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. After a few punts, New York had a great chance to respond when Richard Todd completed a 37-yard pass to tight end Jerome Barkum on the Bills 30-yard line. Clark finished the game with eight receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Much of the post-game talk centered on the 49ers' goal line stand and the general belief that they had only 10 men on the field for two of the plays. All three division winners from each conference then received a bye in the first round. Today they all were funny. Join our linker program. In overtime, the Chargers took the opening kickoff and advanced to the Miami 8-yard line, but Benirschke missed a 27-yard field goal attempt. 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. 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. The Cowboys fared no better as White was sacked twice on their next drive, once by Jim Stuckey and once by Lawrence Pillers, and the half ended soon after. 25-year-old San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana led the 49ers to victory in his first playoff game, completing 20 of 31 passes for a career-high 304 yards and two touchdowns and an interception. Although the Super Bowl, the fourth and final round of the playoffs, was played at a neutral site, the designated home team was based on an annual rotation by conference. but owner Jerry Jones is not fixated on the championship drought; just the . You can't spot 'em 20 points. Todd also made several key completions, including a 29-yarder to Shuler and a 26-yard pass to Derrick Gaffney on third and 20. We worked like hell on that play. started the season Facing third down and 3 on the Cowboys 6 with 58 seconds left, Montana threw a high pass that Clark just managed to break ahead of Walls and reach in the air for the game-winning touchdown reception. 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. ", Johnson, the 249-pound battering ram who spearheaded the Cincinnati offense that ranked second best in the NFL, "saw the 49ers rise up at the snap of the ball. "They double-teamed Archie Reese, but did not block John Choma (tackle) and ran right at the double team," said Studley. After another Buffalo punt, Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson completed an 18-yard pass to Ross to give his team a first down on the Bills 41-yard line. So when the Bengals defeated Buffalo, 28-21, and San Diego, 27-7, in the AFC playoffs, Gregg became the first ex-player to coach in the Super Bowl. Check out all the best photos from Rihanna's halftime performance! Do you have a sports website? Willie Harper recovered, however, for the 49ers. In honor of Free Game Friday relive one of the greatest games ever, featuring \"The Catch\", announced by the great Vin Scully!00:00 - Start5:40 49ers Sack Danny White on 3rd Down11:30 Joe Montana 8-yard TD Pass to F. Solomon21:39 R. Septien 44-yard Field Goal26:13 Danny White 26-yard TD Pass to Tony Hill37:40 Montana Avoids Sack Then Launches Deep Throw40:18 Montana Picked Off by Walls46:08 Montana 20-yard TD Pass to Dwight Clark55:28 Tony Dorsett 5-yard TD Run58:56 Montana Sacked on Third Down by Too Tall Jones59:55 Cowboys Fumble Punt, 49ers Recover1:03:48 Montana Sack Stripped, Cowboys Recover1:06:17 Danny White Sacked on Third Down1:23:24 Montana Intercepted by Randy White1:24:59 Danny White Picked Off by B. Leopold1:30:01 Johny Davis 2-yard TD Run1:41:30 49ers Stop Cowboys on 3rd Down Inside the 10-yard line1:42:28 R. Septien 22-yard Field Goal1:45:23 49ers Fumble, Cowboys Recover1:48:43 Danny White 21-yard TD Pass to D. Cosbie1:52:05 Montana Picked Off by Walls2:00:52 Start of Montana Game-Winning Drive2:09:45 The Catch2:13:11 Start of Cowboys Final Drive2:13:30 Drew Pearson Almost Breaks Free for the Touchdown2:14:47 Danny White Sack Stripped, 49ers Recover2:16:50 49ers CelebrationThe 1981 NFC Championship game, and more specifically, \"The Catch,\" would prove to be a major turning point in NFL history as it launched the 49ers dynasty led by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.Subscribe to NFL: http://j.mp/1L0bVBuThe NFL YouTube channel is your home for immediate in-game highlights from your favorite teams and players, full NFL games, behind the scenes access, up-to-the-minute analysis and more!Check out our other channels:NFL Network http://www.youtube.com/nflnetworkNFL Films http://www.youtube.com/nflfilmsFor all things NFL, visit the league's official website at http://www.nfl.com/Start your free trial of NFL Game Pass: https://www.nfl.com/gamepassFantasy Football: http://www.nfl.com/fantasyfootballWatch NFL Now: https://www.nfl.com/nowListen to NFL podcasts: http://www.nfl.com/podcastsWatch the NFL network: http://nflnonline.nfl.com/Download the NFL mobile app: https://www.nfl.com/apps2016 NFL Schedule: http://www.nfl.com/schedulesBuy tickets to watch your favorite team: http://www.nfl.com/ticketsShop NFL: http://www.nflshop.com/source/bm-nflcom-Header-Shop-TabLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NFLFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NFLFollow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/nfl/ The AFC champions advanced to a second-and-goal on the 5-yard line before Anderson was sacked for a six-yard loss by Jim Stuckey. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Three turnovers cost the Bengals 17 points in a 20-point first half that set a Super Bowl record; the 49ers staged a dramatic goal line stand that might have saved the game, and Ray Wersching kicked a record-tying four field goals. Perkins finished the day with 7 receptions for 121 yards, while Gray had 3 for 117. Bruce Coslet, the special teams coach for Cincinnati, welcomed the squib kicks. Free shipping for many products! (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. (AP Photo/Al Golub), The 49ers with Joe Montana at start of game during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. (Won 2 Rounds), Lost Super Bowl 2010 San Francisco 49ers, Join our linker program. . After that it looked as if they were trying not to make mistakes. San Francisco 49ers Franchise Encyclopedia. The 49ers were a sorry sight when Walsh assembled them at Santa Clara for training camp in 1979. The 49ers won five Super Bowl championships between 1981 and 1994. (Won 2 Rounds), Lost Conference Championship (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli), Dallas Cowboys kicker Rafael Septien (1) attempts a field goal during the NFL football game NFC Championship between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, California on January 10, 1982. 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. The win sent the 49ers to their first Super Bowl and snapped their three-game playoff losing streak to the Cowboys. But on second down and 6, Dallas lineman Ed "Too Tall" Jones plowed through a block attempt by Charley Hannah and chased Williams all the way back to the 49-yard line before he grounded the ball with a desperate throw. [2], The Cowboys crushed the Buccaneers, limiting them to 24 rushing yards and 222 total yards. 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. Then Buffalo drove 66 yards in three plays to score on quarterback Joe Ferguson's 50-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Frank Lewis. The postseason tournament concluded with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, 2621, on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. The wide receiver fumbled when tackled by Eric Wright, however, and Lynn Thomas recovered on the 8-yard line. We went to our running game and our trapping game and that made the difference. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. Then Ferguson threw his third consecutive interception on the next drive, which Donald Dykes picked off and returned 22 yards, giving New York a first down on the Buffalo 35. Do you have a sports website? This was the first postseason meeting between the Giants and Eagles. The 49ers got another chance to score before halftime when they recovered a fumbled punt on the Dallas 42. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Linebacker Randy White (54) on bench during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. The 1982 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise 's 33rd season in the National Football League and their 37th overall. This was the first postseason meeting between the Giants and 49ers.[2]. NFC Championship Game (2) San Francisco 49ers at (1) Philadelphia Eagles. At 25, Montana was the same age as Joe Namath when Broadway Joe led the New York Jets to a stunning upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. For the second consecutive season, the team finished with a 2-14 record. Later on, a pass interference penalty in the end zone against Tampa Bay defensive back Cedric Brown set up the final score of the game on Timmy Newsome's 1-yard run. (AP Photo/Al Golub), San Francisco Linebacker Keena Turner (58) recovers Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) fumble. (AP Photo/Al Golub), Dallas Cowboys Running Back Tony Dorsett (33) make run in open field during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. Find out more. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Despite a game-time temperature of 9F (23C) and a 35-mile-per-hour wind that sent wind chills as low as 59F, Bengals' quarterback Ken Anderson threw for 161 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions, and rushed for 39 yards to lead his team to a victory. New York was shut out in the second half, while the Eagles opened the third quarter by marching 82 yards in 15 plays on a drive that consumed 7:58 and ended on running back Wilbert Montgomery's 6-yard rushing touchdown. Despite playing without starting quarterback Phil Simms and linebacker Brad Van Pelt, the Giants jumped to a 200 lead in the first quarter and withstood an Eagles comeback at the end to hold on to a 2721 win. Tell the fellows they really did win one for the Gipper.". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. John Ayers revealed that the coach had instructed the Niners to treat the second half as though the score was 0-0. The wide receiver on the left clears out so I can come underneath the zone coverage.". (AP Photo), San Francisco Wide Receiver Dwight Clark (87) celebrates touchdown during the NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco on January 10, 1982. "We lost, but there is lots to be proud of. started the season with 7 losses. San Diego responded with a drive to the Bengals 33-yard line, but came up empty when defensive back Louis Breeden intercepted a deep pass intended for Charlie Joiner at the 5-yard line. Most of the Giants offense came from Carpenter, who had 33 carries for 161 yards and four receptions for 32. No questions or answers have been posted about this item. During their nonproductive years, the 49ers finished last six times, including the 1978 season when they won only two games and lost 14 under the split leadership of Pete McCulley and Fred O'Connor.