How long has it been since 49ers won a superbowl

The Bay Area team beat the Chargers to win a fifth championship title. Super Bowl XLVII, Who did the 49ers play: How long has it been since 49ers won a superbowl Ravens. 11, this time against the Kansas City Chiefs. But when was the last time they won? Well, that was a long time ago. It was January. An entire generation has never seen the San Francisco 49ers win a Super Bowl. It has been 29 years since any member of the organization has. The 49ers have made it to two Super Bowls since then, losing to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl 47 in and falling to the Chiefs in.

When the 49ers last won the Super Bowl in 1995

How long since the 49ers won the Super Bowl? When was the last San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl win? The 49ers last won the Super Bowl in 1995, the 75 points and 10 touchdowns scored in that win over the San Diego Chargers both remain the highest figures in Super Bowl history.

How many times have San Francisco 49ers been in Super Bowl? See the team’s stats

Montana delivered four Super Bowl titles and a trio of Super Bowl MVP trophies during a decade of dominance that started with the team winning its first NFL championship to close out the season. Young would revive the ghosts of glories past as he led the team through three quarters of stellar football against the Chargers. He seemed completely in command from the opening drive, with San Diego facing a deficit just five minutes into the game.

The 49ers Faithful gathered to watch the game in establishments along Miami's South Beach hardly had time to finish their first drink. Young threw four scoring passes in the first half: a yard strike to Jerry Rice, a pair of touchdown passes to Rickey Watters and a 5-yard pass to William Floyd. The San Diego defense was so threatened by the deep ball to Rice that it gave up passes to running backs Watters and Floyd and paid the price.

The 49ers went into the locker room with a lead at halftime. The team extended the advantage to on a 9-yard Watters scoring run and a yard TD pass from Young to Rice. The pair would team up one more time before the final whistle. The Chargers threatened to mount a fourth quarter rally with a pair of touchdowns of their own, but Young would not be denied.

As the clock ticked down, a sideline camera crew famously recorded the quarterback as he asked teammates to help "get this monkey off my back. On the sidelines that day was a young 49ers ball boy whose father was on the team's coaching staff. His name was Kyle Shanahan.

After a tight, back-and-forth defensive battle, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was able to rally Kansas City to the team's second straight Super Bowl title Sunday. The 49ers struck first in the game, taking a lead early in the second quarter on a yard field goal from kicker Jake Moody, setting what was briefly the record for the longest field goal in Super Bowl history.

The Niners pushed their lead to thanks to a double-pass trick play that found 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy pitching the ball back to wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who then threw it across the field to Christian McCaffrey, who sprinted yards for the score. The Chiefs finally got on the board thanks to a yard Harrison Butker field goal before halftime, but the 49ers defense stymied Mahomes for much of the game.

Midway through the third quarter, Butker broke Moody's record, hitting his own yard field goal to cut the Niners lead to The Niners responded early in the fourth, with Purdy and Jennings connecting for a six-yard touchdown. However, Moody's missed extra point, left the 49ers with a slim lead. Butker's hit another field goal from 24 yards with under six minutes to go to tie the score at Moody was able to redeemed himself for his earlier miss, nailing a yard field goal with under two minutes to play to give the Niners the lead.

But as he has done so many times before, Mahomes drove the Chiefs down the field, setting up a yard tying field goal with three seconds left to send the game to overtime. The 49ers were forced to settle for a field goal in their first OT possession. How long has it been since 49ers won a superbowl Mahomes drove the Chiefs down the field, closing the game with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman with 3 seconds left in overtime to beat the 49ers , becoming the first repeat Super Bowl champs in 19 years.

Unlike the Cleveland Browns , who won the championship that year, the 49ers struggled in the NFL, finishing the season 3—9. In , they would do much better, with a 7—4—1 season and nearly reaching the championship game. The season saw seven wins and five losses. With a 9—3 record, San Francisco had its best season yet in , but a loss to the Lions kept them from the championship match.

Injuries in caused a 7—4—1 finish. More injuries notably to RB Hugh McElhenny caused the 49ers to fall to a losing 4—8 the following year. With former quarterback Frankie Albert taking over as head coach in , the team went 5—6—1. This period was most notable for the destructive on-field antics of LB Hardy Brown , traded from Washington in Brown established a fearsome reputation for injuring players by ramming them with his shoulder during his five years on the 49ers roster.

In , the 49ers would enjoy their first sustained success as members of the NFL. After losing the opening game of the season, the 49ers won their next three against the Rams , Bears , and Packers before returning home to Kezar Stadium for a game against the Chicago Bears. The 49ers fell behind the Bears 17—7. The 49ers players learned of his death at halftime when Coach Frankie Albert was handed a note with two words: "Tony's gone.

Dicky Moegle 's late-game interception in the endzone sealed the victory. On November 3, , the 49ers hosted the Detroit Lions , a game which has gone down in local lore as featuring arguably the greatest pass play along with Dwight Clark's "The Catch" in With 10 seconds remaining, 49ers ball on the Lions 41, Detroit leading 31—28, Y.

Tittle threw a desperation pass into the end zone, right into the arms of high-leaping R. The play became famously known as the " Alley Oop ". Ironically, the two men covering Owens would later become 49ers coaches: Jack Christiansen , head coach of the 49ers from to , and Jim David , a secondary coach for Christiansen from to The 49ers would end that season with three straight victories and an 8—4 record, tying the Detroit Lions for the NFL Western Division title, and setting up a one-game divisional playoff in San Francisco.

The 49ers got off to a fast start, and in the third quarter led 27—7. The Lions, led by quarterback Tobin Rote , who earlier in the season had replaced an injured Bobby Layne , would mount one of the biggest comebacks in NFL history and defeat the 49ers, 31— Had they won the game, the 49ers would have hosted the NFL Championship game the following weekend against the Cleveland Browns.

As it happened, the Lions wound up beating the Browns 59— For most of the next 13 years the 49ers would be an average team. Frankie Albert resigned as head coach after a 6—6, season , and was replaced by Red Hickey. He led them to a 7—5 campaign in , and again in Key players for these 49ers included running back Ken Willard , quarterback John Brodie , and offensive lineman Bruce Bosley.

During this time the 49ers became the first NFL team to use the shotgun formation. It was named by the man who actually devised the formation, Red Hickey. The formation, in which the quarterback lines up seven yards behind the center, was designed to allow the quarterback extra time to throw. The formation was used for the first time in and enabled the 49ers to beat the Baltimore Colts , who were not familiar with the formation.

In , primarily using the shotgun, the 49ers got off to a fast 4—1 start, including two shutouts in back-to-back weeks. In their sixth game they faced the Chicago Bears , who, by moving players e. Though the 49ers went 3—5—1 the rest of the way, the shotgun would eventually become a component of most teams' offenses, and is a formation used by football teams at all levels.

The 49ers won six games that year. They won only one game at Kezar Stadium while on the road they won 5 of 7 games the NFL expanded to a game season that year. After posting losing records for the next three years 6—8, 2—12, and 4—10 in — , the 49ers rebounded to finish with a 7—6—1 record. They were led that year by John Brodie, who after being plagued by injuries came back to become one of the NFL's best passers by throwing for 3, yards and 30 touchdowns.

The team had six wins, six losses, and two ties. One of those wins was over the eventual champion Packers. Coach Jack Christiansen was fired after a 7—7 season , which saw the team go on a six-game losing streak after a promising 5—1 start. Louis "Lou" Spadia , who had been general manager of the 49ers since the early s, continued in that role for the Morabito widows throughout the worst times of the team and into the more successful early s.

For the season , the 49ers hired as their head coach Dick Nolan , who had been Tom Landry 's defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys. Nolan's first two seasons with the 49ers went much the same as the previous decade, with the 49ers going 7—6—1 and 4—8—2. The 49ers started out the season 7—1—1, their only loss a one-point defeat to Atlanta.

After losses to Detroit and Los Angeles , the 49ers won their next two games before the season finale against the Oakland Raiders. Going into the game the 49ers had a half-game lead on the Los Angeles Rams and needed either a win or the Giants to defeat the Rams in their finale to give the 49ers their first ever divisional title.

In the early game, the Giants were crushed by the Rams 30—3, thus forcing the 49ers to win their game to clinch the division. In wet, rainy conditions in Oakland, the 49ers dominated the Raiders, 38—7, giving the 49ers their first divisional championship, becoming champions of the NFC West. The 49ers won their divisional playoff game , 17—14 against the defending conference champion Minnesota Vikings , thus setting up a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC Championship.

In what would be the final home game for the 49ers at Kezar Stadium the 49ers kept up with the Cowboys before losing, 17—10, thus giving the Cowboys their first conference championship. Following the season the 49ers moved from Kezar Stadium to Candlestick Park. Despite being located on the outskirts of the city, Candlestick Park gave the 49ers a much more modern facility with more amenities that was easier for fans to access by highway.

The 49ers won their second straight divisional title in with a 9—5 record. The 49ers again won their divisional playoff game against the Washington Redskins by a 24—20 final score. Though the defense again held the Cowboys in check, the 49ers offense was ineffective and the eventual Super Bowl champion Cowboys beat the 49ers again, 14—3. In , eight 49ers made the Pro Bowl, including defensive back Jimmy Johnson and Gene Washington , both for the second year in a row, as well as defensive end Cedric Hardman , running back Vic Washington , and offensive lineman Forrest Blue.

The 49ers won their third consecutive NFC West championship in with five wins in their last six games, making them the only franchise to win their first three divisional titles after the AFL—NFL merger. Newcastle tips Their opponents in the divisional playoffs would again be the Dallas Cowboys , making it the third consecutive year the teams faced each other in the playoffs.

Vic Washington took the opening kickoff 97 yards for a score, and the 49ers took a 21—6 lead in the second quarter. After the 49ers took a 28—13 lead in the 4th quarter, Tom Landry sent quarterback Roger Staubach , who was backing up Craig Morton , into the game. Staubach quickly led the Cowboys on a drive to a field goal, bringing the score to 28—16, and as the game wound down it appeared that that would be all the Cowboys would get.

However, the Cowboys would complete the comeback all in the last two minutes. Just after the two-minute warning Staubach found Billy Parks for a touchdown to bring the score to 28— Needing an onside kick to have a realistic chance at a game-winning touchdown, Cowboys kicker Toni Fritsch executed a successful onside kick, with the ball going back to the Cowboys.

With the 49ers on the ropes, Staubach completed the comeback with a touchdown pass to Ron Sellers giving the Cowboys a dramatic 30—28 victory and sending the 49ers to yet another crushing playoff defeat. The defeat would have a chilling effect on the 49ers, as they failed to make the playoffs for the next eight seasons.

The 49ers run at the top of the NFC West ended in with the 49ers falling to a 5—9 record, their worst since The team lost six of its last eight games, including games to the also-ran New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions. In the final season of his career, longtime 49ers quarterback John Brodie split playing time with two other quarterbacks, most notably longtime backup Steve Spurrier.

The team also suffered from not having a dominant running back, with Vic Washington leading the team with only yards rushing. In , the 49ers drafted Wilbur Jackson from the University of Alabama to be the team's primary back. Jackson enjoyed a fine rookie year, leading the 49ers with yards rushing.

He and fellow running back Larry Schreiber combined for over 1, yards rushing. With Steve Spurrier injured and missing nearly the entire year, the 49ers did not have a regular quarterback but did put together a respectable 6—8 record. The 49ers dropped to 5—9 in what would be Dick Nolan's final season as coach in , the 49ers losing their final four games of the season.

Wilbur Jackson was hurt much of the year and Delvin Williams led the 49ers in rushing with yards rushing. Following the season the 49ers traded for New England Patriots quarterback Jim Plunkett , former Heisman Trophy winner from nearby Stanford University which was also the alma mater of John Brodie. Though Plunkett had shown promise with the Patriots, he had not won there and it was thought that he needed a change of scenery.

Monte Clark was also brought on as 49ers head coach. The 49ers were led by one of the best running games in the NFL in Delvin Williams emerged as an elite back, gaining over 1, yards rushing and would make the Pro Bowl. Wilbur Jackson also enjoyed a resurgence, rushing for yards.

Again Gene Washington was the team's leading receiver with yards receiving and six scores. The 49ers started the season 6—1 for their best start since Most of the wins were against second-tier teams, although the 49ers did shut out the Rams 16—0, in Los Angeles on Monday Night Football.

In that game the 49ers recorded 10 sacks, including 6 by Tommy Hart. However, the 49ers lost four games in a row, including two against divisional rivals Los Angeles and Atlanta that proved fatal to their playoff hopes. Despite finishing the season with a winning record of 8—6, Clark was fired after just one season by general manager Joe Thomas , who would oversee the worst stretch of football in the team's history.

Under coach Ken Meyer , the 49ers would lose their first five games of the season , including being shut out twice. Though they would win five of their next six games, they would lose their last three games to finish the season 5—9. Playing in San Francisco proved not to revive Plunkett's career as he had another disappointing season, throwing only 9 touchdown passes.

Bright spots for the 49ers included defensive linemen Tommy Hart and Cleveland Elam , who made the Pro Bowl, and running backs Wilbur Jackson and Delvin Williams, who combined for over 1, yards rushing. Gene Washington again led the team in receiving in , which would be his final year with the 49ers. How long has it been since 49ers won a superbowl The off-season was marked by a number of questionable moves by Joe Thomas that backfired badly.

Thomas's big off-season acquisition was running back O. Simpson from the Buffalo Bills. As with Plunkett two years previously, it was thought that rescuing Simpson from a bad situation and bringing him to the area of the country he had been raised would rejuvenate his career.

Thomas also released Gene Washington and Jim Plunkett, giving him only one season, and replaced him with Pete McCulley , his third coach in three seasons. The season was a disaster for the 49ers, as they finished 2—14, their only wins coming against the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Simpson indeed led the team in rushing, but with less than yards. It had become apparent that Simpson's knees and body were shot, and he was clearly near the end of his career. Wilbur Jackson also missed the entire season due to injury. Even worse for the franchise was that the first pick of the draft that they would have had was traded to the Bills as part of the O.

Simpson deal. Thomas was fired following the season. However, some of the key players that would be part of the 49ers stunning rise to emergence would begin their 49ers career in Rookie quarterback Steve DeBerg , who would be Joe Montana 's first mentor, was the 49ers starting quarterback. The team was led in its turnaround from late s doormat by new owner Edward J.

DeBartolo Jr. The former head coach of Stanford University was known for stockpiling draft picks, making excellent draft selections, and patching roster holes by acquiring key free agents. Bill Walsh was hired to be the 49ers head coach in the off-season. Walsh was a disciple of Paul Brown , and served as Brown's offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals from to However, Brown did not appoint him as his successor upon his retirement, ironically choosing another assistant, former 49ers center Bill "Tiger" Johnson.

Desiring head coach experience, Walsh looked to Stanford University in He had had some success there before the 49ers tapped him to be their replacement. Walsh is given credit for popularizing the ' West Coast offense ', which is not entirely true. The Bill Walsh offense was actually created and refined while he was an assistant coach with Bengals.

The offense is extremely difficult to defend against as it is content to consistently make 6—8 yard gains all the way down the field. The true West Coast offense—more focused on the vertical, or downfield, passing game—was actually created by s L. In Walsh's first draft , the 49ers had targeted and traded for Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana as an early round pick.

Montana had enjoyed a storied college career, leading the Fighting Irish to the national title and a number of dramatic comeback victories, the most stunning of all being his final game, at the Cotton Bowl. Playing the University of Houston in an ice storm, and with Montana suffering from a bad flu, Notre Dame was down 34—13 in the third quarter.

However, Montana led a magnificent rally that culminated with him throwing a touchdown pass on the game's final play to give Notre Dame the 35—34 win. Despite this, most scouts did not peg Montana as a top prospect. In addition to being relatively small for a quarterback just over six feet and slow, Montana's arm strength was considered suspect.

Though he did get credit for his moxie and intangibles, most thought of him as a system player surrounded by a great team. In the draft , the Dallas Cowboys were placed just ahead of the 49ers. The Cowboys' draft strategy through that time was to take the highest-ranked player on their draft board at the time of their selection, regardless of position.

When the Cowboys' turn came up in the third round, the highest rated player on their board was Montana. However, feeling that the quarterback position was in excellent long-term shape with Roger Staubach and Danny White , and desperately needing a tight end, the Cowboys went off their strategy and drafted Doug Cosbie.

The 49ers, and Walsh, took Montana. As Walsh implemented his strategies and game plan, the 49ers had another year of losing, going 2— There were, however, a number of bright spots. Freddie Solomon also had a good year, with over yards receiving.

The running game was patchwork, with Paul Hofer leading the team with yards and O. Simpson , in what would be his final season, rushing for only yards and being sidelined with injuries. The 49ers got off to a strong start in , winning their first three games of the season.

However, the team, still not quite ready for the big time, would lose their next eight games in a row, although many of those games were close, and the 49ers acquitted themselves well. During the season, Walsh alternated DeBerg and Montana at quarterback. Though DeBerg had played well for the 49ers, Walsh felt the team's best chance to win in the long run was with Montana.

He alternated the two quarterbacks, giving Montana some experience while keeping opponents off guard. This strategy of alternating quarterbacks from game to game and during games is rare in football, although it had been employed by other successful teams in the past, specifically the Dallas Cowboys of the early s who alternated Roger Staubach and Craig Morton , and the Los Angeles Rams of the early s alternating Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield.

The highlight of the season , and a sign of good things to come, came in Week The 49ers trailed the New Orleans Saints , who at the time were winless at 0—13, 35—7 at halftime. However, led by Joe Montana, the 49ers made what was then the greatest comeback in NFL history, coming back to tie the score in regulation and winning the game in overtime with a field goal by Ray Wersching to give the 49ers an incredible 38—35 victory.

It was this game, which marked Montana's first big NFL comeback win, that won Montana the quarterback job full-time. A number of key players emerged for the 49ers in Among them were Dwight Clark , who led the 49ers with 82 receptions and just under 1, yards receiving, and running back Earl Cooper , who ran for over yards. With the offense in good shape, Walsh and the 49ers focused on overhauling the defense in 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 which was the best in the team's history at that point.

Dean made the Pro Bowl , as did Lott, in his rookie season, and Hicks. Led by Montana, the unusual offense was centered on 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 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. The 49ers faced the New York Giants in the divisional playoffs and won, 38—24, in a game that was not as close as the score suggests.

This set up an NFC Championship Game matchup with the Dallas Cowboys , whom the 49ers could never get past during their earlier successful run in the early s. As they had earlier in the season beating the Cowboys 45—14 , the 49ers played the Cowboys tough, but the Cowboys forced turnovers and held the lead late.

Unlike the playoff games of the '70s, this would end differently. In a scenario not unlike the divisional playoff, the 49ers were down 27—21 and on their own 11 yard line with remaining. As Montana had done for Notre Dame and the 49ers so many times before, he led the 49ers on a sustained drive to the Cowboys' 6-yard line. On a 3rd-and-3 play, with his primary receiver covered, Montana rolled right and threw the ball off balance to Dwight Clark in the end zone, who leaped up and caught the ball to tie the game at 27, with the extra point giving the 49ers the lead.

Tittle threw to lanky receiver R. Owens back in the s. A picture of Clark's leap in the air appeared on the cover of that week's Sports Illustrated and was also featured in an autumn commercial for Gatorade. Despite this, the Cowboys had one last chance to win. And indeed, on the first play of the next possession, Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson caught a pass from Danny White and got to midfield before he was pulled down by the jersey at the 49ers 44 yard line by Cornerback Eric Wright.

Had Pearson not have been jersey-tackled, there was a good chance he would have scored a touchdown, as there were no 49ers downfield. On the next play, White was sacked by Lawrence Pillers and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Jim Stuckey , giving the 49ers the win and a trip to their first ever Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals , who were also in their first Super Bowl.

The 49ers would take a 20—0 halftime lead and hold on to win Super Bowl XVI 26—21 behind kicker Ray Wersching 's four field goals and a key defensive stand. Throughout the season, the defense had been a significant reason for the team's success, despite residing in the shadow of the then-innovative offense. Montana won MVP honors mostly on the strength of leading the 49ers on a yard, play drive culminating in a touchdown pass to Earl Cooper.

Thus did the 49ers complete one of the most dramatic and complete turnarounds in NFL history, going from back-to-back 2—14 seasons to a Super Bowl championship in just two years. Montana's success in the playoffs, and his success in leading the 49ers on big comebacks, made him one of the biggest stars in the NFL, and arguably the best quarterback ever to play the game.

Not only was he the face of the 49ers, but his easygoing and modest manner enabled his celebrity to transcend football. Additionally, it caused other teams to consider players who, although not physically gifted, nonetheless had certain intangibles and tendencies that made them great players who could come up big in the toughest of situations.

During their first Super Bowl run, the team was known for its short-range passing game and the play-making ability of quarterback Joe Montana. Later, they became proficient in all aspects of the game, featuring a dominant defense always in the offense's shadow and a fast-scoring passing attack with wide-receivers Jerry Rice and John Taylor.

The season was a bad one for the 49ers , as they lost all five games at Candlestick Park en route to a 3—6 record in a strike-shortened season. Joe Montana was the one highlight, passing for 2, yards in just nine games, highlighted by five straight games in which he broke the yard barrier. In , the 49ers won their final three games of the season, finishing with a 10—6 record and winning their second NFC Western Divisional Title in three years.

Leading the rebound was Joe Montana with another stellar season, passing for 3, yards and connecting on 26 touchdowns. The 49ers jumped out in front early and led 17—9 entering the 4th quarter, but the Lions roared back, scoring two touchdowns to take a 23—17 lead.

However, Montana would lead a comeback, hitting wide receiver Freddie Solomon on a game-winning yard touchdown pass with left on the clock to put the 49ers ahead 24— The next week, the 49ers came back from a 21—0 deficit against the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game to tie the game, only to lose 24—21 on a Mark Moseley field goal, set up by two controversial pass interference and holding penalties against the 49ers secondary.

In , the 49ers had one of the greatest seasons in team history by finishing the regular season 15—1, setting the record for most regular season wins that was later equaled by the Chicago Bears , the Minnesota Vikings , and the Pittsburgh Steelers , the Green Bay Packers, and finally broken by the New England Patriots. Their overall record of 18—1 including playoffs is also an NFL record tied by Chicago in and New England in During the season, [2] fourteen 49ers players came together to record a 45 pop single entitled "We're the 49ers".

In the season , Roger Craig became the first NFL player to gain 1, yards rushing and 1, yards receiving in the same season. The 49ers were not as dominant as in , however, and they settled for a 10—6 record, a wild card berth and a quick elimination from the playoffs when the New York Giants beat them 17—3. In addition, marked the appearance of newly acquired rookie Jerry Rice who would continue with the 49ers throughout the s.

When the season began, the 49ers were off and running with a 31—7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on opening day. But the win was costly; Joe Montana injured his back and was out for two months. Jeff Kemp became the starting quarterback, and the 49ers went 4—3—1 in September and October.

Upon Montana's return, the 49ers caught fire, winning five of the last seven games, including a 24—14 win over the Los Angeles Rams , to clinch the NFC West title. However, the New York Giants defeated them again in the playoffs , 49—3. Montana was injured in the first half by a hit from the Giants' Jim Burt. During the strike-shortened season , the 49ers led the league with a 13—2 record, including a 41—0 rout of the Bears in Week 14, because it turned out that the latter's feared defense was vulnerable to Bill Walsh's short passing game.

But San Francisco failed to win a playoff game for the third year in a row when they fell to the Minnesota Vikings 36— The loss to the Vikings was a stunning upset considering the 49ers that year were ranked 1 on both offense and defense, making them the odds-on favorite to go to the Super Bowl. In , the 49ers struggled. At one point, they were 6—5 and in danger of missing the playoffs but rose to defeat the Washington Redskins on a Monday night, eventually finishing the season at 10—6.

They gained a measure of revenge by thrashing the Minnesota Vikings 34—9 in the first round. However, the game was tied 3—3 at halftime, the 49ers having missed a few scoring opportunities. A late Cincinnati field goal seemed to seal the victory, but they left too much time for Joe Montana to work his magic. He drove the team 92 yards for the winning touchdown on a pass to John Taylor with only 34 seconds left.

Final score: 20—16 49ers. The following year , coach Bill Walsh retired, and his defensive coordinator and handpicked successor, George Seifert , took over head coaching duties. The 49ers then steamrolled through the league to finish 14—2 and gain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their two losses were by a combined 5 points. In the first round, they crushed the Vikings, 41— In winning the Super Bowl, the 49ers became the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls under different head coaches.

This championship squad is often regarded as one of the most dominant teams ever, winning all three playoff games by a combined points. In , the 49ers won their first ten games, and they eventually finished 14—2. They ripped through the season, and the coveted third consecutive Super Bowl victory seemed within reach. In the playoffs , the 49ers dispatched the Washington Redskins 28—10, setting up a conference championship game with the New York Giants.

Despite not scoring a touchdown in the game, the Giants took advantage of a 4th quarter injury to Montana and converted a faked punt attempt to thwart the 49ers attempt at a "three-peat". The Giants kicked a last-second field goal after recovering a Roger Craig fumble in the final minutes of the game, winning 15—13 and going on to win Super Bowl XXV. During their quest for a "three-peat" between and , the 49ers set a league record with 18 consecutive road victories.

Joe Montana then missed the following two seasons with a recurring elbow injury. In , Steve Young injured the thumb on his throwing hand and later was sidelined with an injured knee. After 10 games, the 49ers had a record of 4—6. Backup quarterback Steve Bono helped the team win five of its next six games with Young sidelined.

In the final game of the season, Monday night versus the NFC's 2 seed, Young returned and the 49ers embarrassed the Chicago Bears 52—14, finishing 10—6. However, the team missed qualifying for the playoffs by virtue of losing tiebreakers to the Atlanta Falcons.

The and seasons saw a resurgent 49er team under the leadership of Steve Young, but a sub-par defense could only take them to the NFC Championship game before falling to the Dallas Cowboys each time. In , Joe Montana came back after missing almost two full seasons due to an elbow injury in his throwing arm, and started the second half of a Monday night game versus Detroit on December 28, With the 49ers clinging to a 7—6 lead, Montana entered the game and looked as though he had not missed a single snap, completing 15—21 for yards and two TDs, as the 49ers defeated the Lions 24—6.

By the end of the season, partly fueled by media hype, perhaps the biggest quarterback controversy in football history was in full swing. After discussions with the owner and the coach, and after owner Eddie DeBartolo announced that quarterback Steve Young would be the 49ers starter for the season, Montana asked for and was granted a trade to the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the season.

In , the team spent large amounts of money on the addition of several star free agents from other teams, including Ken Norton, Jr. Additionally, several rookie players made key contributions to the team, some becoming season-long starters such as defensive tackle Bryant Young , fullback William Floyd , and linebacker Lee Woodall.

The 49ers had some tough times early in the season, including a 40—8 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles , and a 24—17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs , led by former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana. Following the Eagles game, a poll conducted on local sports radio station KNBR showed that an overwhelming majority of 49er fans wanted head coach George Seifert fired.

The game against the Eagles was a turning point for the 49ers despite the lopsided score. Young was benched in the 3rd quarter and was later seen livid on the sidelines, shouting profanities at head coach George Seifert. The following week in Detroit , the 49ers trailed the Lions 14—0. After throwing a pass, Young was hit, picked up, and driven into the ground by three Lions defenders.

After the hit, Young was screaming with his face dark red in color. He crawled most of the way off of the field before refusing help from the trainers as he limped the remaining way off the field. He miraculously returned to the field one play later NFL rules state that after trainers attend to an injured player, that player must leave the field for at least one play to lead the 49ers to a 27—21 victory.

The team rallied around Young to win 10 straight games, including a 21—14 victory over the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys. During that span, the 49ers' average margin of victory was nearly 20 points per game. Even after those initial rough spots early in the season, the 49ers finished the season 13—3 and with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The 49ers took advantage of three early Cowboys turnovers, taking a 21—0 lead in the first quarter. From that point on, the game was more competitive, but the 49ers held on for a 38—28 victory after Dallas scored a late touchdown, qualifying them for their fifth Super Bowl , and the first to be played by two teams from California.

The 49ers steamrolled the San Diego Chargers , becoming the first team to win a record five Super Bowls. Their run of 5 Super Bowl wins in 14 seasons — solidified them as one of the all-time greatest NFL teams. The 49ers made the playoffs in , , and , being eliminated each season by the Green Bay Packers , including a 23—10 loss at Candlestick in the NFC Championship game.

In , Steve Young led the 49ers to a 12—4 record and their 16th straight winning season, all with 10 wins or more. Things looked bleak when the 49ers trailed 27—23 in the waning seconds. However, in one last moment of glory, Young hit Terrell Owens on a dramatic, game-winning yard touchdown pass that put the Niners ahead at 30—27 with left on the game clock.

However, the 49ers would go on to lose 20—18 in the divisional round to the eventual NFC champion Atlanta Falcons. In the late s, Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. DeBartolo later pleaded guilty to a failure to report a felony charge in He was suspended from active control of the 49ers for one year. John York , took over operations of the team. Eddie DeBartolo returned from his suspension in , but a series of lawsuits over control of the family's vast holdings led him to surrender controlling interest to the Yorks as part of a settlement.