Montana finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown to tight end Charle Young. The 49ers finished 36, thus missing the playoffs despite the expanded sixteen team format. won the Super Bowl 5 times, in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989 and 1994. 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. In 2022, the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Conference Championship. (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. Player and team photos used with permission from, Why the 49ers split with K Robbie Gould makes sense for both sides, Report: Kicker Robbie Gould will enter free agency, won't return to 49ers in 2023, Why Albert Breer says "keep an eye on" Baker Mayfield to 49ers possibility, 49ers insider discusses the possibility of the team pursuing Khalil Mack. . "He told us we would have to score at least two more times," reported the left guard. 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. NCAAM. the (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 improvement was noticeable immediately after Wersching's second-half kickoff. ", 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. NFL. The 49ers defense is the NFL's best in terms of scoring -- 16.3 points per game allowed -- and total yards -- 300.6 total yards per game allowed -- but a lot of what they do depends on the NFL's . Again the opportunistic 49ers capitalized on the turnover. The 49ers won the game 28-27. . On second and 8, Williams was sacked by Harvey Martin for a 9-yard loss, and then turned the ball over with consecutive incompletions. Ferguson threw for 202 yards and a touchdown, but completed only 15 of 31 passes and was intercepted twice. In addition to his 56-yard punt return touchdown, Chandler caught six passes for 106 yards. 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. John Ayers revealed that the coach had instructed the Niners to treat the second half as though the score was 0-0. Nathan rushed for 48 yards, caught nine passes for 114 yards, and scored two touchdowns. Take a look at the photographs that served as the artistic blueprint for Super Bowl LVII, and see how they were incorporated into the numerous event spaces throughout the state. "He is one of the coolest competitors of all time and he has just started.". After 15 games in warm weather climates, the 1982 championship contest was played in the Pontiac (Mich.) Silverdome, 25 miles from Detroit. (Won 0 Rounds), Lost Divisional Round (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco 49er Wide Receiver Dwight Clark (87) and Guard Dan Audick (61). This season was the only one in an 18-season span in which the 49ers did not win at least ten games. The official source for San Francisco 49ers news, schedules, stats, scores and more. This seemed to spark Buffalo's offense, which subsequently picked up three first downs on a drive to the Bengals 30-yard line, but they also came up empty when linebacker Bo Harris intercepted Ferguson's pass and returned it 16 yards to the 24. Disdaining a field goal, the Bengals gave the ball again to Johnson, who was stopped by the entire defensive line for no gain. This was the first postseason meeting between the Giants and Eagles. Super Bowl XVI - San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals - January 24th, 1982 NFL Scores Playoffs Cincinnati Bengals 21 14-5 Prev Game Coach: Forrest Gregg San Francisco 49ers 26 16-3 Prev Game Coach: Bill Walsh Sunday Jan 24, 1982 Start Time: 4:00pm Stadium: Pontiac Silverdome Logos via Sports Logos.net / About logos Team Stats Offense In the fourth quarter, Solomon returned a Giants punt 22 yards to the New York 36-yard line, and the 49ers went on to score on Bill Ring's 3-yard rushing touchdown. 49ers beat Cowboys 28-27 for Conference Championship. [2], The Cowboys crushed the Buccaneers, limiting them to 24 rushing yards and 222 total yards. Six plays later (one a 14-yard catch by tight end Dan Ross), Charles Alexander scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. (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. 1977 San Francisco 49ers, (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. Henry muffed the ensuing kickoff, and as he tried to pick it up, he lost the ball while being hit by Mike Dennis. This was the first postseason meeting between the Bills and Bengals. 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 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. 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. New York was shut out in the second half, while the Eagles opened the third quarter by marching 82 yards in 15 plays on a drive that consumed 7:58 and ended on running back Wilbert Montgomery's 6-yard rushing touchdown. The Bengals earned their first playoff win in team history after Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson's fourth-down pass fell incomplete while attempting to drive for the tying touchdown. was the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, who NFC West. Simpson and Buttle each had two interceptions. It worked out that way. Find out more. During their nonproductive years, the 49ers finished last six times, including the 1978 season when they won only two games and lost 14 under the split leadership of Pete McCulley and Fred O'Connor. They were 6-10 in 1980 as Montana and Clark established themselves. and The 49ers won the game 28-27. You can't spot 'em 20 points. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. The second worst start to a season Bucs quarterback Doug Williams threw four interceptions (three of which resulted in touchdowns), committed two intentional grounding penalties, and was sacked four times. But this time the Jets could not take advantage, as Simpson put an end to the next drive with an interception of his own. The 1982 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise 's 33rd season in the National Football League and their 37th overall. Then Buffalo drove 66 yards in three plays to score on quarterback Joe Ferguson's 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Frank Lewis. San Francisco 49ers Football 1982 Vintage Sports Ticket Stubs, San Francisco 49ers NFL Tickets, Archie Griffin touched the ball at the 15, but failed to grab it and watched the ball bounce to the 4, where it was downed by Milt McColl of the 49ers. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1992 SAN FRANCISCO 49ers PLAYOFF & CHAMPIONSHIP TICKET STUB LOT CANDLESTICK SF at the best online prices at eBay! The 1982 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 33rd season in the National Football League and their 37th overall. Today they all were funny. New York then drove 52 yards in 13 plays to score on 48-yard field goal by Joe Danelo, making it 2410. It was on that play that the 49ers replaced their pass defense with their goal-line alignment. Super Bowl XVI was played to an improbable script. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. have appeared in the Super Bowl 7 times, in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2012 and 2019. straight losses. 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. On the Jets next drive, Rufus Bess intercepted a pass from Todd and returned it 49 yards to the New York 12, leading to a 29-yard field goal by Nick Mike-Mayer. This was the first postseason meeting between the Buccaneers and Cowboys.[2]. But the Giants were able to run out the rest of the clock, picking up gains of six, three, and five yards on runs by Carpenter for a key first down. 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 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.. 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. 1963 San Francisco 49ers Mark Haynes recovered the ball in the end zone to give New York a 200 lead. ", Middle linebacker Jack Reynolds, in his 12th consecutive playoff season, "thought Johnson would carry the ball in all those short-yardage situations.". Do you have a sports website? Dorsett was the top rusher of the game with 85 yards and a touchdown, while also catching four passes for 48 yards. The Bills next drive resulted in Ferguson's 4th consecutive interception, this one thrown to Jerry Holmes, but the Jets were forced to punt, and Lou Piccone returned Chuck Ramsey's 29-yard punt 5 yards to the New York 45-yard line. Reagan, a Californian, had portrayed legendary George Gipp, a Notre Dame star of more than six decades earlier, in a 1940 movie version of the life of Knute Rockne. We went to our running game and our trapping game and that made the difference. However, 1982 was strike-shortened, and only nine games were played. That was enough time for Anderson to complete six consecutive passes, none of which was run out of bounds to stop the clock. Solomon was the 49ers top receiver with 6 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 12 yards and returning a punt for 22. at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1982 Topps NFC Championship #6 San Francisco 49ers/Dallas Cowboys at the best online prices at eBay! Kevin Long finished the 58-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the score to 3127. 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 were a sorry sight when Walsh assembled them at Santa Clara for training camp in 1979. The 49ers won the game 28-27. 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 creative direction of Super Bowl LVII was inspired by the beauty of Arizona's natural landscapes - from its grand rock formations to its vast rainbow skies. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. started the season going 8-0. 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. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. ", Concerning the decision to pass up the field goal, Gregg said, "I figured that even if we didn't make it, it would put the 49ers on the 1-yard line. 1982. But once again this amounted to nothing as Fouts was intercepted in the end zone by rookie safety Bobby Kemp. After forcing Dallas to punt on the opening drive, San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana completed a 17-yard pass to Charle Young and a 24-yarder to Lenvil Elliott before throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Solomon. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Super Bowl, Lost Conference Championship San Francisco Defensive End Jim Stuckey (79) blocks Dallas Cowboy Quarterback Danny White (11) from passing. 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. 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. Jan. 24, 1982: 49ers Win Their First Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XVI. The touchdown denied the Bengals in the third period was scored at 4:54 of the fourth, when Anderson passed four yards to tight end Dan Ross. In 11 plays, the 49ers traveled 68 yards. Dallas Cowboys 27 at San Francisco 49ers 28 on January 10th, 1982 - Full team and player stats and box score . Then rookie free safety Michael Downs picked off a pass from Williams and returned it 21 yards to the Tampa Bay 33, leading to Dorsett's 5-yard score that put the team up 24-0. 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. While surrounding areas shivered in below zero chill factors, 81,270 enjoyed 72-degree comfort in the huge, 5-year-old stadium. "The Bengals were throwing every conceivable blitz at us," said Walsh. Montana, selected the game's most valuable player, completed 14 of 22 passes, ran for 18 yards in six carries and scored a touchdown. Miami took over on their own 40-yard line following Benirschke's squib kick, needing only a field goal to win. In the second quarter, New York had a chance to increase their lead with a drive into Eagles territory, but Philadelphia's defense dug in and stuffed Brunner for no gain on a 4th and 1 conversion attempt on the 35. 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. A 16-yard drive, eating up three minutes, moved the ball to the 6 and, on fourth down, Wersching kicked a 23-yard field goal with only 1:57 to go. 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. We had great success with that play all season, but the 49ers got great penetration. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. This was the fourth postseason meeting between the Cowboys and 49ers. After losing two of its first three games, the team breezed the rest of the way, with only a 15-12 loss to Cleveland marring the last 13 weeks of the season. The 49ers won the game 28-27. However, Reece returned the ensuing kickoff 27 yards to the 38-yard line, where the Giants proceeded to drive 62 yards in 5 plays to score on Brunner's 22-yard touchdown pass to Tom Mullady, giving them a 277 halftime lead. Despite playing without starting quarterback Phil Simms and linebacker Brad Van Pelt, the Giants jumped to a 200 lead in the first quarter and withstood an Eagles comeback at the end to hold on to a 2721 win. However, the Cowboys soon returned the favor with Danny White's interception to linebacker Bobby Leopold, and this time the 49ers converted, regaining the lead at 21-17 with a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Johnny Davis. On the Dolphins next possession, Chargers safety Glen Edwards intercepted a pass from David Woodley and returned it 35 yards to set up Fouts' 8-yard touchdown pass to rookie running back James Brooks, which increased the score to 240. 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. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held in a cold-weather city. Both conference champions had losing records the previous season, the only time this has happened. The National Football League playoffs for the 1981 season began on December 27, 1981. For that, San Francisco has an amazing run in the 1980s, plus an extra. 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. They were 2-14 that first year. However, New York got a big boost from receiver Kurt Sohn, who returned the kickoff 28 yards to the 48-yard line. Their 1981 "gold strike" included five rookies, five more acquisitions by trade and 10 free agents. 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. Wersching's squib kickoff was fielded by David Verser on the 5-yard line. 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]. (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. The team was loose all week and never tensed up. 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. NFC West Division [2], at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco 49er Kicker Ray Wersching makes kick off during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. (Won 2 Rounds), Lost Super Bowl Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Faced with third down and 7 inside the red zone later in the drive, Anderson kept the drive going with a 16-yard completion to Isaac Curtis on the Chargers 1-yard line, and fullback Pete Johnson scored a touchdown run on the next play, giving them a 177 lead. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. Have the San Francisco 49ers gone by any other names? (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. It marked the Giants' first postseason victory since the 1958 playoffs and their first ever road postseason win. Their first season was in 1950, and their most recent season was in 2022. But Miami re-tied the game with Strock completing six consecutive passes, the last a 50-yard score to Bruce Hardy. (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. Join our linker program. seasons. It just didn't work. "If I had to do it again, I'd still give it to Pete. 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. 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. But after forcing a Dallas punt, Montana threw a 20-yard touchdown to Clark to retake the lead, 1410. season was After a Bengals punt, Chandler gave the Chargers good field position with a 7-yard return to the 45-yard line. [3] After the ensuing kickoff, the first quarter ended with Giants having a 104 to 1 advantage over Philadelphia in total yards gained. In the United States, NBC broadcast the AFC playoff games, while CBS televised the NFC games and Super Bowl XVI. ", 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. 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. One play later, Pillers sacked White, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Stuckey, and the 49ers had their victory. The emergence of the two teams into title form was unexpected and unprecedented. For the second consecutive season, the team finished with a 2-14 record. the Two drives later, the Giants countered when quarterback Scott Brunner threw a pass to wide receiver Earnest Gray, who caught it at his own 40, evaded three 49ers defensive backs, and raced to the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown reception. With 10:39 left in the game, Anderson threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Cris Collinsworth, giving the Bengals a 2821 lead at the end of a 9-play, 79-yard drive that saw him burn the Bills with a 42-yard completion on a short pass to Steve Kreider on third and 1 from the Bengals 42-yard line. That the 49ers and Bengals were in the Super Bowl was remarkable in itself. According to offensive coordinator Lindy Infante, "It was a staff decision to go for the touchdown. Their .333 winning percentage was the worst ever for any defending NFL or AFL champion until the 2022 Los Angeles Rams, who only managed to get a .294 winning percentage. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. of the National Football Conference, aka the (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco Linebacker Keena Turner (58) recovers Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) fumble. NCAAW. 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 . 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.