Photo courtesy of San Francisco 49ers
There’s the Pittsburgh Steelers. There’s the New England Patriots.
Come Sunday night, fans in the Bay area hope there will be the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers will look to tie an NFL record by winning their sixth Super Bowl in Miami as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. Before we go any further, here’s a look back at San Francisco’s previous appearances:
49ers’ Super Bowl History
Super Bowl XVI
San Francisco 49ers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21
Jan. 24, 1982 (Detroit)
MVP: Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco
The first Super Bowl appearance for both San Francisco and Cincinnati was a competitive one as the 49ers’ dynasty began. San Francisco used a touchdown run and touchdown pass from Joe Montana to take a 20-0 lead into the locker room. San Francisco also got a break when Archie Griffin muffed a squib kick late in the first half to set up the second of four Ray Wersching field goals. Cincinnati however, was not done. Quarterback Ken Anderson rushed for a touchdown and then threw another to pull the Bengals to within six, but a goal line stand by the 49ers late in the third quarter would prove huge. Anderson passed for 300 yards in the loss, but was intercepted twice.
Super Bowl XIX
Miami Dolphins 16, San Francisco 49ers 38
Jan. 20, 1985 (Palo Alto)
MVP: Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco
In a contest headlined by big-time quarterbacks, Joe Montana outplayed Miami phenom and NFL MVP Dan Marino. Montana finished with 331 yards passing and three touchdown passes. Marino threw for 318 yards for Miami and a touchdown, but was intercepted twice. The Dolphins led 10-7, but the 49ers answered with 21 straight points. After two Uwe von Schamann field goals late in the first half cut the lead to 28-16 at the break, San Francisco shut the Dolphins out in the second half. San Francisco running back Roger Craig accounted for 135 yards of total offense and three total touchdowns.
Super Bowl XXIII
Cincinnati Bengals 16, San Francisco 49ers 20
Jan. 22, 1989 (Miami)
MVP: Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco
The most drama that Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers would face in a Super Bowl came in Super Bowl XXIII against the Cincinnati Bengals. After Jim Breech’s 40-yard field goal gave the Bengals a 16-13 lead with 3:20 to play, the 49ers found themselves backed up to their own 8-yard-line. With the Super Bowl hanging in the balance, Montana went 8-for-9 passing and moved San Francisco 92 yards in 11 plays. Montana capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining. San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice set a Super Bowl record with 215 yards receiving on 11 catches and a touchdown. Running back Roger Craig also went over 100 yards receiving and rushed for 71 yards. Montana passed for 357 yards in the win. Stanford Jennings returned a kickoff 93 yards for the Bengals’ only touchdown of the game.
Super Bowl XXXIV
San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10
Jan. 28, 1990 (New Orleans)
MVP: Joe Montana, QB, San Francisco
Seeking to become the first team in a decade to win consecutive Super Bowl, San Francisco set records for points and margin of victory in the Super Bowl. In his final Super Bowl appearance Joe Montana passed for 297 yards and five touchdowns. Wide receiver Jerry Rice finished with seven catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns. Fullback Tom Rathman rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the win. The Denver Broncos were held to just 167 yards of offense and turned the ball over four times. Quarterback John Elway rushed for the team’s only touchdown.
Super Bowl XXIX
San Diego Chargers 26, San Francisco 49ers 49
Jan. 29, 1995 (Miami)
MVP: Steve Young, QB, San Francisco
The San Francisco 49ers became the first team to win five Super Bowls with a 49-26 win over the San Diego Chargers in Miami. Quarterback Steve Young passed for 325 yards and a Super Bowl record six touchdowns in the win. Wide receiver Jerry Rice and running back Ricky Watters each accounted for more than 100 yards of offense and three total touchdowns in the win. Rice caught 10 passes for 149 yards. In the loss, San Diego quarterback Stan Humphries passed for 275 yards and a score, but was intercepted twice. Andre Coleman returned a kickoff for a touchdown for the Chargers.
Super Bowl XLVII
Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31
Feb. 3, 2013 (New Orleans)
MVP: Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore
San Francisco’s first Super Bowl loss came in heartbreaking fashion against the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans. The 49ers trailed 28-6 early, but a power outage and delay seemed to spark the 49ers. San Francisco pulled to within five and was driving in the game’s final minutes. With the ball on the Baltimore 5-yard-line, San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s final three passes fell incomplete and Baltimore survived. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Anquan Boldin caught six passes for 104 yards and a score for the Ravens. Kaepernick finished with over 300 yards passing and two total touchdowns. Frank Gore rushed for more than 100 yards and Michael Crabtree finished with over 100 yards receiving in the loss. Baltimore’s Jacoby Jones set a Super Bowl record with a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Humble Beginnings
For the first 35 years of the San Francisco franchise and the first 15 years of the Super Bowl era, the 49ers never won a championship. Over that stretch, San Francisco made just three playoff appearances before finally playing on Super Sunday. It did however, come close a couple times.
For three consecutive seasons from 1970 to 1972, San Francisco made the playoffs each year. In 1970 and 1971, the 49ers made the NFC Championship game, but fell to the Dallas Cowboys both times in defensive struggles. In the 1972 NFC Divisional game, San Francisco took a 15-point lead into the final quarter against Dallas, only to watch the Cowboys close the game with 17 unanswered points in a 30-28 victory. Unfortunately for San Francisco, it didn’t make the postseason again until winning its first Super Bowl in 1981.
The Dynasty and Beyond
From 1981 to 1994, San Francisco won five world championships. Over those 14 years, the 49ers made the playoffs 12 times. The dynasty could have been even greater as San Francisco was close to playing in several other Super Bowls.
It fell in the NFC Championship in 1983, 1990, 1992 and 1993. In the 1983 and 1990 NFC Championship games, San Francisco fell to the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, respectively, on game-winning field goals. The other two losses came by double digits to the Dallas Cowboys.
After winning their fifth Super Bowl in 1994, the 49ers made the playoffs in each of the next four seasons and six of the next eight. During the span, San Francisco got past the Divisional round just once. That came in 1997 where it fell to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship, 23-10.
The Postseason Drought
After falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2002 Divisional round, the 49ers went eight straight seasons without a postseason appearance. During that span, the 49ers had a losing record seven times. The lone exception was an 8-8 finish under head coach Mike Singletary in 2009.
A Mini Resurgence
From 2011 to 2013, San Francisco went 36-11-1 during the regular season. Each year, the 49ers reached the NFC Championship, but advanced to the Super Bowl just once.
The 49ers topped the New Orleans Saints 36-32 in a Divisional thriller during the 2011 season. However, an overtime loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in overtime would keep the 49ers from their first Super Bowl appearance in 17 years.
That following season, San Francisco beat the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons to advance to Super Bowl XLVII. Ultimately, it fell to Baltimore in a heartbreaker, 34-31. One year later, the 49ers moved to within a game of returning to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for San Francisco, it was unable to hold a fourth-quarter lead in a 23-17 loss to the eventual champion Seattle Seahawks.
Regression
Following an 8-8 season in 2014, head coach Jim Harbaugh left San Francisco for his alma mater Michigan. After averaging 12 wins per season over the previous three years, the 49ers averaged just over four wins for the next four seasons.
The Return in 2019
From 4-12 in 2018, the San Francisco 49ers were the NFL’s biggest surprise in 2019. Fresh off a season-ending injury, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo played in every game for San Francisco in 2019. Garoppolo ranked eighth in the NFL in passer rating, fifth in completion percentage and third in yards per attempt.
Behind the 3-headed monster of Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida, San Francisco ranked second in the NFL in rushing. George Kittle was one of three tight ends with 1,000 yards receiving.
While the offense was serviceable, the strength for San Francisco was the defense. For the year, the 49ers ranked second in total defense. As Fred Warner led the team in tackles, the pass-rushing quarter of Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner and Dee Ford was one of the best in the NFL.
The 49ers were the last team to lose in 2019 after an 8-0 start. San Francisco finally lost to Seattle in overtime on Monday Night Football. With home-field advantage on the line, San Francisco got sweet revenge in Week 17, courtesy of a goal line stop in a 26-21 victory. The 49ers finished the season with a record of 13-3.
The Playoffs
As the top seed in the NFC Playoffs, San Francisco felt little resistance in the postseason. After holding the Minnesota Vikings scoreless in the second half of the Divisional round, the 49ers raced to a 27-0 lead in a 37-20 victory in the NFC Championship.
Overview
Come Sunday, San Francisco will look to join the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots as teams with six Super Bowl titles. While Kansas City has gone a half-century without a world championship, it’s been a quarter-century for San Francisco. Coincidentally, that last Super Bowl was won at Sunday’s location — Miami.
Mike Ferguson is a contributor for Fifth Quarter and the editor of The Daily Nole. Be sure to follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeWFerguson. Follow all of Mike’s work by liking his Facebook page.