With their lead pared to six points, the 49ers turned to their time-consuming ground attack. On their first possession of the second quarter, the Bengals mounted another drive. The 49ers won the game 28-27. : Norb Hecker (Linebackers), Milt Jackson (Wide Receivers/ST), Billie Matthews (Running Backs), Bill McPherson (Defensive Line), Ray Rhodes (Asst. (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco 49ers (61) Guard Dan Audick and (68) Guard John Ayers during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. One cited reason for this was the last second substitution of receivers Piccone and Ron Jessie into the huddle. Then rookie free safety Michael Downs picked off a pass from Williams and returned it 21 yards to the Tampa Bay 33, leading to Dorsett's 5-yard score that put the team up 24-0. Archie Griffin touched the ball at the 15, but failed to grab it and watched the ball bounce to the 4, where it was downed by Milt McColl of the 49ers. Ray Wersching's Super Bowl record-tying 4 field goals and Joe Montana's controlled passing helped lift the San Francisco 49ers to their first NFL championship with a 26-21 victory over Cincinnati. [2], The Cowboys crushed the Buccaneers, limiting them to 24 rushing yards and 222 total yards. The former offensive tackle of the Green Bay Packers in the heyday of Vince Lombardi had served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns and Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League before succeeding Homer Rice at the Cincinnati helm in 1980. "The coaches upstairs spotted it. seasons. Aided by two receptions from Charlie Joiner for 49 yards, the Chargers then drove 74 yards to the Miami 10-yard line, where Benirschke eventually kicked the winning field goal. Later on, Benirschke missed a 55-yard field goal attempt, giving Miami the ball with good field position. . Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. Then linebacker Rick Razzano forced a fumble from Chargers' rookie kick returner James Brooks, and Don Bass recovered for the Bengals on the San Diego 12-yard line. 1981 NFC Championship Game - Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers - January 10, 1982 Wide receiver Dwight Clark of the San Francisco 49ers makes "The Catch" in the end zone to. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Defensive Back Everson Walls (24) on sidelines during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. The Jets took advantage again with another Leahy field goal to bring the team within 11 points at 24-13. Previously, the 47-year-old Walsh had served as an assistant coach under Al Davis at Oakland and Paul Brown at Cincinnati, where he was instrumental in the development of Ken Anderson as a premium quarterback in the NFL. This season was the only one in an 18-season span in which the 49ers did not win at least ten games. Cribbs rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 4 passes for 64 yards. When Brown retired as coach, Walsh moved on to the San Diego Chargers, serving as assistant to Tommy Prothro and tutoring Dan Fouts in the same fashion as he had Anderson. have appeared in the Super Bowl 7 times, in 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2012 and 2019. On the Jets next drive, Rufus Bess intercepted a pass from Todd and returned it 49 yards to the New York 12, leading to a 29-yard field goal by Nick Mike-Mayer. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Joe Montana (16) lines up on the ball during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. . started the season with 7 losses. Early in the third quarter, the Bills advanced 69 yards in five plays, starting with Ferguson's 15-yard pass to Frank Lewis and ending with a 44-yard touchdown run by Cribbs to tie the game. The Bills converted this turnover into a 24-0 lead as Ferguson completed a 28-yard pass to running back Joe Cribbs before hooking up with Lewis for a 26-yard scoring completion. After Commissioner Pete Rozelle's presentation of the Vince Lombardi Trophy to 49ers Owner Edward DeBartolo, Jr., a telephone was thrust into Walsh's hand. Dallas took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 80-yards, including a 25-yard gain on a screen pass reception by Tony Dorsett, to score on running back Ron Springs' 1-yard rushing touchdown. "The Catch" Cowboys vs. 49ers 1981 NFC Championship | NFL Full Game NFL 10.9M subscribers Subscribe 6.4K Share 808K views 6 years ago In honor of Free Game Friday relive one of the greatest. Two drives later, the Giants countered when quarterback Scott Brunner threw a pass to wide receiver Earnest Gray, who caught it at his own 40, evaded three 49ers defensive backs, and raced to the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown reception. Then after both teams exchanged punts twice, the Dolphins reached the San Diego 17-yard line, only to see von Schamann's 34-yard attempt get blocked by Leroy Jones. But the Giants were able to run out the rest of the clock, picking up gains of six, three, and five yards on runs by Carpenter for a key first down. On the Dolphins next possession, Chargers safety Glen Edwards intercepted a pass from David Woodley and returned it 35 yards to set up Fouts' 8-yard touchdown pass to rookie running back James Brooks, which increased the score to 240. In 10 plays, seven of them rushes, the Niners advanced 50 yards and, with 5:25 remaining, Wersching kicked his third field goal, a 40-yarder that raised the NFC club's lead to 23-14. However, the Cowboys soon returned the favor with Danny White's interception to linebacker Bobby Leopold, and this time the 49ers converted, regaining the lead at 21-17 with a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Johnny Davis. The location of the game also set a precedent. ", Then, turning to Gregg, he said: "Congratulations, you had a fine, fine season. The Bengals, admitted to the American Football League in 1968, won a Central Division title in the realigned NFL in 1970, but succumbed to Baltimore in the playoffs. A few plays later, quarterback Scott Brunner then threw a 9-yard touchdown to running back Leon Bright (the extra point attempt failed). The team was coming off a Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. All-time Receiving Leader: Jerry Rice 1,281 rec, 19,247 yds, 176 TD . This was the first postseason meeting between the Bills and Jets. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Do you have a sports website? NFL. ", The difference in the game, said Gregg, "was the four turnovers. [2], This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the 49ers and Bengals.[2]. "He told us we would have to score at least two more times," reported the left guard. [2], at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California. Find out more. 2023 ChampsOrChumps.us Terms Privacy Policy, Won NFL playoffs conference championships: Bengals-Chiefs, 49ers-Eagles The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. NFL playoffs conference championships: Bengals-Chiefs, 49ers-Eagles ", SF - Montana 1 run (Wersching kick) (9:08), SF - Cooper 11 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) (8:07), CIN - Anderson 5 run (Breech kick) (3:35), CIN - Ross 4 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) (4:54), CIN - Ross 3 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) (14:44), This site is neither endorsed, nor sponsored by, nor affiliated with San Francisco 49ers or NFL Enterprises LLC. Ferguson threw for 202 yards and a touchdown, but completed only 15 of 31 passes and was intercepted twice. This was the first postseason meeting between the Giants and 49ers.[2]. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) finds hole in 49ers line to make yardage during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. NFL Playoffs: Philadelphia Eagles heading to Super Bowl with dominant (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco 49ers vs.Dallas Cowboys at Candlestick Park Sunday, January 10. 49ers-Raiders rivalry - Wikipedia Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The postseason tournament concluded with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, 26-21, on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan . For that, San Francisco has an amazing run in the 1980s, plus an extra. Walsh's coaching talents were not immediately discernible at San Francisco in the fall of 1979. This seemed to spark Buffalo's offense, which subsequently picked up three first downs on a drive to the Bengals 30-yard line, but they also came up empty when linebacker Bo Harris intercepted Ferguson's pass and returned it 16 yards to the 24. In a play that would become known as The Catch, 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark made a leaping grab at the back of the end zone to score the winning touchdown with 51 seconds left in the game. Cincinnati's David Verser returned the ensuing kickoff 40 yards to their 35-yard line, and the team responded with a 7-play 65-yard drive, including a 13-yard scramble by Anderson, to retake the lead with a 20-yard touchdown run by Alexander. Do you have a blog? While Bill Walsh regarded the fourth-down stop of Johnson as "the play that won the game for us," Chuck Studley considered Bunz' tackle of Alexander more significant. Gastineau got to the ball before anyone else, but wound up accidentally knocking the ball forward twice while trying to pick it up, and Buffalo lineman Ken Jones ended up recovering it. The Bills defense managed to force a punt with under a minute left, but Ferguson threw four consecutive incompletions as time expired in the game. Three plays later from the 40-yard line, Strock took the snap and threw a pass intended for Harris at the 20-yard line. "We lost, but there is lots to be proud of. Join our linker program. There are only four teams left in the 2022 NFL season's playoffs as we head to the conference . After a pair of punts, Greg Buttle returned an interception from Ferguson 29 yards to the Bills 14-yard line, setting up's Leahy's 26-yard field goal that cut the score to 24-10 at the end of the half.[1]. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The content and information from other sites is the property of their respective owners. Buffalo's miscue on their final drive was particularly noteworthy in that it came after they had called a timeout, making a subsequent delay of game penalty highly unusual. (Won 2 Rounds), Lost Super Bowl ", In Cincinnati lineman Dave Lapham's opinion, "We just didn't move anybody off the ball. The 49ers won the game 28-27. In the second quarter, New York had a chance to increase their lead with a drive into Eagles territory, but Philadelphia's defense dug in and stuffed Brunner for no gain on a 4th and 1 conversion attempt on the 35. Following an incomplete pass, Strock's next throw was intercepted by Willie Buchanon, but as he made the diving catch, he fumbled the ball back to Miami when he hit the ground. 'NFL Total Access' Highlights Under-the-Radar 49ers Players Ahead of Championship Sunday. After forcing Dallas to punt on the opening drive, San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana completed a 17-yard pass to Charle Young and a 24-yarder to Lenvil Elliott before throwing an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Solomon. Meanwhile, the Bengals lost two of their first five games, then bowed only to New Orleans, 17-7, and San Francisco the rest of the way. Playoff wins over the New York Giants, 38-24, and the Dallas Cowboys, 28-27 on a last-minute Montana pass to Dwight Clark, earned the 49ers a trip to the Silverdome. Bill Simpson's interception at the Buffalo 1-yard line with two seconds left in the game preserved a 3127 victory and gave Buffalo their first playoff win since 1965. It worked out that way. Both conference champions had losing records the previous season, the only time this has happened. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. The Bengals were pushed back to their own 41 and Fred Dean, the defensive end obtained from San Diego, made matters worse by tackling Anderson for another four-yard loss, one of four Niner sacks during the game. But Cincinnati's defense halted the drive at the 18-yard line and it ended with no points when Rolf Benirschke missed a 37-yard field goal attempt. Todd threw for 377 yards, while Ferguson threw for 268. "There is still a long way to go, but I am certain we have turned the corner and are becoming a well-based, more versatile team that will be a consistent contender in the years to come.". The Chargers defense quickly gave the offense another scoring opportunity, forcing a punt from Pat McInally that went just 32 yards to the Bengals 45. Sunday, Jan. 29, at 3 p . I figured I could go underneath. Then on third down and 9, Fouts' 21-yard completion to Wes Chandler moved the ball to the Bengals 33. One minute into the fourth quarter, Septin kicked a 22-yard field goal that cut the deficit to 21-20. (AP Photo/Al Golub), List of players (88) Freddie Solomon, (51) Randy Cross, (56) Fred Quillan, (68) John Ayers and (87) Dwight Clark during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) reaches for pass with San Francisco Linebacker Keena Turner (58) in pursuit during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. NFC West Division The best start to a 49ers season 1981 NFL Scores & Schedule; San Francisco 49ers Schedule; Dallas Cowboys Schedule; . Six plays later (one a 14-yard catch by tight end Dan Ross), Charles Alexander scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. 1977 San Francisco 49ers, Mark Haynes recovered the ball in the end zone to give New York a 200 lead. "The Catch" Cowboys vs. 49ers 1981 NFC Championship | NFL Full Game "I was pivoting and trying to make more yards when Wright stripped the ball from me," reported Collinsworth. [1] The 49ers were the fifth team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the playoffs.[2]. "Here's a guy (Alexander) who weighs 220 pounds and can run and he has only a yard to go for the end zone . NCAAW. In the fourth quarter, Solomon returned a Giants punt 22 yards to the New York 36-yard line, and the 49ers went on to score on Bill Ring's 3-yard rushing touchdown. ", Paul Brown, founder and long-time coach of the Bengals, attributed the defeat to "too many mistakes early against a good team. Faced with third down and 7 inside the red zone later in the drive, Anderson kept the drive going with a 16-yard completion to Isaac Curtis on the Chargers 1-yard line, and fullback Pete Johnson scored a touchdown run on the next play, giving them a 177 lead. 2010 San Francisco 49ers, The Chargers would move the ball inside the Bengals 40-yard line five times during the rest of the game, but failed to score on each possession. Within each conference, the three division winners and the two wild card teams (the top two non-division winners with the best overall regular season records) qualified for the playoffs. "They figured Choma would overpenetrate. Disdaining a field goal, the Bengals gave the ball again to Johnson, who was stopped by the entire defensive line for no gain. An illegal chuck set the Bengals back two more yards and, six plays later, Pat McInally's punt set the 49ers up on their own 34. This was last season that local times were considered in scheduling afternoon playoff games for the first three rounds, and not strictly in the 12:30p.m. and 4:00p.m. EST time slots. This article relating to an American football season is a stub. at Shea Stadium, Flushing, Queens, New York. The "long way to go" that Walsh foresaw was covered in six months. Muncie rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown. Super Bowl XVI Champions SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS STEIN 1982 Equipo Record TSN Archives: 'The Catch' dooms Dallas, lifts 49ers in 1981 NFC Then Miami defensive back Lyle Blackwood's interception set up a 12-yard touchdown run by Nathan, giving Miami their first lead of the game, 3831, on the first play of the fourth quarter. We just played better.". The team was loose all week and never tensed up. In 2022, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round. (Won 2 Rounds), Lost Conference Championship The 49ers playing against the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, NFC: New York Giants 27, Philadelphia Eagles 21, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 38, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0, AFC: San Diego Chargers 41, Miami Dolphins 38 (OT), AFC: Cincinnati Bengals 28, Buffalo Bills 21, NFC: San Francisco 49ers 38, New York Giants 24, AFC: Cincinnati Bengals 27, San Diego Chargers 7, NFC: San Francisco 49ers 28, Dallas Cowboys 27, Super Bowl XVI: San Francisco 49ers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21, "Giants Strike Early and Win, 27-21; Jet Rally Falters", "Chargers Win in Overtime; Cowboys Romp 38-0 Victory Puts Dallas in Final", http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125139/2/index.htm, "Jim jividen: Every NFC Championship Game in San Francisco 49ers History-Part 1", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=198182_NFL_playoffs&oldid=1134584152, Articles with dead external links from November 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, BUF Romes 26 fumble return (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 70, BUF Lewis 50 pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 140, BUF Lewis 26 pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 240, NYJ Shuler 30 pass from Todd (Leahy kick) BUF 247, BUF Cribbs 45 run (Mike-Mayer kick) BUF 3113, NYJ Jones 30 pass from Todd (Leahy kick) BUF 3120, NYG Bright 9 pass from Brunner (kick failed) NYG 60, NYG Mistler 10 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) NYG 130, NYG Haynes recovered fumble in end zone (Danelo kick) NYG 200, PHI Carmichael 15 pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) NYG 207, NYG Mullady 22 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) NYG 277, PHI Montgomery 6 run (Franklin kick) NYG 2714, PHI Montgomery 1 run (Franklin kick) NYG 2721, DAL Hill 9 pass from White (Septin kick) DAL 70, DAL Springs 1 run (Septin kick) DAL 170, DAL Dorsett 5 run (Septin kick) DAL 240, DAL Jones 5 run (Septin kick) DAL 310, DAL Newsome 1 run (Septin kick) DAL 380, SD Chandler 56 punt return (Benirschke kick) SD 100, SD Muncie 1 run (Benirschke kick) SD 170, SD Brooks 8 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) SD 240, MIA Ross 1 pass from Strock (von Schamann kick) SD 2410, MIA Nathan 25 lateral pass from Harris (von Schamann kick) SD 2417, MIA Rose 15 pass from Strock (von Schamann kick) 2424, SD Winslow 25 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) SD 3124, MIA Hardy 50 pass from Strock (von Schamann kick) 3131, MIA Nathan 12 run (von Schamann kick) MIA 3831, SD Brooks 9 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) 3838, CIN Alexander 4 run (Breech kick) CIN 70, CIN Johnson 1 run (Breech kick) CIN 140, BUF Cribbs 1 run (Mike-Mayer kick) CIN 147, BUF Cribbs 44 run (Mike-Mayer kick) 1414, CIN Alexander 20 run (Breech kick) CIN 2114, BUF Butler 20 pass from Ferguson (Mike-Mayer kick) 2121, CIN Collinsworth 18 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) CIN 2821, SF Young 8 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 70, NYG Gray 72 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) 77, SF Solomon 58 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 177, SF Patton 25 run (Wersching kick) SF 247, NYG Perkins 59 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) SF 2417, SF Ring 3 run (Wersching kick) SF 3117, SF Lott 20 interception return (Wersching kick) SF 3817, NYG Perkins 17 pass from Brunner (Danelo kick) SF 3824, CIN Harris 8 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) CIN 100, SD Winslow 33 pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) CIN 107, CIN Johnson 1 run (Breech kick) CIN 177, CIN Bass 3 pass from Anderson (Breech kick) CIN 277, SF Solomon 8 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 70, DAL Hill 26 pass from White (Septin kick) DAL 107, SF Clark 20 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 1410, DAL Dorsett 5 run (Septin kick) DAL 1714, SF Davis 2 run (Wersching kick) SF 2117, DAL Cosbie 21 pass from White (Septin kick) DAL 2721, SF Clark 6 pass from Montana (Wersching kick) SF 2827, This page was last edited on 19 January 2023, at 11:32.