NFL team season (first Super Bowl win)
The 49ers playing against the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI. The 1981 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise 's 32nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 36th overall and their third under head coach Bill Walsh .
The 49ers were 13–3 in the regular season for their first winning season in five years and first playoff appearance in nine years . The franchise's most successful season to date, it was considered to be "the birth of a dynasty",[ 1] decade of dominance over much of the NFL. The 49ers drew an average home attendance of 54,398 in the 1981 season.
The 49ers won Super Bowl XVI , defeating the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals 26–21. It was the first of five Super Bowl victories in franchise history, all within the next thirteen seasons. From 1981 to 1997, the 49ers would have thirteen NFC West titles, eight NFC top seeds, and seven seasons with the NFL's best regular season record.
Third-year quarterback Joe Montana began the 1981 season as the starter, and produced two fourth-quarter comeback victories. His signature game of the season was the NFC Championship Game , which culminated in "The Catch ", a last-minute touchdown pass from Montana to Dwight Clark , propelling the 49ers to victory over Dallas and a berth in their first Super Bowl . The 49ers were undefeated in their first five Super Bowls.
NFL Films produced a documentary about the team's season entitled A Very Special Team ; it was narrated by John Facenda . On March 23, 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions , the 1981 San Francisco 49ers , with team commentary from Dwight Clark , Ronnie Lott and Randy Cross , and narrated by Gene Hackman .
A turning point for the franchise was the drafting of safety Ronnie Lott from the University of Southern California , later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . In addiction, they also drafted cornerback Eric Wright from Missouri and safety Carlton Williamson from Pittsburgh .
Source: [ 2] The 1981 San Francisco 49ers season Redwood City, California .
1981 San Francisco 49ers staff Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Strength and Conditioning – Al Vermeil
Source: [ 3] [ 4] Preseason Game summaries [ edit ] Preseason Week 1: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter Total 49ers (1–0) 7 7 3 7 3 27 Seahawks (0–1) 7 3 0 14 0 24
at The Kingdome • Seattle, Washington
Date : August 5, 1981Game time : 7:30 p.m. PDT Game weather : indoorsGame attendance : 56,958TV announcers (KPIX-TV ) : Wayne Walker (play-by-play)
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Rushing Receiving SEA Passing Rushing Receiving
49ers Game Statistics Seahawks First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics SD Passing Rushing Receiving SF Passing Rushing Receiving
Chargers Game Statistics 49ers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics SEA Passing Rushing Receiving SF Passing Rushing Receiving
Seahawks Game Statistics 49ers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Rushing Receiving OAK Passing Rushing Receiving
49ers Game Statistics Raiders First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
With the offense in good shape, Walsh and the 49ers focused on overhauling the defense in 1981. Walsh took the highly unusual step of overhauling his entire secondary with rookies and untested players, bringing on board Ronnie Lott , Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson and giving Dwight Hicks a prominent role. He also acquired veteran linebacker Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds and veteran defensive lineman and sack specialist Fred Dean .
These new additions, when added to existing defensive mainstays like Keena Turner , turned the 49ers into a dominant team. After a 1–2 start, the 49ers won all but one of their final games to finish with a 13–3 record, easily the best record in the team's history. Additionally, the 49ers defense yielded more than 20 points in only three games. Dean and Hicks made the Pro Bowl . The 49ers selection of Lott in the 1981 NFL draft proved to be a seminal one. In addition to making the NFC Pro Bowl roster, Lott was voted First-Team All-Pro and received nods from all 5 newspapers that voted, a significant honor for a rookie. Giants' linebacker Lawrence Taylor was the only other rookie from the 1981 NFL draft to achieve this unanimous selection to the First Team All-Pro unit.
Led by Montana, the unusual offense was centered around the short passing game, which Walsh used as ball control. Both Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon had excellent years receiving; Clark as the possession receiver, and Solomon as more of a deep threat. The 49ers running game, however, was among the weakest for any champion in NFL history. Ricky Patton led the 49ers with only 543 yards rushing. The 49ers' most valuable running back, however, might have been Earl Cooper, whose strength was as a pass-catching back (he had 51 catches during the season).
Week Date Opponent Time TV Result Record Game Site Attendance Recap 1 September 6 at Detroit Lions 10:00 a.m. PDT CBS L 17–24 0–1 Pontiac Silverdome 63,710 Recap 2 September 13 Chicago Bears 1:00 p.m. PDT CBS W 28–17 1–1 Candlestick Park 49,520 Recap 3 September 20 at Atlanta Falcons 10:00 a.m. PDT CBS L 17–34 1–2 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 56,653 Recap 4 September 27 New Orleans Saints 1:00 p.m. PDT CBS W 21–14 2–2 Candlestick Park 44,433 Recap 5 October 4 at Washington Redskins 10:00 a.m. PDT CBS W 30–17 3–2 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 51,843 Recap 6 October 11 Dallas Cowboys 1:00 p.m. PDT CBS W 45–14 4–2 Candlestick Park 57,574 Recap 7 October 18 at Green Bay Packers (at Milwaukee ) 11:00 a.m. PDT CBS W 13–3 5–2 Milwaukee County Stadium 50,171 Recap 8 October 25 Los Angeles Rams 1:00 p.m. PST CBS W 20–17 6–2 Candlestick Park 59,190 Recap 9 November 1 at Pittsburgh Steelers 10:00 a.m. PST CBS W 17–14 7–2 Three Rivers Stadium 52,878 Recap 10 November 8 Atlanta Falcons 1:00 p.m. PST CBS W 17–14 8–2 Candlestick Park 59,127 Recap 11 November 15 Cleveland Browns 1:00 p.m. PST NBC L 12–15 8–3 Candlestick Park 52,455 Recap 12 November 22 at Los Angeles Rams 1:00 p.m. PST CBS W 33–31 9–3 Anaheim Stadium 63,456 Recap 13 November 29 New York Giants 1:00 p.m. PST CBS W 17–10 10–3 Candlestick Park 57,186 Recap 14 December 6 at Cincinnati Bengals 10:00 a.m. PDT CBS W 21–3 11–3 Riverfront Stadium 56,796 Recap 15 December 13 Houston Oilers 1:00 p.m. PST NBC W 28–6 12–3 Candlestick Park 55,707 Recap 16 December 20 at New Orleans Saints 11:00 a.m. PST CBS W 21–17 13–3 Louisiana Superdome 43,639 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Regular Season Game summaries [ edit ] [ 5]
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Joe Montana 18/28, 195 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Ricky Patton 15 CAR, 72 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Freddie Solomon 8 REC, 94 YDS, 1 TD DET Passing Gary Danielson 16/27, 197 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Billy Sims 21 CAR, 59 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Billy Sims 5 REC, 66 YDS, 1 TD
Point spread :Over/Under: 40.0 (over) Time of Game: 49ers Game Statistics Lions 19 First downs 21 33–121 Rushes–yards 30–127 195 Passing yards 196 18–28–1 Passes 16–27–1 4–19 Sacked–yards 4–28 176 Net passing yards 168 297 Total yards 295 105 Return yards 47 3–33.7 Punts 4–46.2 2–2 Fumbles–lost 1–1 8–54 Penalties–yards 7–65 31:56 Time of possession 28:04
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 18/28, 195 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INTRushing : Patton – 15 CAR, 72 YDS, 1 TD; Easley – 7 CAR, 23 YDS; Cooper – 9 CAR, 22 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 4 YDSReceiving : Solomon – 8 REC, 94 YDS, 1 TD; Clark – 5 REC, 57 YDS; Cooper – 3 REC, 11 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 33 YDSKickoff Returns : Jones – 3 KR, 43 YDS; Patton – 1 KR, 0 YDSPunt Returns : Hicks – 2 PR, 46 YDS; Solomon – 2 PR, 16 YDSPunting : Miller – 3 PUNTS, 101 YDSKicking : Wersching – 2/2 PAT, 1/2 FGSacks :Interceptions : Reynolds – 1 INT, 0 YDS49ers Missed Field Goals: Wersching 32 [ 8]
Team Category Player Statistics CHI Passing Vince Evans 19/33, 216 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Walter Payton 27 CAR, 97 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Rickey Watts 5 REC, 74 YDS SF Passing Joe Montana 20/32, 287 YDS, 3 TDs Rushing Ricky Patton 14 CAR, 67 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Dwight Clark 6 REC, 81 YDS
Point spread :Over/Under: 41.0 (over) Time of Game: Bears Game Statistics 49ers 18 First downs 20 36–123 Rushes–yards 32–125 216 Passing yards 287 19–33–1 Passes 20–32–0 1–0 Sacked–yards 0–0 216 Net passing yards 287 339 Total yards 412 106 Return yards 110 6–41.5 Punts 5–38.0 2–2 Fumbles–lost 2–2 4–16 Penalties–yards 3–25 25:16 Time of possession 34:44
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 20/32, 287 YDS, 3 TDsRushing : Patton – 14 CAR, 67 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 14 CAR, 67 YDS; Easley – 3 CAR, 5 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, –3 YDSReceiving : Clark – 6 REC, 81 YDS; Solomon – 5 REC, 113 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 4 REC, 28 YDS; Patton – 2 REC, 34 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 2 REC, 19 YDS, 1 TD; Elliott – 1 REC, 12 YDSKickoff Returns : Lott – 3 KR, 55 YDS; Davis – 1 KR, 0 YDSPunt Returns : Solomon – 4 PR, 40 YDS; Hicks – 1 PR, 7 YDSPunting : Miller – 5 PUNTS, 190 YDSKicking : Bahr – 4/4 PAT, 0/2 FGSacks :Interceptions : Hicks – 1 INT, 8 YDS49ers Missed Field Goals: Bahr 39, 48 [ 10]
Point spread :Over/Under: 41.0 (over) Time of Game: 49ers Game Statistics Falcons 23 First downs 18 30–113 Rushes–yards 34–163 274 Passing yards 222 24–34–2 Passes 14–23–0 1–1 Sacked–yards 2–22 273 Net passing yards 200 386 Total yards 363 110 Return yards 199 3–35.3 Punts 3–36.7 1–1 Fumbles–lost 2–0 3–25 Penalties–yards 4v50 32:08 Time of possession 27:52
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 24/34, 274 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTsRushing : Cooper – 9 CAR, 40 YDS; Patton – 12 CAR, 30 YDS; Easley – 4 CAR, 18 YDS; Elliott – 4 CAR, 17 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, 0 YDSReceiving : Clark – 9 REC, 77 YDS; Young – 3 REC, 55 YDS, 1 TD; Solomon – 3 REC, 36 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 3 REC, 29 YDS; Wilson – 2 REC, 34 YDS; Patton – 2 REC, 16 YDS; Hofer – 1 REC, 22 YDS; Peets – 1 REC, 5 YDSKickoff Returns : Lott – 3 KR, 56 YDS; Ring – 1 KR, 23 YDS; Wilson – 1 KR, 22 YDSPunt Returns : Solomon – 2 PR, 9 YDSPunting : Miller – 3 PUNTS, 160 YDSKicking : Bahr – 2/2 PAT, 1/2 FGSacks :49ers Missed Field Goals: Bahr 24 (Blocked) Joe Montana was intercepted twice in 34 passes (24 completed) as the Niners fell to the Falcons for the eleventh time in the last eight seasons.
[ 12]
Team Category Player Statistics NO Passing Dave Wilson 11/22, 180 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing George Rogers 25 CAR, 115 YDS Receiving Wes Chandler 4 REC, 72 YDS SF Passing Joe Montana 16/22, 175 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Johnny Davis 11 CAR, 48 YDS Receiving Charle Young 3 REC, 41 YDS
Point spread :Over/Under: 43.0 (under) Time of Game: Saints Game Statistics 49ers 18 First downs 15 37–163 Rushes–yards 39–146 250 Passing yards 175 21–38–2 Passes 16–22–1 0–0 Sacked–yards 1–7 250 Net passing yards 168 413 Total yards 314 192 Return yards 102 6–40.2 Punts 9–45.1 3–2 Fumbles–lost 1–1 11–106 Penalties–yards 8–79 30:44 Time of possession 29:16
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 16/22, 175 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INTRushing : Davis – 11 CAR, 48 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 14 CAR, 42 YDS; Hofer – 4 CAR, 19 YDS; Montana – 3 CAR, 17 YDS; Cooper – 5 CAR, 10 YDS; Easley – 1 CAR, 5 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, 5 YDSReceiving : Young – 3 REC, 41 YDS; Clark – 3 REC, 30 YDS; Cooper – 3 REC, 6 YDS; Solomon – 2 REC, 80 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 2 REC, 8 YDS; Hofer – 2 REC, 7 YDS; Lawrence – 1 REC, 3 YDSKickoff Returns : Lawrence – 1 KR, 26 YDS; Lott – 1 KR, 0 YDSPunt Returns : Solomon – 3 PR, 14 YDS; Hicks – 1 PR, 10 YDSPunting : Miller – 9 PUNTS, 406 YDSKicking : Bahr – 3/3 PATInterceptions : Lott – 1 INT, 26 YDS, 1 TD; Wright – 1 INT, 26 YDS[ 14]
Week 5: San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins – Game summary
Quarter Total 49ers (3–2) 14 10 6 0 30 Redskins (0–5) 0 3 0 14 17
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
Scoring summary Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP SF WSH 1 49ers Patton 16-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good 7 0 1 — — — 49ers Fumble recovery returned 80 yards for touchdown by Hicks , Bahr kick good 14 0 2 49ers 43-yard field goal by Bahr 17 0 2 Redskins 34-yard field goal by Moseley 17 3 2 49ers Davis 1-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good 24 3 2 — — — 49ers Interception returned 32 yards for touchdown by Hicks , Bahr kick no good 30 3 4 – – – Redskins Nelms 58-yard punt return for a touchdown, Moseley kick good 30 10 4 Redskins Washington 5-yard touchdown run, Moseley kick good 30 17 "TOP" = time of possession . For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football . 30 17
Point spread :Over/Under: 43.0 (over) Time of Game: 49ers Game Statistics Redskins 16 First downs 19 35–128 Rushes–yards 23–83 193 Passing yards 241 15–28–1 Passes 22–46–4 2–25 Sacked–yards 2–20 168 Net passing yards 221 296 Total yards 304 176 Return yards 224 5–40.0 Punts 5–40.4 1–1 Fumbles–lost 4–2 3–27 Penalties–yards 7–50 29:17 Time of possession 30:43
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 15/28, 193 YDS, 1 INTRushing : Patton – 9 CAR, 43 YDS, 1 TD; Davis – 13 CAR, 37 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 6 CAR, 21 YDS; Lawrence – 2 CAR, 14 YDS; Elliott – 3 CAR, 12 YDS; Easley – 2 CAR, 1 YDReceiving : Elliott – 6 REC, 69 YDS; Solomon – 5 REC, 77 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 24 YDS; Clark – 1 REC, 21 YDS; Cooper – 1 CAR, 2 YDSKickoff Returns : Lawrence – 2 KR, 41 YDSPunt Returns : Solomon – 2 PR, 9 YDSPunting : Miller – 5 PUNTS, 200 YDSKicking : Bahr – 3/3 PAT, 1/2 FGSacks :Interceptions : Hicks – 2 INTs, 104 YDS, 1 TD; McColl – 1 INT, 22 YDS; Lott – 1 INT, 0 YDS49ers Missed Field Goals: Bahr 25 [ 16]
Team Category Player Statistics DAL Passing Danny White 8/16, 60 YDS, 2 INTs Rushing Tony Dorsett 9 CAR, 21 YDS Receiving Ron Springs 3 REC, 9 YDS SF Passing Joe Montana 19/29, 279 YDS, 2 TDs Rushing Paul Hofer 11 CAR, 40 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Freddie Solomon 5 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD
Point spread :Over/Under: 45.0 (over) Time of Game: Cowboys Game Statistics 49ers 10 First downs 23 21–83 Rushes–yards 46–150 135 Passing yards 304 12–29–2 Passes 20–33–0 3–26 Sacked–yards 1–14 109 Net passing yards 290 192 Total yards 440 138 Return yards 110 8–39.5 Punts 6–46.2 3–2 Fumbles–lost 4–1 5–40 Penalties–yards 4–28 25:53 Time of possession 34:07
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 19/29, 279 YDS, 2 TDs; Solomon – 1/1, 25 YDS; Benjamin – 0/3, 0 YDSRushing : Hofer – 11 CAR, 40 YDS, 1 TD; Davis – 8 CAR, 28 YDS, 1 TD; Easley – 8 CAR, 28 YDS; Lawrence – 6 CAR, 27 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 7 CAR, 16 YDS; Cooper – 5 CAR, 9 YDS; Montana – 1 CAR, 2 YDSReceiving : Solomon – 5 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD; Clark – 4 REC, 135 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 3 REC, 35 YDS; Hofer – 3 REC, 22 YDS; Wilson – 2 REC, 22 YDS; Cooper – 2 REC, 12 YDS; Patton – 1 REC, 4 YDSKickoff Returns : Lawrence – 2 KR, 49 YDSPunt Returns : Solomon – 2 PR, 5 YDS; Hicks – 1 PR, 3 YDSPunting : Miller – 6 PUNTS, 277 YDSKicking : Wersching – 6/6 PAT, 1/2 FGSacks :Interceptions : Lott – 2 INT, 53 YDS, 1 TD49ers Missed Field Goals: Wersching 40 [ 18]
Point spread :Over/Under: 44.0 (under) Time of Game: 49ers Game Statistics Packers 21 First downs 13 47–126 Rushes–yards 19–78 220 Passing yards 193 23–32–0 Passes 14–24–1 1–9 Sacked–yards 4–30 211 Net passing yards 163 337 Total yards 241 85 Return yards 101 7–35.9 Punts 7–40.0 2–1 Fumbles–lost 1–0 7–35 Penalties–yards 4–35 37:41 Time of possession 22:19
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 23/32, 220 YDSRushing : Davis – 16, CAR, 65 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 12 CAR, 38 YDS; Patton – 7 CAR, 15 YDS; Easley – 3 CAR, 3 YDS; Hofer – 8 CAR, 3 YDS; Montana – 1 CAR, 2 YDSReceiving : Clark – 6 REC, 55 YDS; Hofer – 5 REC, 44 YDS; Solomon – 4 REC, 49 YDS; Patton – 3 REC, 41 YDS; Cooper – 2 REC, 19 YDS; Lawrence – 1 REC, 5 YDS; Young – 1 REC, 4 YDS; Davis – 1 REC, 3 YDSKickoff Returns : Lawrence – 2 KR, 21 YDSPunt Returns : Solomon – 3 PR, 24 YDS; Hicks – 1 PR, 14 YDSPunting : Miller – 7 PUNTS, 251 YDSKicking : Wersching – 1/1 PAT, 2/2 FGSacks :Interceptions : Hicks – 1 INT, 26 YDS[ 20]
Team Category Player Statistics LA Passing Pat Haden 20/39, 310 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing Wendell Tyler 22 CAR, 90 YDS Receiving Preston Dennard 6 REC, 119 YDS SF Passing Joe Montana 18/32, 287 YDS, 2 TDs Rushing Paul Hofer 8 CAR, 23 YDS Receiving Dwight Clark 8 REC, 109 YDS, 1 TD
Point spread :Over/Under: 46.0 (under) Time of Game: Rams Game Statistics 49ers 25 First downs 14 37–145 Rushes–yards 28–60 310 Passing yards 287 20–39–1 Passes 18–32–0 6–54 Sacked–yards 3–22 256 Net passing yards 265 401 Total yards 325 267 Return yards 90 5–43.0 Punts 10–43.3 0–0 Fumbles–lost 0–0 7–39 Penalties–yards 5–45 33:18 Time of possession 26:42
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 18/32, 287 YDS, 2 TDsRushing : Hofer – 8 CAR, 23 YDS; Davis – 6 CAR, 14 YDS; Patton – 6 CAR, 13 YDS; Cooper – 5 CAR, 7 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 3 YDS; Easley – 1 CAR, 0 YDSReceiving : Clark – 8 REC, 109 YDS, 1 TD; Solomon – 5 REC, 79 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 2 REC, 57 YDS; Young – 1 REC, 29 YDS; Patton – 1 REC, 8 YDS; Wilson – 1 REC, 5 YDSKickoff Returns : Lawrence – 2 KR, 61 YDS; Ramson – 1 KR, 12 YDS; Wilson – 1 KR,8 YDSPunt Returns : Solomon – 2 PR, 9 YDSPunting : Miller – 10 PUNTS, 433 YDSKicking : Wersching – 2/2 PAT, 2/2 FGSacks :Interceptions : Lott – 1 INT, 0 YDS[ 22]
Week 9: San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
Quarter Total 49ers (7–2) 0 10 0 7 17 Steelers (5–4) 0 0 14 0 14
at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date : November 1, 1981Game time : 10:00 a.m. PST Game weather : 50 °F (10 °C); wind 8Game attendance : 52,878Referee : Bob FredericTV announcers (CBS ) : Vin Scully (play-by-play) and Hank Stram (color commentator)[ 23] [ 7]
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Joe Montana 22/37, 205 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs Rushing Walt Easley 14 CAR, 47 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Dwight Clark 7 REC, 80 YDS PIT Passing Terry Bradshaw 12/23, 125 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs Rushing Franco Harris 17 CAR, 104 YDS Receiving Frank Pollard 3 REC, 42 YDS
Point spread :Over/Under: 45.0 (under) Time of Game: 49ers Game Statistics Steelers 25 First downs 16 39–130 Rushes–yards 28–144 210 Passing yards 125 23–38–2 Passes 12–23–3 1–10 Sacked–yards 0–0 200 Net passing yards 125 330 Total yards 269 86 Return yards 192 5–45.8 Punts 2–48.5 0–0 Fumbles–lost 3–3 6–55 Penalties–yards 8–45 34:16 Time of possession 25:34
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 22/37, 205 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs; Easley – 1/1, 5 YDSRushing : Easley – 14 CAR, 47 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 13 CAR, 35 YDS; Hofer – 5 CAR, 26 YDS; Montana – 4 CAR, 12 YDS; Cooper – 3 CAR, 10 YDSReceiving : Clark – 7 REC, 80 YDS; Cooper – 5 REC, 53 YDS; Young – 3 REC, 13 YDS, 1 TD; Easley – 3 REC, 12 YDS; Solomon – 2 REC, 33 YDS; Patton – 2 REC, 17 YDS; Hofer – 1 REC,2 YDSKickoff Returns : Wilson – 2 KR, 37 YDS; Ring – 1 KR, 21 YDSPunting : Miller – 5 PUNTS, 229 YDSKicking : Wersching – 2/2 PAT, 1/2 FGInterceptions : Williamson – 1 INT, 28 YDS; Hicks – 1 INT, 0 YDS; Wright – 1 INT, 0 YDS49ers Missed Field Goals: Wersching 37 (Blocked) [ 24]
Team Category Player Statistics ATL Passing Steve Bartkowski 20/42, 236 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs Rushing William Andrews 18 CAR, 61 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Alfred Jenkins 7 REC, 134 YDS SF Passing Joe Montana 16/30, 223 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Walt Easley 15 CAR, 31 YDS Receiving Dwight Clark 7 REC, 128 YDS
Point spread :Over/Under: 44.0 (under) Time of Game: Falcons Game Statistics 49ers 19 First downs 17 26–76 Rushes–yards 34–82 236 Passing yards 223 20–42–3 Passes 16–30–1 3–20 Sacked–yards 2–18 216 Net passing yards 205 292 Total yards 287 126 Return yards 162 8–44.9 Punts 10–42.0 2–0 Fumbles–lost 4–0 8–82 Penalties–yards 11–74 29:29 Time of possession 30:31
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 16/30, 223 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INTRushing : Easley – 15 CAR, 31 YDS; Patton – 9 CAR, 26 YDS; Solomon – 3 CAR, 11 YDS; Clark – 1 CAR, 9 YDS; Cooper – 3 CAR, 4 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 1 YD; Hofer – 1 CAR, 0 YDSReceiving : Clark – 7 REC, 128 YDS; Solomon – 3 REC, 56 YDS, 1 TD; Easley – 2 REC, 9 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 9 YDS, 1 TD; Hofer – 1 REC, 21 YDS; Cooper – 1 REC, 0 YDSKickoff Returns : Ring – 1 KR, 29 YDS; Hicks – 1 KR, 22 YDSPunt Returns : Hicks – 4 PR, 36 YDS; Solomon – 3 PR, 15 YDSPunting : Miller – 10 PUNTS, 420 YDSKicking : Wersching – 2/2 PAT, 1/1 FGSacks :Interceptions : Hicks – 2 INT, 37 YDS; Martin – 1 INT, 0 YDS[ 26]
Point spread :Over/Under: 43.0 (under) Time of Game: Browns Game Statistics 49ers 14 First downs 21 26–106 Rushes–yards 35–118 180 Passing yards 213 16–33–1 Passes 24–42–2 2–19 Sacked–yards 3–26 161 Net passing yards 187 267 Total yards 305 165 Return yards 84 5–42.4 Punts 4–36.0 1–1 Fumbles–lost 1–0 7–55 Penalties–yards 4–29 24:48 Time of possession 35:12
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 24/42, 213 YDS, 2 INTsRushing : Easley – 16 CAR, 59 YDS; Hofer – 10 CAR, 33 YDS; Patton – 4 CAR, 15 YDS; Davis – 2 CAR, 6 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 5 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, 0 YDSReceiving : Hofer – 7 REC, 64 YDS; Clark – 6 REC, 52 YDS; Solomon – 3 REC, 35 YDS; Cooper – 3 REC, 21 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 16 YDS; Patton – 1 REC, 11 YDS; Shumann – 1 REC, 8 YDS; Easley – 1 REC, 6 YDSKickoff Returns : Lawrence – 2 KR, 52 YDSPunt Returns : Solomon – 2 PR, 22 YDSPunting : Jim Miller – 4 PUNTS, 144 YDSKicking : Wersching – 4/5 FGSacks :Interceptions : Hicks – 1 INT, 10 YDS49ers Missed Field Goals: Wersching 40 The Niners’ winning streak ended in a battle of six combined field goals. Opposing quarterbacks Brian Sipe and Montana combined for 393 yards, three interceptions, and an average passer rating of 56.
[ 28]
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Joe Montana 19/30, 283 YDS ,1 INT Rushing Johnny Davis 8 CAR, 23 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Freddie Solomon 5 REC, 124 YDS LA Passing Pat Haden 9/13, 122 YDS, 1 TD Rushing Wendell Tyler 23 CAR, 97 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Preston Dennard 5 REC, 56 YDS, 1 TD
Point spread :Over/Under: 42.0 (over) Time of Game: 49ers Game Statistics Rams 19 First downs 27 28–71 Rushes–yards 47–203 283 Passing yards 208 19–30–1 Passes 18–32–1 3–24 Sacked–yards 1–0 259 Net passing yards 208 330 Total yards 411 220 Return yards 91 2–44.0 Punts 4–44.8 1–1 Fumbles–lost 4–1 5–51 Penalties–yards 7–71 25:00 Time of possession 35:00
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 19/30, 283 YDS, 1 INTRushing : Davis – 8 CAR, 23 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 8 CAR, 20 YDS; Hofer – 5 CAR, 16 YDS; Lawrence – 2 CAR, 9 YDS; Cooper – 4 CAR, 4 YDS; Montana – 1 CAR, –1 YDSReceiving : Solomon – 5 REC, 124 YDS; Cooper – 5 REC, 55 YDS; Clark – 4 REC, 59 YDS; Hofer – 2 REC, 20 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 18 YDS; Shumann – 1 REC, 7 YDSKickoff Returns : Lawrence – 3 KR, 138 YDS, 1 TD; Ring – 2 KR, 45 YDSPunt Returns : Hicks – 2 PR, 12 YDSPunting : Miller – 2 PUNTS, 88 YDSKicking : Wersching – 3/3 PAT, 4/4 FGSacks :Interceptions : Lott – 1 INT, 25 YDS, 1 TDThe game lead tied or changed eight times as the Rams wound up using quarterbacks Dan Pastorini and Pat Haden while running back Mike Guman threw a seven-yard touchdown to Preston Dennard . Amos Lawrence opened the third quarter by scoring on the opening kickoff and Ronnie Lott scored after intercepting Pastorini.
[ 30]
Team Category Player Statistics NYG Passing Rushing Receiving SF Passing Rushing Receiving
Giants Game Statistics 49ers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
|scoring= First quarter
Second quarter
Fourth quarter
|stats= Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
Turnovers
}}
Week 14 at Cincinnati Bengals [ edit ] [ 32]
Week Fourteen: San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter Total 49ers 7 7 0 7 21 Bengals 0 3 0 0 3
at Riverfront Stadium , Cincinnati
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
Turnovers
Week 15 vs. Houston Oilers [ edit ] [ 33]
Game information Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
Turnovers
[ 34]
Team Category Player Statistics SF Passing Joe Montana 9/11, 106 YDS, 2 TDs Rushing Bill Ring 11 CAR, 71 YDS Receiving Freddie Solomon 5 REC, 38 YDS, 1 TD NO Passing Archie Manning 14/21, 110 YDS, 1 INT Rushing George Rogers 30 CAR, 107 YDS, 2 TDs Receiving Toussaint Tyler 5 REC, 21 YDS
Point spread :Over/Under: 37.0 (over) Time of Game: 49ers Game Statistics Saints 19 First downs 15 31–154 Rushes–yards 36–133 195 Passing yards 110 17–25–1 Passes 14–23–1 0–0 Sacked–yards 2–21 195 Net passing yards 89 349 Total yards 222 74 Return yards 118 4–46.0 Punts 4–34.8 3–2 Fumbles–lost 1–0 5–45 Penalties–yards 3–30 26:03 Time of possession 33:57
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 9–11, 106 YDS, 2 TDs; Benjamin – 8/14, 89 YDS, 1 INTRushing : Ring – 11 CAR, 71 TDS; Patton – 8 CAR, 36 YDS; Davis – 6 CAR, 19 YDS, 1 TD; Solomon – 1 CAR, 16 YDS; Montana – 1 CAR, 10 YDS; Easley – 2 CAR, 4 YDS; Benjamin – 1 CAR, 1 YD; Cooper – 1 CAR, –3 YDSReceiving : Solomon – 5 REC, 38 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 4 REC, 25 YDS; Easley – 3 REC, 35 YDS; Ramson – 2 REC, 27 YDS; Cooper – 1 REC, 36 YDS; Clark – 1 REC, 21 YDS; Young – 1 REC, 13 YDS, 1 TDKickoff Returns : Ring – 2 KR, 41 YDS; Lawrence – 2 KR, 24 YDSPunt Returns : Solomon – 1 PR, 0 YDSPunting : Miller – 4 PUNTS, 184 YDSKicking : Wersching – 3/3 PATSacks :Interceptions : Williamson – 1 INT, 9 YDSRegular Season Stats [ edit ] Passing
Passing Player Pos G GS QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate Sk Yds NY/A ANY/A Sk% 4QC GWD Montana QB 16 16 13–3–0 311 488 63.7 3565 19 3.9 12 2.5 78 7.3 7.0 11.5 222.8 88.4 26 193 5.1 6.56 6.25 2 2 Benjamin QB 4 0 15 26 57.7 171 1 3.8 1 3.8 27 6.6 5.6 11.4 42.8 74.4 3 30 10.3 4.86 4.00 1 1 Solomon WR 15 15 1 1 100.0 25 0 0.0 0 0.0 25 25.0 25.0 25.0 1.7 118.7 0 0 0.0 25.00 25.00 Easley RB 12 1 1 1 100.0 5 0 0.0 0 0.0 5 5.0 5.0 5.0 0.4 87.5 0 0 0.0 5.00 5.00 Clark WR 16 16 0 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.4 39.6 0 0 0.0 0.00 0.00 Team Total 16 13–3–0 328 517 63.4 3766 20 3.9 13 2.5 78 7.3 6.9 11.5 235.4 87.7 29 223 5.3 6.49 6.15 3 3 Opp Total 16 273 514 53.1 3135 16 3.1 27 5.3 67 6.1 4.36 11.5 195.9 60.2 36 290 6.5 5.2 3.5
Rushing
Rushing Player Pos G GS Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G Patton RB 16 15 152 543 4 28 3.6 33.9 9.5 Cooper FB 16 11 98 330 1 23 3.4 20.6 6.1 Davis RB 11 5 94 297 7 14 3.2 18.6 5.9 Easley RB 12 1 76 224 1 9 2.9 18.7 6.3 Hofer RB 12 0 60 193 1 12 3.2 16.1 5.0 Ring RB 12 0 22 106 0 16 4.8 8.8 1.8 Montana QB 16 16 25 95 2 20 3.8 5.9 1.6 Lawrence RB 13 0 13 48 1 14 3.7 3.7 1.0 Solomon WR 15 15 9 43 0 16 4.8 2.9 0.6 Clark WR 16 16 3 32 0 18 10.7 2.0 0.2 Elliott RB 4 0 7 29 0 9 4.1 7.3 1.8 Benjamin QB 4 0 1 1 0 1 1.0 0.3 0.3 Team Total 16 560 1941 17 28 3.5 121.3 35.0 Opp Total 16 464 1918 10 4.1 119.9 29.0
Statistical comparison [ edit ] San Francisco 49ers Opponents First downs 317 280 First downs rushing 110 113 First downs passing 183 144 First downs penalty 24 23 Third down efficiency 114/259 87/224 Fourth down efficiency 0/0 0/0 Net yards rushing 1941 1918 Rushing attempts 560 454 Yards per rush 3.5 4.1 Passing – Completions/attempts 328/517 273/514 Times sacked-total yards 29–223 36–290 Interceptions thrown 13 27 Net yards passing 3543 2845 Total net yards 5484 4763 Punt returns-total yards 48–344 57–664 Kickoff returns-total yards 45–909 67–1389 Interceptions-total return yards 27–448 13–297 Punts-average yardage 93–41.5 83–41.4 Fumbles-lost 26–12 36–21 Penalties-total yards 92–752 108–866 Time of possession 31:38 28:22 Turnovers 25 48
49ers Quarter-by-quarter 1 2 3 4 T 49ers 80 100 88 89 357 Opponents 40 76 55 79 250
49ers Punts Pnt6 Yds LG3 Blck Y/P Miller 93 3858 65 0 41.5 49ers Kickoff Returns Rt7 Yds TD LG3 Y/Rt Lawrence 17 437 1 92 25.7 Ring 10 217 0 29 21.7 Lott 7 111 0 20 15.9 Wilson 4 67 0 22 16.8 Jones 3 43 0 22 14.3 Hicks 1 22 0 22 22.0 Ramson 1 12 0 12 12.0 Davis 1 0 0 0 0.0 Patton 1 0 0 0 0.0 49ers Punt Returns Rt8 Yds TD LG3 Y/Rt Solomon 29 173 0 19 6.0 Hicks 19 171 0 39 9.0
49ers Field Goals 1–19 20–29 30–39 40–49 50+ FG FGA FG% Wersching 2–2 7–7 4–7 4–7 17 23 73.9 Bahr 0–2 0–1 2–3 2 6 33.9
1 Completions/attempts 2 Carries 3 Long gain 4 Receptions 5 Interceptions 6 Punts 7 Kickoff Returns 8 Punt Returns
[ 36]
Team Category Player Statistics NYG Passing Rushing Receiving SF Passing Rushing Receiving
Giants Game Statistics 49ers First downs Rushes–yards Passing yards Passes Sacked–yards Net passing yards Total yards Return yards Punts Fumbles–lost Penalties–yards Time of possession
|scoring= First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|stats= Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
Turnovers
}}
The Giants were making their first appearance in the postseason since 1963. First-year starting quarterback Joe Montana led the 49ers to victory in his debut playoff game, completing 20 of 31 passes for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. His top target in the game was receiver Dwight Clark , who caught 5 passes for 104 yards.
[ 38]
Team Category Player Statistics DAL Passing Danny White 16/24, 173 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT Rushing Tony Dorsett 22 CAR, 91 YDS, 1 TD Receiving Jones 3 REC, 17 YDS SF Passing Joe Montana 22/35, 286 YDS, 3 TDs, 3 INTs Rushing Lenvil Elliott 10 CAR, 48 YDS Receiving Dwight Clark 8 REC, 120 YDS, 2 TDs
Point spread :Over/Under: 42.0 (over) Time of Game: Cowboys Game Statistics 49ers 16 First downs 26 32–115 Rushes–yards 31–127 173 Passing yards 286 16–24–1 Passes 22–35–3 4–38 Sacked–yards 3–20 135 Net passing yards 266 250 Total yards 393 102 Return yards 136 6–39.3 Punts 3–35.7 4–2 Fumbles–lost 3–3 5–39 Penalties–yards 7–106 32:57 Time of possession 27:03
Individual stats
Passing : Montana – 22/35, 286 YDS, 3 TDs, 3 INTsRushing : Elliott – 10 CAR, 48 YDS; Cooper – 8 REC, 35 YDS; Ring – 6 CAR, 27 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, 14 YDS; Easley – 2 CAR, 6 YDS; Davis – 1 CAR, 2 YDS, 1 TD; Montana – 3 CAR, –5 YDSReceiving : Clark – 8 REC, 120 YDS, 2 TDs; Solomon – 6 REC, 75 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 4 REC, 45 YDS; Cooper – 2 REC, 11 YDS; Elliott – 1 REC, 24 YDS; Shumann – 1 REC, 11 YDSKickoff Returns : Lawrence – 3 KR, 60 YDS; Ring – 3 KR, 47 YDSPunt Returns : Hicks – 2 PR, 21 YDS; Solomon – 1 PR, 3 YDSPunting : Miller – 3 PUNTS, 107 YDSKicking : Wersching – 4/4 PATSacks : Pillers – 2.0; Board – 1.0; Stuckey – 1.0Interceptions : Leopold – 1 INT, 5 YDSThe 49ers were making their third appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Their opponent was their opponent for the two previous NFC Championship Games-the Dallas Cowboys. In both previous matches, the 49ers had lost the game. The game is remembered for "The Catch ".
The play, remembered in 49er lore as "Red Right Tight—Sprint Right Option" had called for both the primary receiver, Solomon, and Dwight Clark to line up on the right. Montana was supposed to roll to his right and find Solomon. Clark's pattern called for him to cut left across the end zone, stop, and immediately reverse his path to the right. If Solomon were covered, it would be up to Montana to find Clark. Due to the pressure, Montana's pass was high, but Clark was in position to make his memorable grab. Future New England Patriots /Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady , who grew up in the Bay Area , attended the game as a four-year-old. The 49ers were victorious despite an astonishing six turnovers, including three interceptions by Joe Montana.
A photograph of the catch, with Clark at the height of his leap and Everson Walls reaching out to try to block the ball, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
[ 40]
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
Turnovers
1982 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl [ edit ] [ 41]
Pre season Local TV
Channel Play-by-play Color commentator(s) KPIX-TV 5
Local Radio
Flagship station Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Sideline reporter(s) KCBS–AM 740 Don Klein Wayne Walker
^ "Remembering the Silverdome and the 49er dynasty" .^ "1981 San Francisco 49ers Draftees" . Pro-Football-Reference.com ^ "1981 San Francisco 49ers starters and roster" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved November 14, 2014 .^ "Team rosters" . Spokane Chronicle . (Washington). January 23, 1982. p. 12.^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions – September 6, 1981 ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s San Francisco 49ers 2023 Media Guide . San Francisco 49ers. p. 563.^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers – September 13, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons – September 20, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers – September 27, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins – October 4, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers – October 11, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers – October 18, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers – October 25, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers – November 1, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers – November 8, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference Cleveland Browns at San Francisco 49ers – November 15, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams – November 22, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers – November 29, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints – December 20, 1981 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference NFC Divisional Playoff – New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers – January 3, 1982 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ Pro Football Reference 1981 NFC Championship Game – Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers – January 10, 1982 ^ The Football Database . Retrieved 2023-Sep-03.^ San Francisco 49ers 2015 Media Guide . San Francisco 49ers. p. 517.
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