1981 San Francisco 49ers season

San Francisco 49ers
1981 San Francisco 49ers season
Head coach	Bill Walsh
General manager	Bill Walsh
Home field	Candlestick Park
Results
Record	13–3
Division place	1st NFC West
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (Giants) 38–24; Won NFC Championship (Cowboys) 28–27; Won Super Bowl XVI (Bengals) 26–21
Uniform

The 1981 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 32nd season in the National Football League, their 36th overall and their third under head coach Bill Walsh.

The 49ers playing against the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI.

The team finished the regular season with a 13–3 record. The season would be one of the franchise's most successful seasons to that point and would be "the birth of a dynasty",[1] when the 49ers began their decade of dominance. The 49ers drew an average home attendance of 54,398 in the 1981 NFL season.

The 49ers won Super Bowl XVI by defeating the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals. It was the first of five Super Bowl victories in franchise history, all within the next 13 seasons.

Quarterback Joe Montana began the 1981 season as San Francisco's starting quarterback. Montana produced two fourth-quarter comeback victories. Montana's 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 Super Bowls until Super Bowl XLVII.

Offseason

NFL Draft

A turning point for the franchise was the drafting of safety Ronnie Lott from the University of Southern California. Lott would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1981 San Francisco 49ers Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	8	Ronnie Lott	CB	USC
2	36	John Harty	DT	Iowa	from Washington
	Traded to the Bears
	40	Eric Wright	CB	Missouri	from Chicago
3	65	Carlton Williamson	SS	Pittsburgh
4	Traded to the Cowboys
5	121	Lynn Thomas	CB	Pittsburgh
5	122	Arrington Jones	RB	Winston-Salem State	from Chicago
6	147	Pete Kugler	DT	Penn State
7	Traded to the Eagles
8	203	Garry White	RB	Minnesota
9	Traded to the Bengals
10	Traded to the Colts
11	286	Ron DeBose	TE	UCLA
12	313	Major Ogilvie	RB	Alabama
12	322	Joe Adams	QB	Tennessee State	from Pittsburgh

[2]

Training Camp

The 1981 San Francisco 49ers season held training camp at Sierra College in Rocklin, California.

Personnel

Staff

**1981 San Francisco 49ers staff**

	Front office Owner and President – Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr. General Manager – Bill Walsh Director of Football Operations – John McVay Director of College Scouting – Tony Razzano Head coaches Head Coach – Bill Walsh Offensive coaches Quarterbacks – Sam Wyche Running Backs – Billie Matthews Receivers – Milt Jackson Offensive Line – Bobb McKittrick Assistant Offensive Line – Cas Banaszek			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Chuck Studley Defensive Line – Bill McPherson Linebackers – Norb Hecker Defensive Backs – George Seifert Assistant Defensive Backs – Ray Rhodes Special teams coaches Special Teams – Milt Jackson Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Al Vermeil

Roster

**1981 San Francisco 49ers roster**

	Quarterbacks 7 Guy Benjamin 16 Joe Montana Running backs 49 Earl Cooper FB 38 Johnny Davis 31 Walt Easley FB 35 Lenvil Elliott 36 Paul Hofer 40 Arrington Jones 20 Amos Lawrence 32 Ricky Patton 30 Bill Ring Wide receivers 81 Matt Bouza 87 Dwight Clark 84 Mike Shumann 88 Freddie Solomon 85 Mike Wilson Tight ends 82 Brian Peets 80 Eason Ramson 86 Charle Young		Offensive linemen 61 Dan Audick T 68 John Ayers G 60 John Choma G/T 51 Randy Cross G 62 Walt Downing C/G 71 Keith Fahnhorst T 66 Allan Kennedy T 56 Fred Quillan C Defensive linemen 76 Dwaine Board DE 74 Fred Dean DE 75 John Harty NT 77 Pete Kugler NT 65 Lawrence Pillers DE 78 Archie Reese NT 79 Jim Stuckey DE		Linebackers 57 Dan Bunz ILB 59 Willie Harper OLB 52 Bobby Leopold OLB 50 Jim Looney ILB 53 Milt McColl OLB 54 Craig Puki ILB 64 Jack Reynolds ILB 50 Terry Tautolo ILB 58 Keena Turner OLB Defensive backs 33 Ricky Churchman SS 24 Rick Gervais FS 22 Dwight Hicks FS 42 Ronnie Lott CB 29 Saladin Martin CB 28 Lynn Thomas CB 27 Carlton Williamson SS 21 Eric Wright CB Special teams 10 Matt Bahr K 3 Jim Miller P 14 Ray Wersching K		Reserve lists Practice squad Rookies in italics

Source:[3][4]

Preseason

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	August 5	at Seattle Seahawks	W 27–24 (OT)	1–0	Kingdome	56,958	Recap
2	August 15	San Diego Chargers	L 28–31	1–1	Candlestick Park	41,667	Recap
3	August 22	Seattle Seahawks	W 24–22	2–1	Candlestick Park	37,563	Recap
4	August 29	at Oakland Raiders	L 7–21	2–2	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	51,192	Recap

Regular season

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).

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 6	at Detroit Lions	L 17–24	0–1	Pontiac Silverdome	63,710	Recap
2	September 13	Chicago Bears	W 28–17	1–1	Candlestick Park	49,520	Recap
3	September 20	at Atlanta Falcons	L 17–34	1–2	Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium	56,653	Recap
4	September 27	New Orleans Saints	W 21–14	2–2	Candlestick Park	44,433	Recap
5	October 4	at Washington Redskins	W 30–17	3–2	Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium	51,843	Recap
6	October 11	Dallas Cowboys	W 45–14	4–2	Candlestick Park	57,574	Recap
7	October 18	at Green Bay Packers	W 13–3	5–2	Milwaukee County Stadium	50,171	Recap
8	October 25	Los Angeles Rams	W 20–17	6–2	Candlestick Park	59,190	Recap
9	November 1	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 17–14	7–2	Three Rivers Stadium	52,878	Recap
10	November 8	Atlanta Falcons	W 17–14	8–2	Candlestick Park	59,127	Recap
11	November 15	Cleveland Browns	L 12–15	8–3	Candlestick Park	52,455	Recap
12	November 22	at Los Angeles Rams	W 33–31	9–3	Anaheim Stadium	63,456	Recap
13	November 29	New York Giants	W 17–10	10–3	Candlestick Park	57,186	Recap
14	December 6	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 21–3	11–3	Riverfront Stadium	56,796	Recap
15	December 13	Houston Oilers	W 28–6	12–3	Candlestick Park	55,707	Recap
16	December 20	at New Orleans Saints	W 21–17	13–3	Louisiana Superdome	43,639	Recap

Week 1 at Detroit Lions

Week One: San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	3	0	14	17
Lions	0	10	0	14	24

at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

Date: September 6
Game time: 10:00 a.m. PDT
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 63,710
Referee: Tom Dooley
TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson (play-by-play), George Allen (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

Second quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 25 yard field goal – 49ers 3–0
DET – Billy Sims 39 yard pass from Gary Danielson – (Eddie Murray kick) Lions 7–3
DET – Eddie Murray 29 yard field goal – Lions 10–3

Fourth quarter

SF – Ricky Patton 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) Tied 10–10
DET – Horace King 17 yard pass from Gary Danielson – (Eddie Murray kick) Lions 17–10
SF – Freddie Solomon 21 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) Tied 17–17
DET – Billy Sims 1 yard rush – (Eddie Murray kick) Lions 24–17

Top passers

SF – Joe Montana, 18/28, 195 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int
DET – Gary Danielson, 16/27, 196 Yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int

Top rushers

SF – Ricky Patton, 15 Car, 72 Yds, 1 TD
DET – Billy Sims, 21 Car, 59 Yds, 1 TD

Top receivers

SF – Freddie Solomon, 8 Rec, 94 Yds, 1 TD
DET – Billy Sims, 5 Rec, 66 Yds, 1 TD

Top tacklers

SF -
DET -

Turnovers

SF – 3
DET – 2

Week 2 vs. Chicago Bears

Week Two: Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	10	7	0	17
49ers	7	7	7	7	28

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: September 13
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C); wind 12
Game attendance: 49,520
Referee: Bob Frederic
TV announcers (CBS): Tom Brookshier (play-by-play), Johnny Morris (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Ricky Patton 31 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Matt Bahr kick) 49ers 7–0

Second quarter

SF – Freddie Solomon 46 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Matt Bahr kick) 49ers 14–0
CHI – Walter Payton 2 yard rush – (Bob Thomas kick) 49ers 14–7
CHI – Bob Thomas 37 yard field goal – 49ers 14–10

Third quarter

CHI – Robin Earl 12 yard pass from Vince Evans – (Bob Thomas kick) Bears 17–14
SF – Charle Young 5 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Matt Bahr kick) 49ers 21–17

Fourth quarter

SF – Ricky Patton 12 yard rush – (Matt Bahr kick) 49ers 28–17

Top passers

CHI – Vince Evans, 19/33, 216 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int
SF – Joe Montana, 20/32, 287 Yds, 3 TDs

Top rushers

CHI – Walter Payton, 27 Car, 97 Yds, 1 TD
SF – Ricky Patton, 14 Car, 67 Yds, 1 TD

Top receivers

CHI – Rickey Watts, 5 Rec, 74 Yds
SF – Dwight Clark, 6 Rec, 81 Yds

Top tacklers

CHI -
SF -

Turnovers

CHI – 3
SF – 2

Week 3 at Atlanta Falcons

Week Three: San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	10	0	7	17
Falcons	17	7	10	0	34

at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta

Date: September 20
Game time: 10:00 a.m. PDT
Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); wind 8
Game attendance: 56,653
Referee: Gene Barth
TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson (play-by-play), George Allen (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

ATL – Alfred Jackson 29 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski – (Mick Luckhurst kick) Falcons 7–0
ATL – Mick Luckhurst 47 yard field goal – Falcons 10–0
ATL – Lynn Cain 18 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski – (Mick Luckhurst kick) Falcons 17–0

Second quarter

SF – Charle Young 11 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Matt Bahr kick) Falcons 17–7
SF – Matt Bahr 47 yard field goal – Falcons 17–10
ATL – Alfred Jenkins 15 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski – (Mick Luckhurst kick) Falcons 24–10

Third quarter

ATL – Tom Pridemore 101 yard interception return – (Mick Luckhurst kick) Falcons 31–10
ATL – Mick Luckhurst 18 yard field goal – Falcons 34–10

Fourth quarter

SF – Freddie Solomon 12 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Matt Bahr kick) Falcons 34–17

Top passers

SF – Joe Montana, 24/34, 274 Yds, 2 TDs, 2 Ints
ATL – Steve Bartkowski, 13/22, 208 Yds, 3 TDs

Top rushers

SF – Ricky Patton, 12 Car, 30 Yds
ATL – William Andrews, 12 Car, 85 Yds

Top receivers

SF – Dwight Clark, 9 Rec, 77 Yds
ATL – William Andrews, 4 Rec, 37 Yds

Top tacklers

SF -
ATL -

Turnovers

SF – 3
ATL – 0

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.

Week 4 vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Four: New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	0	0	7	14
49ers	0	7	7	7	21

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: September 27
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C); wind 12
Game attendance: 44,433
Referee: Fred Silva
TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson (play-by-play), Sonny Jurgenson (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

NO – Jeff Groth 24 yard pass from Dave Wilson – (Benny Ricardo kick) Saints 7–0

Second quarter

SF – Johnny Davis 6 yard rush – (Matt Bahr kick) Tied 7–7

Third quarter

SF – Solomon 60 yard pass from Montana – (Matt Bahr kick) 49ers 14–7

Fourth quarter

SF – Ronnie Lott 26 yard interception return – (Matt Bahr kick) 49ers 21–7
NO – Wayne Wilson 9 yard pass from Archie Manning – (Benny Ricardo kick) 49ers 21–14

Top passers

NO – Dave Wilson, 11/22, 180 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int
SF – Joe Montana, 16/22, 175 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int

Top rushers

NO – George Rogers, 25 Car, 115 Yds
SF – Johnny Davis, 11 Car, 48 Yds

Top receivers

NO – Wes Chandler, 4 Rec, 72 Yds
SF – Charle Young, 3 Rec, 41 Yds

Top tacklers

NO -
SF -

Turnovers

NO – 4
SF – 2

Week 5 at Washington Redskins

Week Five: San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	14	10	6	0	30
Redskins	0	3	0	14	17

at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

Date: October 4
Game time: 10:00 a.m. PDT
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 10
Game attendance: 51,843
Referee: Gordon McCarter
TV announcers (CBS): Tom Brookshier (play-by-play), Roger Staubach (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Ricky Patton 16 yard rush – (Matt Bahr kick) 49ers 7–0
SF – Dwight Hicks 80 yard fumble return – (Matt Bahr kick) 49ers 14–0

Second quarter

SF – Matt Bahr 43 yard field goal – 49ers 17–0
WSH – Mark Moseley 34 yard field goal – 49ers 17–3
SF – Johnny Davis 1 yard run – (Matt Bahr kick) 49ers 24–3

Third quarter

SF – Dwight Hicks 32 yard interception return – (kick failed) 49ers 30–3

Fourth quarter

WSH – Mike Nelms 58 yard punt return – (Mark Moseley kick) 49ers 30–10
WSH – Joe Washington 5 yard rush – (Mark Moseley kick) 49ers 30–17

Top passers

SF – Joe Montana, 15/28, 193 Yds, 1 Int
WSH – Joe Theismann, 10/22, 123 Yds, 2 Ints

Top rushers

SF – Ricky Patton, 9 Car, 43 Yds, 1 TD
WSH – John Riggins, 13 Car, 47 Yds

Top receivers

SF – Lenvil Elliott, 6 Rec, 69 Yds
WSH – Joe Washington, 8 Rec, 49 Yds

Top tacklers

SF -
WSH -

Turnovers

SF – 2
WSH – 6

Week 6 vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Six: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	7	0	7	14
49ers	21	3	14	7	45

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: October 11
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 18
Game attendance: 57,574
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Freddie Solomon 1 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
SF – Paul Hofer 4 yard run – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–0
SF – Johnny Davis 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 21–0

Second quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 18 yard field goal – 49ers 24–0
DAL – Tony Hill 22 yard pass from Drew Pearson – (Rafael Septién kick) 49ers 24–7

Third quarter

SF – Dwight Clark 78 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 31–7
SF – Ronnie Lott 41 yard interception return – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 38–7

Fourth quarter

SF – Amos Lawrence 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 45–7
DAL – Benny Barnes 72 yard fumble return – (Rafael Septién kick) 49ers 45–14

Top passers

DAL – Danny White, 8/16, 60 Yds, 2 Ints
SF – Joe Montana, 19/29, 279 Yds, 2 TDs

Top rushers

DAL – Tony Dorsett, 9 Car, 21 Yds
SF – Paul Hofer, 11 Car, 40 Yds, 1 TD

Top receivers

DAL – Ron Springs, 3 Rec, 9 Yds
SF – Freddie Solomon, 5 Rec, 74 Yds, 1 TD

Top tacklers

DAL -
SF -

Turnovers

DAL – 4
SF – 1

Week 7 at Green Bay Packers

Week Seven: San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	3	7	3	13
Packers	0	3	0	0	3

at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee

Date: October 18
Game time: 11:00 a.m. PDT
Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C); wind 21
Game attendance: 50,171
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan (play-by-play), Johnny Morris (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

Second quarter

GB – Jan Stenerud 26 yard field goal – Packers 3–0
SF – Ray Wersching 26 yard field goal – Tied 3–3

Third quarter

SF – Johnny Davis 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 10–3

Fourth quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 32 yard field goal – 49ers 13–3

Top passers

SF – Joe Montana, 23/32, 220 Yds
GB – Lynn Dickey, 11/18, 156 Yds

Top rushers

SF – Johnny Davis, 16 Car, 65 Yds, 1 TD
GB – Gerry Ellis, 7 Car, 50 Yds

Top receivers

SF – Dwight Clark, 6 Rec, 55 Yds
GB – Gerry Ellis, 5 Rec, 65 Yds

Top tacklers

SF -
GB -

Turnovers

SF – 1
GB – 1

Week 8 vs. Los Angeles Rams

Week Eight: Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	10	7	0	17
49ers	14	3	3	0	20

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: October 25
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 11
Game attendance: 59,190
Referee: Pat Haggerty
TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender (play-by-play), Roger Staubach (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Freddie Solomon 14 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
SF – Dwight Clark 41 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–0

Second quarter

LA – Frank Corral 25 yard field goal – 49ers 14–3
LA – Mike Guman 2 yard rush – (Frank Corral kick) 49ers 14–10
SF – Ray Wersching 42 yard field goal – 49ers 17–10

Third quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 18 yard field goal – 49ers 20–10
LA – Wendell Tyler 16 yard pass from Pat Haden – (Frank Corral kick) 49ers 20–17

Top passers

LA – Pat Haden, 20/39, 310 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int
SF – Joe Montana, 18/32, 287 Yds, 2 TDs

Top rushers

LA – Wendell Tyler, 22 Car, 90 Yds
SF – Paul Hofer, 8 Car, 23 Yds

Top receivers

LA – Preston Dennard, 6 Rec, 119 Yds
SF – Dwight Clark, 8 Rec, 109 Yds, 1 TD

Top tacklers

LA -
SF -

Turnovers

LA – 1
SF – 0

Week 9 at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Nine: San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	10	0	7	17
Steelers	0	0	14	0	14

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh

Date: November 1
Game time: 10:00 a.m. PST
Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C); wind 8
Game attendance: 52,878
Referee: Bob Frederic
TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully (play-by-play), Hank Stram (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

Second quarter

SF – Charle Young 5 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
SF – Ray Wersching 45 yard field goal – 49ers 10–0

Third quarter

PIT – Mel Blount 50 yard interception return – (David Trout kick) 49ers 10–7
PIT – Jim Smith 22 yard pass from Terry Bradshaw – (David Trout kick) Steelers 14–10

Fourth quarter

SF – Walt Easley 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 17–14

Top passers

SF – Joe Montana, 22/37, 205 Yds, 1 TD, 2 Ints
PIT – Terry Bradshaw, 12/23, 125 Yds, 1 TD, 3 Ints

Top rushers

SF – Walt Easley, 14 Car, 47 Yds, 1 TD
PIT – Franco Harris, 17 Car, 104 Yds

Top receivers

SF – Dwight Clark, 7 Rec, 80 Yds
PIT – Frank Pollard, 3 Rec, 42 Yds

Top tacklers

SF -
PIT -

Turnovers

SF – 2
PIT – 6

Week 10 vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	7	7	14
49ers	0	10	0	7	17

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: November 8
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 11
Game attendance: 59,127
Referee: Fred Wyant
TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson (play-by-play), George Allen (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

Second quarter

SF – Freddie Solomon 14 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
SF – Ray Wersching 45 yard field goal – 49ers 10–0

Third quarter

ATL – William Andrews 1 yard rush – (Mick Luckhurst kick) 49ers 10–7

Fourth quarter

SF – Charle Young 3 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 17–7
ATL – Alfred Jackson 25 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski – (Mick Luckhurst kick) 49ers 17–14

Top passers

ATL – Steve Bartkowski, 20/42, 236 Yds, 1 TD, 3 Ints
SF – Joe Montana, 16/30, 223 Yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int

Top rushers

ATL – William Andrews, 18 Car, 61 Yds, 1 TD
SF – Walt Easley, 15 Car, 31 Yds

Top receivers

ATL – Alfred Jenkins, 7 Rec, 134 Yds
SF – Dwight Clark, 7 Rec, 128 Yds

Top tacklers

ATL -
SF -

Turnovers

ATL – 3
SF – 1

Week 11 vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Eleven: Cleveland Browns at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	2	3	0	10	15
49ers	0	6	6	0	12

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: November 15
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); wind 15
Game attendance: 52,455
Referee: Chuck Heberling
TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play-by-play), John Brodie (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

CLE – Safety, intentional grounding by Joe Montana in end zone – Browns 2–0

Second quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 28 yard field goal – 49ers 3–2
CLE – Matt Bahr 28 yard field goal – Browns 5–3
SF – Ray Wersching 29 yard field goal – 49ers 6–5

Third quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 28 yard field goal – 49ers 9–5
SF – Ray Wersching 28 yard field goal – 49ers 12–5

Fourth quarter

CLE – Reggie Rucker 21 yard pass from Brian Sipe – (Matt Bahr kick) Tied 12–12
CLE – Matt Bahr 24 yard field goal – Browns 15–12

Top passers

CLE – Brian Sipe, 16/33, 180 Yds, 1 TD, 1 Int
SF – Joe Montana, 24/42, 213 Yds, 2 Ints

Top rushers

CLE – Mike Pruitt, 18 Car, 76 Yds
SF – Walt Easley, 16 Car, 59 Yds

Top receivers

CLE – Greg Pruitt, 4 Rec, 33 Yds
SF – Paul Hofer, 7 Rec, 64 Yds

Top tacklers

CLE -
SF -

Turnovers

CLE – 2
SF – 2

The Niners’ winning streak ended in a battle of nine combined field goals. Opposing quarterbacks Brian Sipe and Montana combined for 393 yards, three interceptions, and an average passer rating of 56.

Week 12 at Los Angeles Rams

Week Twelve: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	3	7	17	6	33
Rams	0	17	7	7	31

at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California

Date: November 22
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); wind 8
Game attendance: 63,456
Referee: Red Cashion
TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully (play-by-play), Hank Stram (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 47 yard field goal – 49ers 3–0

Second quarter

LA – Frank Corral 44 yard field goal – Tied 3–3
LA – Wendell Tyler 22 yard pass from Dan Pastorini – (Frank Corral kick) Rams 10–3
SF – Johnny Davis 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) Tied 10–10
LA – Preston Dennard 7 yard pass from Mike Guman – (Frank Corral kick) Rams 17–10

Third quarter

SF – Amos Lawrence 92 yard kickoff return – (Ray Wersching kick) Tied 17–17
SF – Ray Wersching 34 yard field goal – 49ers 20–17
SF – Ronnie Lott 25 yard interception return – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 27–17
LA – Walt Arnold 2 yard pass from Pat Haden – (Frank Corral kick) 49ers 27–24

Fourth quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 32 yard field goal – 49ers 30–24
LA – Wendell Tyler 22 yard rush – (Frank Corral kick) Rams 31–30
SF – Ray Wersching 37 yard field goal – 49ers 33–31

Top passers

SF – Joe Montana, 19/30, 283 Yds, 1 Int
LA – Pat Haden, 9/13, 122 Yds, 1 TD

Top rushers

SF – Johnny Davis, 8 Car, 23 Yds, 1 TD
LA – Wendell Tyler, 23 Car, 97 Yds, 1 TD

Top receivers

SF – Freddie Solomon, 5 Rec, 124 Yds
LA – Preston Dennard, 5 Rec, 56 Yds, 1 TD

Top tacklers

SF -
LA -

Turnovers

SF – 2
LA – 2

The 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.

Week 13 vs. New York Giants

Week Thirteen: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	3	0	7	10
49ers	7	7	0	3	17

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: November 29
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C); wind 10
Game attendance: 57,186
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan (play-by-play), Fred Dryer (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Johnny Davis 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0

Second quarter

SF – Joe Montana 20 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–0
NYG – Joe Danelo 52 yard field goal – 49ers 14–3

Fourth quarter

NYG – Rob Carpenter 3 yard rush – (Joe Danelo kick) 49ers 14–10
SF – Ray Wersching 23 yard field goal – 49ers 17–10

Top passers

NYG – Scott Brunner, 13/34, 162 Yds, 3 Ints
SF – Joe Montana, 27/39, 234 Yds

Top rushers

NYG – Rob Carpenter, 13 Car, 40 Yds, 1 TD
SF – Paul Hofer, 8 Car, 33 Yds

Top receivers

NYG – Rob Carpenter, 5 Rec, 55 Yds
SF – Dwight Clark, 7 Rec, 87 Yds

Top tacklers

NYG -
SF -

Turnovers

NYG – 5
SF – 0

Week 14 at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Fourteen: San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	7	7	0	7	21
Bengals	0	3	0	0	3

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati

Date: December 6
Game time: 10:00 a.m. PST
Game weather: 28 °F (−2 °C); wind 7, wind chill 21 °F (−6 °C)
Game attendance: 56,796
Referee: Jerry Seeman
TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan (play-by-play), Fred Dryer (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Bill Ring 4 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0

Second quarter

CIN – Jim Breech 30 yard field goal – 49ers 7–3
SF – Dwight Clark 15 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–3

Fourth quarter

SF – Joe Montana 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 21–3

Top passers

SF – Joe Montana, 23/36, 187 Yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int
CIN – Jack Thompson, 10/18, 114 Yds, 1 Int

Top rushers

SF – Earl Cooper, 12 Car, 62 Yds
CIN – Pete Johnson, 12 Car, 86 Yds

Top receivers

SF – Dwight Clark, 6 Rec, 78 Yds, 1 TD
CIN – Dan Ross, 7 Rec, 69 Yds

Top tacklers

SF -
CIN -

Turnovers

SF – 1
CIN – 6

Week 15 vs. Houston Oilers

Week Fifteen: Houston Oilers at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	0	0	0	6	6
49ers	0	0	21	7	28

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: December 13
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); wind 7
Game attendance: 55,707
Referee: Dick Jorgensen
TV announcers (NBC): Bob Costas (play-by-play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

Third quarter

SF – Ricky Patton 3 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
SF – Earl Cooper – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–0
SF – Dwight Clark 2 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 21–0

Fourth quarter

SF – Mike Wilson 27 yard pass from Guy Benjamin – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 28–0
HOU – Earl Campbell 1 yard rush – (kick failed) 49ers 28–6

Top passers

HOU – Gifford Nielsen, 21/30, 140 Yds
SF – Joe Montana, 18/26, 204 Yds, 1 TD

Top rushers

HOU – Earl Campbell, 18 Car, 45 Yds, 1 TD
SF – Ricky Patton, 9 Car, 57 Yds, 1 TD

Top receivers

HOU – Adger Armstrong, 9 Rec, 62 Yds
SF – Earl Cooper, 6 Rec, 77 Yds

Top tacklers

HOU -
SF -

Turnovers

HOU – 2
SF – 0

Week 16 at New Orleans Saints

Week Sixteen: San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	7	7	0	7	21
Saints	14	0	3	0	17

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans

Date: December 20
Game time: 11:00 a.m. PST
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 43,639
Referee: Gene Barth
TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan (play-by-play), Fred Dryer (color commentator)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Charle Young 13 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
NO – George Rogers 6 yard rush – (Benny Ricardo kick) Tied 7–7
NO – George Rogers 5 yard rush – (Benny Ricardo kick) Saints 14–7

Second quarter

SF – Freddie Solomon 2 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) Tied 14–14

Third quarter

NO – Benny Ricardo 27 yard field goal – Saints 17–14

Fourth quarter

SF – Johnny Davis 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 21–17

Top passers

SF – Joe Montana, 9/11, 106 Yds, 2 TDs
NO – Archie Manning, 14/21, 110 Yds, 1 Ints

Top rushers

SF – Bill Ring, 11 Car, 71 Yds
NO – George Rogers, 30 Car, 107 Yds, 2 TDs

Top receivers

SF – Freddie Solomon, 5 Rec, 38 Yds, 1 TD
NO – Toussaint Tyler, 5 Rec, 21 Yds

Top tacklers

SF -
NO -

Turnovers

SF – 3
NO – 1

Game officials

Preseason

Week	Opponent	Referee	Umpire	Head Linesman	Line Judge	Back Judge	Side Judge	Field Judge
1	at Seattle Seahawks	(7)	(12)	(10)	(19)	(16)	(8)	(11)
2	San Diego Chargers
3	Seattle Seahawks	(10)	(7)	(22)	(14)	(5)	(19)	(20)
4	at Oakland Raiders

Regular season

Week	Opponent	Referee	Umpire	Head Linesman	Line Judge	Back Judge	Side Judge	Field Judge
1	at Detroit Lions	(19) Tom Dooley	(12) Dave Hamilton	(7) Tony Veteri	(20) Jim Osborne	(9) Banks Williams	(8) Grover Klemmer	(14) Jack Vaughn
2	Chicago Bears	(15) Bob Frederic	(3) Lou Palazzi	(17) Jerry Bergman	(16) Bob Beeks	(20) Bob Swanson	(14) Ron Murphy	(6) Don Hakes
3	at Atlanta Falcons	(14) Gene Barth	(5) Bob Boylston	(18) Burl Toler	(3) Bob McLaughlin	(15) J.W. Sanders	(9) Dean Look	(7) Fritz Graf
4	New Orleans Saints	(7) Fred Silva	(15) Ralph Morcroft	(20) Frank Glover	(19) Vern Marshall	(12) Jim Kearney	(22) Merrill Douglas	(10) Don Orr
5	at Washington Redskins	(20) Gordon McCarter	(22) Ron Botchan	(14) Earnie Frantz	(9) Jack Fette	(10) Jimmy Rosser	(18) Ron DeSuzza	(11) Armen Terzian
6	Dallas Cowboys	(3) Jim Tunney	(8) Pat Harder	(25) Sid Semon	(8) Dick McKenzie	(11) Pat Knight	(5) Gil Mace	(24) Johnny Grier
7	vs. Green Bay Packers (at Milwaukee)	(12) Ben Dreith	(10) Tom Myers	(8) Dale Williams	(11) Bill Reynolds	(8) Don Wedge	(4) Ed Ward	(16) Pat Mallette
8	Los Angeles Rams	(4) Pat Haggerty	(9) Dave Moss	(10) Terry Gierke	(24) Walt Peters	(16) Jim Poole	(15) Dick Creed	(18) Bob Lewis
9	at Pittsburgh Steelers	(15) Bob Frederic	(3) Lou Palazzi	(17) Jerry Bergman	(16) Bob Beeks	(20) Bill Swanson	(14) Ron Murphy	(6) Don Hakes
10	Atlanta Falcons	(11) Fred Wyant	(19) Tom Hensley	(6) Ed Marion	(4) Wilson Gosier	(18) Dick Hantak	(25) Vince Jacob	(12) Bob Wortman
11	Cleveland Browns	(18) Chuck Heberling	(11) Gordon Wells	(15) Ray Dodez	(17) Dale Orem	(14) Al Jury	(24) Duwayne Gandy	(19) Charley Musser
12	at Los Angeles Rams	(8) Red Cashion	(14) Art Demmas	(16) Jack Johnson	(25) Neil Gereb	(4) Ben Tompkins	(3) Nate Jones	(15) Dick Ferguson
13	New York Giants	(9) Jerry Markbreit	(17) Ed Fiffick	(12) Dale Hamer	(15) Bama Glass	(7) Tom Kelleher	(6) Willie Spencer	(5) Bill Stanley
14	at Cincinnati Bengals	(17) Jerry Seeman	(20) Frank Sinkovitz	(3) Leo Miles	(6) John Leimbach	(23) Paul Baetz	(7) Bill Quinby	(9) Bill O'Brien
15	Houston Oilers	(6) Dick Jorgensen	(4) John Keck	(9) Ligouri Hagerty	(22) Boyce Smith	(17) Roy Clymer	(16) Royal Cathcart	(3) Dick Dolack
16	at New Orleans Saints	(14) Gene Barth	(5) Bob Boylston	(18) Burl Toler	(3) Bob McLaughlin	(15) J.W. Sanders	(9) Dean Look	(7) Fritz Graf

Standings

NFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
San Francisco 49ers⁽¹⁾	13	3	0	.857	5–1	11–1	357	250	W5
Atlanta Falcons	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	426	355	L3
Los Angeles Rams	6	10	0	.375	2–4	5–7	303	351	L1
New Orleans Saints	4	12	0	.250	2–4	2–10	207	378	L4

Final statistics

Statistical comparison

	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

Quarter-by-quarter

49ers Quarter-by-quarter
	1	2	3	4	T
49ers	80	100	88	89	357
Opponents	40	76	55	79	250

Individual leaders

49ers Passing
	C/ATT¹	Yds	TD	INT	Rating
Montana	311/488	3565	19	12	88.4
Benjamin	15/26	171	1	1	74.4
Solomon	1/1	25	0	0	118.8
Easley	1/1	5	0	0	87.5
Clark	0/1	0	0	0	39.6
49ers Rushing
	Car²	Yds	TD	LG³	Yds/Car
Patton	152	543	4	28	3.6
Cooper	98	330	1	23	3.4
Davis	94	297	7	14	3.2
Easley	76	224	1	9	2.9
Hofer	60	193	1	12	3.2
Ring	22	106	0	16	4.8
Montana	25	95	2	20	3.8
Lawrence	13	48	1	14	3.7
Solomon	9	43	0	16	4.8
Clark	3	32	0	18	10.7
Elliott	7	29	0	9	4.1
Benjamin	1	1	0	1	1.0
49ers Receiving
	Rec⁴	Yds	TD	LG³	Yds/Rec
Clark	85	1105	4	78	13.0
Solomon	59	969	8	60	16.4
Cooper	51	477	0	50	9.4
Young	37	400	5	29	10.8
Hofer	27	244	0	22	9.0
Patton	27	195	1	31	7.2
Wilson	9	125	1	27	13.9
Easley	9	62	0	21	6.9
Elliott	7	81	0	19	11.6
Ramson	4	45	0	16	11.3
Ring	3	28	1	21	9.3
Shumann	3	21	0	8	7.0
Lawrence	3	10	0	5	3.3
Davis	3	–1	0	3	–0.3
Peets	1	5	0	5	5.0

49ers Interception
	Int⁵	Yds	TD	LG³	Y/Int
Hicks	9	239	1	72	26.6
Lott	7	117	3	41	16.7
Williamson	4	44	0	28	11.0
Wright	3	26	0	26	8.7
McColl	1	22	0	22	22.0
Martin	1	0	0	0	0
Reynolds	1	0	0	0	0
Turner	1	0	0	0	0

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 Extra Points
	XP	XPA	XP%
Wersching	30	30	100
Bahr	12	12	100

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

¹Completions/attempts ²Carries ³Long gain ⁴Receptions ⁵Interceptions ⁶Punts ⁷Kickoff Returns ⁸Punt Returns

Postseason

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
Divisional	January 3, 1982	New York Giants (5)	W 38–24	1–0	Candlestick Park	58,360	Recap
NFC Championship	January 10, 1982	Dallas Cowboys (2)	W 28–27	2–0	Candlestick Park	60,525	Recap
Super Bowl XVI	January 24, 1982	vs. Cincinnati Bengals (A1)	W 26–21	3–0	Pontiac Silverdome	81,270	Recap

NFC Divisional Playoff

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.

NFC Divisional Playoff: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	3	7	7	24
49ers	7	17	0	14	38

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: January 3, 1982
Game time: 2:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C); wind 11
Game attendance: 58,360
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), Irv Cross (sideline reporter)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Charle Young 8 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
NYG – Earnest Gray 72 yard pass from Scott Brunner – (Joe Danelo kick) Tied 7–7

Second quarter

SF – Ray Wersching 22 yard field goal – 49ers 10–7
SF – Freddie Solomon 58 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 17–7
SF – Ricky Patton 25 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 24–7
NYG – Joe Danelo 48 yard field goal – 49ers 24–10

Third quarter

NYG – Johnny Perkins 59 yard pass from Scott Brunner – (Joe Danelo kick) 49ers 24–17

Fourth quarter

SF – Bill Ring 3 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 31–17
SF – Ronnie Lott 20 yard interception return – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 38–17
NYG – Johnny Perkins 17 yard pass from Scott Brunner – (Joe Danelo kick) 49ers 38–24

Top passers

NYG – Scott Brunner, 16/37, 290 Yds, 3 TDs, 2 Ints
SF – Joe Montana, 20/31, 304 Yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int

Top rushers

NYG – Rob Carpenter, 17 Car, 61 Yds
SF – Earl Cooper, 7 Car, 52 Yds

Top receivers

NYG – Johnny Perkins, 7 Rec, 121 Yds, 2 TDs
SF – Freddie Solomon, 6 Rec, 107 Yds, 1 TD

Top tacklers

NYG -
SF -

Turnovers

NYG – 4
SF – 1

NFC Championship Game

The 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 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 the following week.

NFC Championship Game: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	10	7	0	10	27
49ers	7	7	7	7	28

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Date: January 10, 1982
Game time: 2:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C); wind 4
Game attendance: 60,525
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully (play-by-play), Hank Stram (color commentator), Irv Cross (sideline reporter)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Freddie Solomon 8 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
DAL – Rafael Septién 44 yard field goal – 49ers 7–3
DAL – Tony Hill 26 yard pass from Danny White – (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 10–7

Second quarter

SF – Dwight Clark 20 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–10
DAL – Tony Dorsett 5 yard rush – (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 17–14

Third quarter

SF – Johnny Davis 2 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 21–17

Fourth quarter

DAL – Rafael Septién 22 yard field goal – 49ers 21–20
DAL – Doug Cosbie 21 yard pass from Danny White – (Rafael Septién kick) Cowboys 27–21
SF – Dwight Clark 6 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 28–27

Top passers

DAL – Danny White, 16/24, 173 Yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int
SF – Joe Montana, 22/35, 286 Yds, 3 TDs, 3 Ints

Top rushers

DAL – Tony Dorsett, 22 Car, 91 Yds, 1 TD
SF – Lenvil Elliott, 10 Car, 48 Yds

Top receivers

DAL – James Jones, 3 Rec, 17 Yds
SF – Dwight Clark, 8 Rec, 120 Yds, 2 TDs

Top tacklers

DAL -
SF -

Turnovers

DAL – 3
SF – 6

Super Bowl XVI

Super Bowl XVI: San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	7	13	0	6	26
Bengals	0	0	7	14	21

at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

Date: January 24, 1982
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 81,270
Referee: Pat Haggerty
TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), Irv Cross (sideline reporter)
Pro-Football-Reference.com[5]

Game information

First quarter

SF – Joe Montana 1 yard run – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0

Second quarter

SF – Earl Cooper 11 yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–0
SF – Ray Wersching 22 yard field goal – 49ers 17–0
SF – Ray Wersching 26 yard field goal – 49ers 20–0

Third quarter

CIN – Ken Anderson 5 yard rush – (Jim Breech kick) 49ers 20–7

Fourth quarter

CIN – Dan Ross 4 yard pass from Ken Anderson – (Jim Breech kick) 49ers 20–14
SF – Ray Wersching 40 yard field goal – 49ers 23–14
SF – Ray Wersching 23 yard field goal – 49ers 26–14
CIN – Dan Ross 3 yard pass from Ken Anderson – (Jim Breech kick) 49ers 26–21

Top passers

SF – Joe Montana, 14/22, 157 Yds, 1 TD
CIN – Ken Anderson, 25/34, 300 Yds, 2 TDs, 2 Ints

Top rushers

SF – Ricky Patton, 17 Car, 55 Yds
CIN – Pete Johnson, 14 Car, 36 Yds

Top receivers

SF – Freddie Solomon, 4 Rec, 52 Yds
CIN – Dan Ross, 11 Rec, 104 Yds, 2 TDs

Top tacklers

SF -
CIN -

Turnovers

SF – 1
CIN – 4

Game officials

Round	Opponent	Referee	Umpire	Head Linesman	Line Judge	Back Judge	Side Judge	Field Judge	Alternates
NFC Divisional Playoff	New York Giants	(12) Ben Dreith	(12) Dave Hamilton	(15) Ray Dodez	(9) Jack Fette	(9) Banks Williams	(4) Ed Ward	(14) Jack Vaughn	(16) Jack Johnson
NFC Championship Game	Dallas Cowboys	(3) Jim Tunney	(5) Bob Boylston	(6) Ed Marion	(16) Bob Beeks	(5) Ray Douglas	(9) Dean Look	(20) Ed Merrifield	(20) Gordon McCarter (9) Dave Moss
Super Bowl XVI	vs. Cincinnati Bengals (at Pontiac, Michigan)	(4) Pat Haggerty	(7) Al Conway	(17) Jerry Bergman	(16) Bob Beeks	(20) Bill Swanson	(19) Bob Rice	(6) Don Hakes	(14) Gene Barth (8) Pat Harder

Awards and records

Joe Montana, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player
Bill Walsh, National Football League Coach of the Year Award

1982 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl

Number	Player	Position	Conference
87	Dwight Clark	WR	NFC Pro Bowlers
51	Randy Cross	RG, Starter	NFC Pro Bowlers
74	Fred Dean	DE	NFC Pro Bowlers
22	Dwight Hicks	S	NFC Pro Bowlers
42	Ronnie Lott	RCB, Starter	NFC Pro Bowlers
16	Joe Montana	QB, Starter	NFC Pro Bowlers

[6]

Media

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

References

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/01/27/silverdome-super-bowl-san-francisco-49ers-dynasty
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sfo/1981_draft.htm
"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.
San Francisco 49ers 2015 Media Guide. San Francisco 49ers. p. 448.
San Francisco 49ers 2015 Media Guide. San Francisco 49ers. p. 517.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] ttp://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/01/27/silverdome-super-bowl-san-francisco-49ers-dynasty

[2] ttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sfo/1981_draft.htm

[3] "1981 San Francisco 49ers starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 14, 2014.

[spchrros-4] "Team rosters". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). January 23, 1982. p. 12.

[2015_media_guide_p448-5] San Francisco 49ers 2015 Media Guide. San Francisco 49ers. p. 448.

[6] San Francisco 49ers 2015 Media Guide. San Francisco 49ers. p. 517.

San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XVI champions
3 Jim Miller 7 Guy Benjamin 14 Ray Wersching 16 Joe Montana (MVP) 20 Amos Lawrence 21 Eric Wright 22 Dwight Hicks 24 Rick Gervais 27 Carlton Williamson 28 Lynn Thomas 29 Saladin Martin 30 Bill Ring 31 Walt Easley 32 Ricky Patton 33 Ricky Churchman 35 Lenvil Elliott 36 Paul Hofer 38 Johnny Davis 40 Arrington Jones 42 Ronnie Lott 49 Earl Cooper 50 Terry Tautolo 50 Jim Looney 51 Randy Cross 52 Bobby Leopold 53 Milt McColl 54 Craig Puki 56 Fred Quillan 57 Dan Bunz 58 Keena Turner 59 Willie Harper 60 John Choma 61 Dan Audick 62 Walt Downing 64 Jack Reynolds 65 Lawrence Pillers 66 Allan Kennedy 68 John Ayers 71 Keith Fahnhorst 74 Fred Dean 75 John Harty 76 Dwaine Board 77 Pete Kugler 78 Archie Reese 79 Jim Stuckey 80 Eason Ramson 81 Matt Bouza 82 Brian Peets 84 Mike Shumann 85 Mike Wilson 86 Charle Young 87 Dwight Clark 88 Freddie Solomon
Head coach Bill Walsh
Coaches Cas Banaszek Norb Hecker Milt Jackson Billie Matthews Bobb McKittrick Bill McPherson Ray Rhodes George Seifert Chuck Studley Sam Wyche

San Francisco 49ers
Founded in 1946 Based and headquartered in Santa Clara, California
Franchise	Franchise Team history Coaches Players Seasons Logo and uniform history Starting quarterbacks Draft history Broadcasters
Stadiums	Kezar Stadium Candlestick Park Levi's Stadium State Farm Stadium Three games played due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Culture	Sourdough Sam San Francisco Gold Rush West Coast offense The Pigskin Priest KGO KNBR
Lore	The Catch (II) (III) Joe Cool Million Dollar Backfield Snowball Game No Punt Game Fútbol Americano Harbaugh Bowl The Tip
Rivalries	Los Angeles Rams Seattle Seahawks Dallas Cowboys New York Giants Las Vegas Raiders
Key figures	Eddie DeBartolo Denise DeBartolo York Jed York John York Gideon Yu
Division championships (20)	1970 1971 1972 1981 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 2002 2011 2012 2019
Conference championships (7)	1981 1984 1988 1989 1994 2012 2019
League championships (5)	1981 (XVI) 1984 (XIX) 1988 (XXIII) 1989 (XXIV) 1994 (XXIX)
Retired numbers	8 12 16 34 37 39 70 73 79 80 87 BW Mr. D
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League (1950–present) Conference: National Football Conference Division: West Division
Former league affiliation	All-America Football Conference (1946–1949)
Seasons (74)	1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Championship seasons in bold