl, the fourth and final round of the playoffs, was played at a neutral site, the designated home team was based on an annual rotation by conference. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Then after forcing a punt, the Giants drove 74 yards, including an 11-yard scramble by Brunner on 3rd and 11, to score on his 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver John Mistler. The 49ers were a sorry sight when Walsh assembled them at Santa Clara for training camp in 1979. 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. The game was played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli). 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: This season was the only one in an 18-season span in which the 49ers did not win at least ten games. The location of the game also set a precedent. The 49ers won the game 28-27. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Have the San Francisco 49ers gone by any other names? This was the first postseason meeting between the Chargers and Bengals.[2]. In the third quarter, Miami drove 74 yards and tied it at 24, with Strock's 15-yard touchdown completion to Rose. The team was coming off a Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. NCAAW. Four of those came in the 1980s, and were led by Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Steve Young, Charles Haley, Fred Dean, and coaches Bill Walsh and George Seifert. (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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. [4], After the first quarter was scoreless, Dennis Thurman's 19-yard interception return to the Bucs 47-yard line set up Danny White's 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Tony Hill. (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. 2010 San Francisco 49ers, 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. Dallas won all three previous meetings. and Their first season was in 1950, and their most recent season was in 2022. Cribbs rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 4 passes for 64 yards. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Join our linker program. At 25, Montana was the same age as Joe Namath when Broadway Joe led the New York Jets to a stunning upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. While surrounding areas shivered in below zero chill factors, 81,270 enjoyed 72-degree comfort in the huge, 5-year-old stadium. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. The content and information from other sites is the property of their respective owners. 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. The emergence of the two teams into title form was unexpected and unprecedented. at Shea Stadium, Flushing, Queens, New York. Later on, Benirschke missed a 55-yard field goal attempt, giving Miami the ball with good field position. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. The next two plays resulted in the team being pushed back to the 35, where Pat Leahy missed a 52-yard field goal attempt. One of its victories was over Cincinnati by a 21-3 score. We went to our running game and our trapping game and that made the difference. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. (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. Dorsett was the top rusher of the game with 85 yards and a touchdown, while also catching four passes for 48 yards. 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 San Diego's opening drive, Dan Fouts' 47-yard completion to Wes Chandler set up Benirschke's 32-yard field goal. You can't spot 'em 20 points. Simpson recorded two interceptions, while Lewis caught seven passes for a franchise postseason record 158 yards and two touchdowns. 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. 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. Free shipping for many products! Later on, a pass interference penalty in the end zone against Tampa Bay defensive back Cedric Brown set up the final score of the game on Timmy Newsome's 1-yard run. For the second consecutive season, the team finished with a 2-14 record. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The worst running game in the league alongside a defense that went from second overall and points in 1981 to twenty-first and twenty-third respectively were the main culprits for the losing season. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Cowboys head Coach Tom Landry during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. In honor of Free Game Friday relive one of the greatest games ever, featuring \"The Catch\", announced by the great Vin Scully!00:00 - Start5:40 49ers Sack Danny White on 3rd Down11:30 Joe Montana 8-yard TD Pass to F. Solomon21:39 R. Septien 44-yard Field Goal26:13 Danny White 26-yard TD Pass to Tony Hill37:40 Montana Avoids Sack Then Launches Deep Throw40:18 Montana Picked Off by Walls46:08 Montana 20-yard TD Pass to Dwight Clark55:28 Tony Dorsett 5-yard TD Run58:56 Montana Sacked on Third Down by Too Tall Jones59:55 Cowboys Fumble Punt, 49ers Recover1:03:48 Montana Sack Stripped, Cowboys Recover1:06:17 Danny White Sacked on Third Down1:23:24 Montana Intercepted by Randy White1:24:59 Danny White Picked Off by B. Leopold1:30:01 Johny Davis 2-yard TD Run1:41:30 49ers Stop Cowboys on 3rd Down Inside the 10-yard line1:42:28 R. Septien 22-yard Field Goal1:45:23 49ers Fumble, Cowboys Recover1:48:43 Danny White 21-yard TD Pass to D. Cosbie1:52:05 Montana Picked Off by Walls2:00:52 Start of Montana Game-Winning Drive2:09:45 The Catch2:13:11 Start of Cowboys Final Drive2:13:30 Drew Pearson Almost Breaks Free for the Touchdown2:14:47 Danny White Sack Stripped, 49ers Recover2:16:50 49ers CelebrationThe 1981 NFC Championship game, and more specifically, \"The Catch,\" would prove to be a major turning point in NFL history as it launched the 49ers dynasty led by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.Subscribe to NFL: http://j.mp/1L0bVBuThe NFL YouTube channel is your home for immediate in-game highlights from your favorite teams and players, full NFL games, behind the scenes access, up-to-the-minute analysis and more!Check out our other channels:NFL Network http://www.youtube.com/nflnetworkNFL Films http://www.youtube.com/nflfilmsFor all things NFL, visit the league's official website at http://www.nfl.com/Start your free trial of NFL Game Pass: https://www.nfl.com/gamepassFantasy Football: http://www.nfl.com/fantasyfootballWatch NFL Now: https://www.nfl.com/nowListen to NFL podcasts: http://www.nfl.com/podcastsWatch the NFL network: http://nflnonline.nfl.com/Download the NFL mobile app: https://www.nfl.com/apps2016 NFL Schedule: http://www.nfl.com/schedulesBuy tickets to watch your favorite team: http://www.nfl.com/ticketsShop NFL: http://www.nflshop.com/source/bm-nflcom-Header-Shop-TabLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NFLFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NFLFollow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/nfl/ Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. 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. won the Super Bowl 5 times, in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989 and 1994. 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. Finally Keena realized I'd called for the goal-line defense.". Past 10 Seasons (2013 - 2022) Championship Years 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994 San Francisco 49ers History Overview The San Francisco 49ers have played a total of 73 seasons. Bills coach Chuck Knox later explained this was an attempt to prevent the defense from adjusting to new personnel, an attempt that would have paid off if the ball had been snapped on time, as Piccone did make a first down catch on the ensuing play.[6]. With only 58 seconds left in the game, a heavy Dolphins pass rush forced Fouts to throw a blind pass intended for Winslow in the end zone. Anderson finished the game with 14 of 21 completions for 192 yards and a touchdown. Join our linker program. ", Gregg's halftime pitch to the Bengals scaled no emotional peaks. of the National Football Conference, aka the Todd threw for 377 yards, while Ferguson threw for 268. Early in the second quarter, Woodley was replaced by Don Strock who started off his first play with a 17-yard completion to Duriel Harris on a drive that Uwe von Schamann finished with a 34-yard field goal. have appeared in the Super Bowl 7 times, in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2012 and 2019. Brunner then made a 17-yard touchdown to Perkins to close out the scoring. 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 . "Montana will be the great quarterback of the future," said Walsh of his third-year field general. Elliott rushed four times for 30 yards on the drive, while Solomon also made a big impact, catching two passes for 18 yards and rushing for 15 on a wide receiver reverse. After a Bengals punt, Chandler gave the Chargers good field position with a 7-yard return to the 45-yard line. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. 10-0. 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. With Montana holding, Wersching kicked a 22-yard field goal, increasing the Niners' lead to 17-0. Gregg, once described by Lombardi as "the finest player I've ever coached," appeared with the Packers in Super Bowls I and II and the Dallas Cowboys in VI. started the season Then Ferguson threw his third consecutive interception on the next drive, which Donald Dykes picked off and returned 22 yards, giving New York a first down on the Buffalo 35. 49ers beat Cowboys 28-27 for Conference Championship. All-time Passing Leader: Joe Montana 2,929/4,600, 35,124 yds, 244 TD, All-time Rushing Leader: Frank Gore 2,442 att, 11,073 yds, 64 TD, All-time Receiving Leader: Jerry Rice 1,281 rec, 19,247 yds, 176 TD, All-time Scoring Leader: Jerry Rice 1,130 points, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2:32PM. was the 1990 San Francisco 49ers, who Later on, Lott returned his second interception of the game 20 yards to the end zone to give San Francisco a 3817 lead and clinch the game. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. This was the first postseason meeting between the Bills and Jets. 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 . Free shipping for many products! (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. Dallas Cowboys 27 at San Francisco 49ers 28 on January 10th, 1982 - Full team and player stats and box score . He failed to pick up an audible blocking change. "The only thing we could do was run the ball and hope we could get it out and punt.". Dallas defensive back Everson Walls intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble, though he had the misfortune of being assigned to cover Clark on "the catch" play. Gastineau got to the ball before anyone else, but wound up accidentally knocking the ball forward twice while trying to pick it up, and Buffalo lineman Ken Jones ended up recovering it. However, the Cowboys needed only a field goal to win, and still had enough time left in the game for one last drive. Had Bunz tackled him low, Alexander's momentum would have carried him into the end zone. In the third quarter, San Francisco got another scoring opportunity when Dwight Hicks returned a punt 12 yards to midfield. Search through thousands of plays from pro football history using our Event Finder tool. Or write about sports? Dallas responded with an 80-yard drive, including a controversial pass interference penalty on 49ers defensive back Ronnie Lott which nullified his interception and gave the Cowboys a 35-yard gain at the San Francisco 12-yard line. 49ers Defensive end Dwaine Board (76) moves up to make tackle 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. was the 2019 San Francisco 49ers, who NFC West. The postseason tournament concluded with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, 2621, on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.