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. Cincinnati's defense intercepted San Diego quarterback Dan Fouts twice and recovered two fumbles, while their offense did not commit a single turnover until late in the third quarter when they already had a solid lead. The rivalry stems from the proximity of Oakland and San . 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. the San Francisco 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. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. All three division winners from each conference then received a bye in the first round. Chargers placekicker Rolf Benirschke kicked the winning 29-yard field goal after 13:52 of overtime, ending a game that became known in National Football League lore as the Epic in Miami. 25-year-old San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana led the 49ers to victory in his first playoff game, completing 20 of 31 passes for a career-high 304 yards and two touchdowns and an interception. . 1982. 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. Then Buffalo drove 66 yards in three plays to score on quarterback Joe Ferguson's 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Frank Lewis. Aided by an 18-yard completion from Anderson to tight end Dan Ross, Cincinnati scored first with a 31-yard field goal from kicker Jim Breech. Jan 24, 2019 at 09:15 AM. Most of the Giants offense came from Carpenter, who had 33 carries for 161 yards and four receptions for 32. Explaining his role in the TD play, Cooper said, "It was a fake up the middle to the fullback. Todd threw for 377 yards, while Ferguson threw for 268. Eleven plays carried the Niners to the Cincinnati 11, from where Montana passed to Earl Cooper on the 3. Today they all were funny. But after a 15-yard illegal block penalty on Clark, Montana lost a fumble while being sacked by Harvey Martin. 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. 1977 San Francisco 49ers, 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. 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. NFC West Division The Bengals completely took over the game from that point on. [2], at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli), Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White (11) throws a pass 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 official source for San Francisco 49ers news, schedules, stats, scores and more. 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. (Won 1 Round), Lost Wild Card Round Other contributors on the final 89-yard drive that led to the play now referred to as The Catch included Freddie Solomon (WR), Lenvil Elliott (RB), Earl Cooper (FB), Mike Wilson, Charle Young (TE), Dan Audick (LT), John Ayers (LG), Fred Quillan (C), Randy Cross (RG), and Keith Fahnhorst (RT). 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]. There are only four teams left in the 2022 NFL season's playoffs as we head to the conference championship round.Fresh off a win over the Cowboyson Sunday night, the 49ers will face the Eagles . The Jets took advantage again with another Leahy field goal to bring the team within 11 points at 24-13. This was the first postseason meeting between the Chargers and Dolphins.[2]. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The 49ers had a chance to increase their lead before halftime, but Wersching missed a 50-yard field goal attempt with less than a minute left. Walsh's coaching talents were not immediately discernible at San Francisco in the fall of 1979. "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. ", 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. 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. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Harris caught six passes for 106 yards. This was the first postseason meeting between the Giants and 49ers.[2]. 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. Fouts then led his team down to Miami's nine-yard line. However, 1982 was strike-shortened, and only nine games were played. The 49ers got another chance to score before halftime when they recovered a fumbled punt on the Dallas 42. Bunz had to hit him perfectly to stop him. (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 wide receiver on the left clears out so I can come underneath the zone coverage.". . Henry muffed the ensuing kickoff, and as he tried to pick it up, he lost the ball while being hit by Mike Dennis. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli), Dallas Cowboys quarterback Danny White (11) looks for a receiver while being pursued by the 49ers Dwaine Board (76) during the NFL football game NFC Championship between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, California on January 10, 1982. Their first season was in 1950, and their most recent season was in 2022. It worked out that way. This game set playoff records for the most points scored in a playoff game (79), most total yards by both teams (1,036), and most passing yards by both teams (809). The San Francisco 49ers currently play in the Then on third down and 9, Fouts' 21-yard completion to Wes Chandler moved the ball to the Bengals 33. (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. was the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, who Within each conference, the three division winners and the two wild card teams (the top two non-division winners with the best overall regular season records) qualified for the playoffs. NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins - January 8th, 1984 NFL Scores Playoffs Washington Redskins 24 16-2 Prev Game Next Game Coach: Joe Gibbs San Francisco 49ers 21 11-7 Prev Game Coach: Bill Walsh Sunday Jan 8, 1984 Start Time: 12:30pm Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Logos via Sports Logos.net / About logos Wersching's squib kickoff was fielded by David Verser on the 5-yard line. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. That the 49ers and Bengals were in the Super Bowl was remarkable in itself. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Dallas won all three previous meetings. (Corky Charles Trewin/NFL), Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) make run against the San Francisco Defensive Line. Two key plays allowed the Bengals to start their first two drives in Buffalo territory, and they took advantage of their field position with touchdowns on each one. Cowboys kicker Rafael Septin later added a 32-yard field goal to give the Cowboys a 100 halftime lead. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Cowboys head Coach Tom Landry during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. 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. [3] After the ensuing kickoff, the first quarter ended with Giants having a 104 to 1 advantage over Philadelphia in total yards gained. 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. "What happened," revealed Studley, "is that I called for our goal line defense to go in, but Keena Turner thought I said 'giant' defense and didn't go in. 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. 1950 San Francisco 49ers, who all started the season with 7 losses. (Won 0 Rounds), San Francisco 49ers Head To Head Records Against Other Teams, All Time Longest San Francisco 49ers Winning Streaks, All Time Longest San Francisco 49ers Losing Streaks, All Time Biggest San Francisco 49ers Wins, All Time Biggest San Francisco 49ers Losses. Two possessions later, the Bengals were at midfield with 6:53 remaining in the third period. "The 49ers have been doing that all season and are pretty good at it.". ", Then, turning to Gregg, he said: "Congratulations, you had a fine, fine season. John Ayers revealed that the coach had instructed the Niners to treat the second half as though the score was 0-0. 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. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The 49ers defeated the Bengals by the score of 26-21 to win their first Super Bowl. The 49ers playing against the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, NFC: New York Giants 27, Philadelphia Eagles 21, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 38, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0, AFC: San Diego Chargers 41, Miami Dolphins 38 (OT), AFC: Cincinnati Bengals 28, Buffalo Bills 21, NFC: San Francisco 49ers 38, New York Giants 24, AFC: Cincinnati Bengals 27, San Diego Chargers 7, NFC: San Francisco 49ers 28, Dallas Cowboys 27, Super Bowl XVI: San Francisco 49ers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21, "Giants Strike Early and Win, 27-21; Jet Rally Falters", "Chargers Win in Overtime; Cowboys Romp 38-0 Victory Puts Dallas in Final", http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125139/2/index.htm, "Jim jividen: Every NFC Championship Game in San Francisco 49ers History-Part 1", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=198182_NFL_playoffs&oldid=1134584152, Articles with dead external links from November 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, BUF Romes 26 fumble return (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 70, BUF Lewis 50 pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 140, BUF Lewis 26 pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 240, NYJ Shuler 30 pass from Todd (Leahy kick) BUF 247, BUF Cribbs 45 run (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 3113, NYJ Jones 30 pass from Todd (Leahy kick) BUF 3120, NYG Bright 9 pass from Brunner (kick failed) NYG 60, NYG Mistler 10 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) NYG 130, NYG Haynes recovered fumble in end zone (Danelo kick) NYG 200, PHI Carmichael 15 pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) NYG 207, NYG Mullady 22 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) NYG 277, PHI Montgomery 6 run (Franklin kick) NYG 2714, PHI Montgomery 1 run (Franklin kick) NYG 2721, DAL Hill 9 pass from White (Septin kick) DAL 70, DAL Springs 1 run (Septin kick) DAL 170, DAL Dorsett 5 run (Septin kick) DAL 240, DAL Jones 5 run (Septin kick) DAL 310, DAL Newsome 1 run (Septin kick) DAL 380, SD Chandler 56 punt return (Benirschke kick) SD 100, SD Muncie 1 run (Benirschke kick) SD 170, SD Brooks 8 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) SD 240, MIA Ross 1 pass from Strock (von Schamann kick) SD 2410, MIA Nathan 25 lateral pass from Harris (von Schamann kick) SD 2417, MIA Rose 15 pass from Strock (von Schamann kick) 2424, SD Winslow 25 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) SD 3124, MIA Hardy 50 pass from Strock (von Schamann kick) 3131, MIA Nathan 12 run (von Schamann kick) MIA 3831, SD Brooks 9 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) 3838, CIN Alexander 4 run (Breech kick) CIN 70, CIN Johnson 1 run (Breech kick) CIN 140, BUF Cribbs 1 run (Mike-Mayer kick) CIN 147, BUF Cribbs 44 run (Mike-Mayer kick) 1414, CIN Alexander 20 run (Breech kick) CIN 2114, BUF Butler 20 pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) 2121, CIN Collinsworth 18 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) CIN 2821, SF Young 8 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 70, NYG Gray 72 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) 77, SF Solomon 58 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 177, SF Patton 25 run (Wersching kick) SF 247, NYG Perkins 59 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) SF 2417, SF Ring 3 run (Wersching kick) SF 3117, SF Lott 20 interception return (Wersching kick) SF 3817, NYG Perkins 17 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) SF 3824, CIN Harris 8 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) CIN 100, SD Winslow 33 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) CIN 107, CIN Johnson 1 run (Breech kick) CIN 177, CIN Bass 3 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) CIN 277, SF Solomon 8 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 70, DAL Hill 26 pass from White (Septin kick) DAL 107, SF Clark 20 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 1410, DAL Dorsett 5 run (Septin kick) DAL 1714, SF Davis 2 run (Wersching kick) SF 2117, DAL Cosbie 21 pass from White (Septin kick) DAL 2721, SF Clark 6 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 2827, This page was last edited on 19 January 2023, at 11:32. ", Studley explained further: "The Bengals tried to shield Danny off and make him run around, but he hit Alexander quick in the flat. Tampa Bay responded with a 59-yard drive to the Cowboys 21-yard line. Thank you very, very much," said Walsh. This was the first postseason meeting between the Bills and Bengals. Three plays later, running back Tony Dorsett scored on a 5-yard rushing touchdown to give Dallas a 1714 lead. DB Coach), George Seifert (Defensive Backs) and Sam Wyche (Quarterbacks), Training Camp: Sierra College (Rocklin, California), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2:32PM. However, 1982 was strike-shortened, and only nine games were played. They had progressed to the San Francisco 27 when Anderson completed a 19-yard pass to Cris Collinsworth. It was on that play that the 49ers replaced their pass defense with their goal-line alignment. The second-year running back out of Rice barreled into the end zone, completing a Super Bowl record 92-yard march. (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. 10-0. Get a summary of the San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams football game. 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. The 49ers were a sorry sight when Walsh assembled them at Santa Clara for training camp in 1979. 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. The "long way to go" that Walsh foresaw was covered in six months. Todd also made several key completions, including a 29-yarder to Shuler and a 26-yard pass to Derrick Gaffney on third and 20. National Football League. Buttle intercepted another pass from Ferguson on the opening drive of the third quarter, returning this one 11 yards to the Bills 44. have appeared in the Super Bowl 7 times, in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2012 and 2019. "I'd like to see teams squib kick against us all the time," he said. His teams also won postseason games in the Sun and Bluebonnet Bowls. We went to our running game and our trapping game and that made the difference. First, defensive back Mike Fuller returned a punt 27 yards to the Bills 42-yard line. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. In 1973, the division-champion Bengals were beaten by the Miami Dolphins in the playoffs. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) make run against the San Francisco Defensive Line during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Buffalo struck right back with a 79-yard scoring drive. Join our linker program. 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. Both conference champions had losing records the previous season, the only time this has happened. 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. 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. (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. (AP Photo/Al Golub), List of players (88) Freddie Solomon, (51) Randy Cross, (56) Fred Quillan, (68) John Ayers and (87) Dwight Clark during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. "I reminded 'em," said the coach, "that we had been behind before. The emergence of the two teams into title form was unexpected and unprecedented. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. ", In Cincinnati lineman Dave Lapham's opinion, "We just didn't move anybody off the ball. "Here's a guy (Alexander) who weighs 220 pounds and can run and he has only a yard to go for the end zone . 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. 49ers beat Cowboys 28-27 for Conference Championship. While the 49ers were foundering with 2-14 records in 1978 and '79, the Bengals were posting 4-12 records and finishing at the bottom of the AFC Central Division.