Tag Archives: 49ers

Biggest Risers and Fallers in Free Agency Thus Far

In one of its craziest offseasons, the NFL has seen a flurry of free agent moves and trades. Which teams are likely to rise and improve? Which teams are likely to fall and decline?

Risers

Cleveland Browns – This was a gimme. The Browns looked like they belong playing in college football, with winning only one game in two years. What does new GM and resident savior in Cleveland do? John Dorsey reshaped this whole team by trading for Jarvis Landry, Tyrod Taylor, and Damarious Randall, and signing seven free agents, most notably being Carlos Hyde, T.J Carrie, Chris Hubbard, and Darren Fells. They did take a hit with the retirement of Joe Thomas, though. With a transformed offense and still having two of the top five picks, the only way this team can go is up.

Photo Credit: theplayoffs.com

Chicago Bears – One of the most complete offseason so far, the Bears have acquired good players in all three aspects of the game. They signed two receivers and a tight end in Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Trey “Philly Special” Burton, which gives now second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky some much-needed weapons on offense. They also signed OLBs Aaron Lynch and Sam Acho, along with resigning Prince Amukamara to bolster the defensive side of the ball. The Bears also contain a high draft pick to address the defense too. Along with the signing of kicker Cody Parkey, these Bad News Bears have the chance to change their name.

Photo Credit: dynastyleaguefootball.com

Tennessee Titans – Am I upset that two of my favorite players are on different teams? Absolutely. Do I wish the best for them? Absolutely, they deserve it. The Titans now boast a two-headed monster with the shifty Dion Lewis and powerful Derrick Henry. Malcolm Butler is going to a secondary that already boasts the interceptions leader and a very promising rookie. There isn’t a lot of weakness on the team. Linebacker is the biggest need and will most likely be addressed in the first round of the draft. Face it, Titans are going to be a scary team this year.

Photo Credit: theplayoffs.com

Other risers: Rams, Texans, 49ers

Fallers

Seattle Seahawks – Russell Wilson might as well scramble every play with that offensive line that’s “protecting” him. Seattle also lacks a real run game although potential standout Chris Carson is returning from injury, and they lost pass catchers Paul Richardson and Jimmy Graham. The breakup of the Legion of Boom and losses of Michael Bennett and Sheldon Richardson leaves this team with too many needs on both sides of the ball.

Photo Credit: worldstarhiphop.com

Detroit Lions – The Vikings got Cousins and Richardson, the Packers got Graham and Wilkerson, and the Bears got A-Rob and Taylor Gabriel (and more). All other teams in their division got better which leaves the Lions grasping for whatever leftovers they can get. They did sign LeGarrette Blount who will improve their otherwise nonexistent run game. However, the losses of Haloti Ngata, Tahir Whitehead, and Eric Ebron are drastic. Deshawn Shead and Devon Kennard can improve the team a little bit, but they are going to need a great draft, a couple more FA signings, and a bigger beard from a certain someone in their management.

Photo Credit: redandblack.com

Arizona Cardinals – The solution to losing an injury prone quarterback? Get another one. And better yet, pay him $20 million a year. Especially when your offensive line needs serious improvement. Why not cut one of your best defensive players while you are at it? This was a pretty easy one. Sam Bradford is a high-risk player and the loss of Tyrann Mathieu is devastating.

Photo Credit: onsizzle.com

Other fallers – It was hard to really say if a team was a faller because many teams lost notable free agents, but made signings that could make up for it. Those teams would be neutral or undecided until further notice.

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLVII

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The Super Bowl is just 5 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 5 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

New Orleans hosted Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013. The game pitted the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens of the American Football Conference.

San Francisco 49ers 5 Years Ago

From 1981 to 1998, there was no more decorated franchise in the NFL than the San Francisco 49ers. But, they fell on hard times as they entered the 21^st century. They bounced back in a big way with the hiring of Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh’s 49ers played tough, physical defense and ball control offense. On offense, Frank Gore out of the University of Miami was the masterpiece.

In 2011, the 49ers great defense helped them get to overtime in the NFC championship game. They were stunned in that game due to a special-teams miscue. The 2012 team got off to another good start, but Harbaugh made a surprising move prior to a week 11 game against Chicago. He switched from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick at starting quarterback.

Colin Kaepernick

Kaepernick was mesmerizing to watch. He threw the ball with ferocious velocity and ran like a gazelle in the open field. In his fifth career start, he won at New England 41-34. In his eighth career start and first playoff game, he embarrassed the proud Green Bay Packers 45-31. He passed for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 181 yards and 2 more touchdowns including a 56-yarder where he dashed untouched.

In the NFC championship game, the 49ers offense faced its toughest challenge as they fell behind at Atlanta 17-0 early. Matt Ryan torched the Niners defense to the tune of 400 passing yards. Yet, San Francisco kept their poise and stayed in striking distance. Ted Ginn set up the Niners go-ahead score with a 20-yard punt return. Five runs and one pass later, Gore hit the end zone for a 28-24 lead. Atlanta’s final meaningful possession lasted seven minutes but yielded 0 points as Ryan’s fourth down pass from the 10-yard line fell incomplete. The 49ers were back in the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years!

Baltimore Ravens 5 Years Ago

Like the 49ers, the Ravens lost a heartbreaker in the AFC championship one season earlier. Unlike the 49ers, Baltimore played their stronger ball early in the 2012 season. Led by Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, and several capable receivers, the Ravens started 9-2 including a miraculous win at San Diego. In that game, Rice converted a 4^th and 29!

The Ravens followed that up with a three-game losing streak and dropped to the fourth seed in the AFC. Their defense was affected with an injury to veteran Ray Lewis. Baltimore finished an unremarkable 17^th in team defense and stumbled into the playoffs to play the up-and-coming Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts Rookie Pro Bowler Andrew Luck was throttled, however, by the proud Ravens “D.” Lewis had announced his retirement, so this was his last home game and it was an emotional one. The Ravens buried the Colts 24-9. Veteran Ed Reed, arguably the best safety ever to do it likewise had a big game helping Baltimore to advance.

Road Warriors

Their Divisional round matchup served as this team’s turning point. They were heavy underdogs to Peyton Manning and the Broncos. In his first season with Denver, Manning was not human with his production. But, on this frigid night, the Ravens kept at him despite his hot start. Late in the fourth quarter of his scintillating game, the Ravens faced a third down from their own 30. Flacco launched a ball deep downfield where somehow Jacoby Jones was behind the defense. He scored to tie the game at 35 and send it to overtime. Corey Graham picked off Manning late in the first overtime setting up Baltimore’s game-winning drive in a staggering upset.

In the AFC championship game, the Ravens showed their mettle by frustrating the Patriots time and again in New England. The Patriots were able to take a 13-7 halftime lead, but it could have been more were it not for Baltimore’s excellent red zone defense on this night. Unbelievably, the Patriots did not score in the second half. On offense, Flacco carved up New England with veteran Anquan Boldin scoring twice in the fourth. Baltimore’s 28-13 win sent them off to their second Super Bowl. It was John Harbaugh against Jim Harbaugh in Super Bowl XLVII.

The Lights Go Off

The Ravens continued their hot streak by jumping all over the 49ers. They got off to a solid 14-3 start thanks to a quick strike offense and opportunistic defense. The roof really caved in for San Francisco during a two-minute stretch at the end of the first half and beginning of the second. Jones came back to receive an underthrown bomb and returned the second half’s opening kickoff. The 28-6 appeared to be turn the lights off on the 49ers season.

But, strange things happen in football. Perhaps the strangest incident in Super Bowl history came next as the lights literally were turned off in the Superdome. When the lights came back on, so did the 49ers momentum. They scored 17 points over seven minutes of game time to cut the lead to 28-23 entering the fourth quarter.

The Ravens Hold On

Then, Kaepernick pulled off one of those absurdly easy quarterback sweeps to cut the lead to 31-29. With the score 34-29, the Niners embarked on one last exciting drive into Baltimore’s territory. Kaepernick and Gore took turns making big plays to get San Francisco to the Ravens’ seven-yard line with just one-minute remaining. However, they never reached the promise land. Three consecutive tosses all intended for Michael Crabtree fell incomplete. The Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII thanks to this surprising goal-line stand.

The Ravens have not gotten back to the Promised Land. The 49ers, on the other hand, came back to have a very strong 2013 season but were denied by their archrival Seattle in the NFC championship game.

Kaepernick is now out of football, but for a few seasons, there was no more exciting player in the game. Flacco is still the Ravens’ QB. Will he ever get back to the Super Bowl? We’ll see.

Tomorrow, we will meet the Seahawks amazing “Legion of Boom” defense.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

Is a Brady-Garoppolo Super Bowl in the Forecast?

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JIMMY G TRADED TO SAN FRAN

In October of 2017, the Patriots traded away QB Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers for a 2018 second round pick. Prior to the transaction, Jimmy G was presumably New England’s QB of the future, as Tom Brady is nearing the end of his career. For this reason, many New England fans were troubled by the move. However, as I like to say “In Bill We Trust”. In other words, I personally did not question the move because as history shows, never question Belichick’s actions because he is always right.

49ERS PRIOR TO ACQUIRING GAROPPOLO

ninernoise.com

Since a brief run of being an elite team from 2011-2013, the 49ers have been one of the worst teams in the NFL. They have gone just 13-35 over the past three seasons. The offseason acquisition of former Falcons’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was a step in the right direction however the roster still lacked talent and experience on both sides of the ball. The first half of the season was evident that the Shanahan signing was not quite enough as San Fran started the season 0-9. Prior to starting Jimmy G, they were 1-10. During that span they allowed twenty-six points per game while only scoring seventeen. Luckily for San Fran, a savior was sent over from New England.

JIMMY G UNDER CENTER FOR SAN FRAN

mercurynews.com

The Niners were an entirely different team once Jimmy G took over at QB. For starters, they went 5-0. The most remarkable wins came in the final two games of the season. In Week 16 they took down the Jaguars while scoring forty-four points on possibly the league’s best defense. Then the following week they stormed into LA and beat the Rams 34-13. Granted, the Rams were resting some players but it was still a very impressive road win. During the five-game win streak the Niners scored 28.8 points per game. That total was just one point less than the league-leading mark set by the Rams. Also, the efficiency of the offense vastly improved the play of the defense. During Jimmy G’s starts they allowed a respectable 19.8 points which was six less than they allowed through the first twelve weeks.

TB12 VS JIMMY G SUPER BOWL?

For 2018 it may be a stretch due for this to happen due to the strength of the NFC. However it is certainly not out of the question. Though it was a short period of time, San Fran played exceptional with Garoppolo at QB. They played well enough to make me question what the ceiling for this team really is. They have some solid weapons on offense with Carlos Hyde, Marquise Goodwin, and Matt Breida. If they manage to make a few key moves on defense then this team could become legit as soon as next season. In all likelihood, it probably will not happen in 2018, but with other NFC teams getting older a Brady vs Garoppolo Superbowl could certainly happen. Such an event would certainly be all a New England fan could ask for.

*Questions or comments? Find me on Twitter @MLBfromNH (Kevin Civiello)*

*Feature picture credit goes to WEEI.com*

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XXIX

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The Super Bowl is just 23 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 23 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

South Florida hosted Super Bowl XXIX on January 29, 1995. The game pitted the San Francisco 49ers against the San Diego Chargers of the American Football Conference. If ever there was a predictable Super Bowl, this was the one.

San Francisco 23 Years Ago

The 49ers were undoubtedly the team of the 1980’s. They continued their stellar play into the ’90’s but had yet to win the Super Bowl. In 1990, they were stunned by the Giants in the NFC championship game. In 1991, Steve Young took over as starting quarterback. And, while posting some of the best statistics ever seen, Young failed to defeat the Cowboys, his boyhood team, in consecutive NFC championship games. 1994 was his season.

Deion Sanders, arguably the finest cornerback the NFL has ever seen, was a key acquisition to an already fine defense. The defense also added Richard Dent, Toi Cook, Tim McDonald, Ken Norton, Rickey Jackson and Gary Plummer (all Pro Bowl players from other teams). They had two other young-stud defensive linemen in Bryant Young and Dana Stubblefield who would serve as fixtures on the Niners’ defense for a decade. And, finally, Merton Hanks and Eric Davis manned the defensive backfield. Since San Francisco was a dynamic offensive team, Coach Siefert’s focus was totally defense and he built a good one!

On offense, the 49ers were #1 yet again. Jerry Rice was the best player in the NFL. But, it was not all roses early in the season. In week two, the Niners lost to Kansas City, 24-17. Who played quarterback for the Chiefs that day? Joe Montana. In week five, the 49ers were pulverized by Philadelphia by the unreal score of 40-8 and Steve Young, the 1994 NFL MVP, was benched. And he was mad!

Epic NFC Championship

Young bounced back to help San Francisco win their next 13 meaningful games, posting ridiculous numbers in the process. Young was smart, fast, strong, and accurate. None of those things would have mattered if he lost to Dallas again. San Francisco defeated the Cowboys during the regular season by a score of 21-14. They would meet again. The stage was set for the real Super Bowl of the 1994 season: the NFC Championship game.

The Niners came out with their pants on fire. Eight minutes in, the score was 21-0! Dallas received the kick. Aikman threw a pick, Irvin fumbled, Kevin Williams fumbled and Dallas had to be wondering what kind of nightmare they were in. But, like Cowboys always did in that era, they battled back. They got within 10 late in the fourth. Aikman went deep and Sanders had very tight coverage on Irvin, but a flag was not thrown. San Francisco prevailed and was on to their fifth Super Bowl. There would be a new champion!

San Diego Chargers 23 Years Ago

Their opponent was the San Diego Chargers. Bobby Ross and his ’93 Chargers finished 8-8. Coming into the ’94 season there were not lofty expectations in San Diego. However, the Chargers started 6-0 and established themselves as a serious contender in a weak AFC. Although San Diego endured a mid-season slump, they did enough to get a #2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Their offense was built around their powerful RB Natrone Means and underrated QB Stan Humphries. On defense, they had the fantastic linebacker and future Hall of Famer Junior Seau. The Bolts did just enough to edge Miami in a thrilling divisional round game. San Diego trailed 21-6 at the half. But, a safety and a Means’ TD cut the lead to 21-16. Then, Humphries hit Mark Seay for a go-ahead score. Dolphins’ kicker Pete Stoyanovich badly missed a fied goal at the buzzer. So, the Chargers were on to Pittsburgh to play the highly favored Steelers.

In the championship game, the Chargers again fell behind. This time they trailed 13-3 late in the third quarter. But, Humphries hit on two 43-yard touchdown passes; one to TE Alfre Pupunu and the other to WR Tony Martin. The Steelers, led by Neil O’Donnell, marched right down the field only to be thwarted on a fourth and goal on a PBU by linebacker Dennis Gibson. Miraculously, the 1994 San Diego Chargers would play in Super Bowl XXIX.

Well-oiled Machine

The game was tough to watch for Chargers’ fans. San Francisco came out of the gates flying. It took them seven offensive plays and five minutes to compile a 14-0 lead. Thankfully, the Chargers had the ball over the next minutes and scored to cut the lead to 14-7 on a Means’ plunge.

But, the 49ers came right back scoring TDs on two of their next three possessions. The halftime score was 28-10. In the second half, the Niners continued the onslaught. They went 42-10 before Chargers’ kick returner Andre Coleman took one back.

The final score of the Super Bowl from 23 years ago was 49-26. Steve Young passed for 325 yards and six touchdowns. He also ran for 49 yards. This was his day in the sun. 1994 was his season. It was his first and last Super Bowl title for the 49ers. Indeed, he would run into a gunslinger playing in the midwest the rest of the decade. As for the Chargers, they have not been back to the Super Bowl despite having several legends on their team in the 2000s. And, now they live up the highway in Los Angeles.

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss how the Cowboys got their groove back.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XXIV

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The Super Bowl is just 28 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 28 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

Louisiana’s Superdome hosted Super Bowl XXIV on January 28, 1990. The game pitted the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers against the Denver Broncos of the American Football Conference. The 49ers were looking to defend their World Championship and attempting to win their fourth Super Bowl in nine seasons. The Broncos captured their third AFC championship in the last four seasons. However, they were still seeking that elusive first Super Bowl championship.

San Francisco 49ers 28 Years Ago

The 1989 49ers were simply awesome. In fact, it could be argued that they were one of the five greatest teams in NFL history. This team had no weaknesses. Their top-ranked offense and third-ranked defense only lost twice on the season (by a combined 5 points). They were undefeated on the road and they embarrassed their two playoff opponents. When they beat the LA Rams in the NFC Championship game 30-3, they went to the Super Bowl for more of a coronation rather than a game.

Denver Broncos 28 Years Ago

While the NFC was a cakewalk, the AFC was ultra-competitive. Denver earned the top seed. Once again, Dan Reeves and John Elway led a team full of heart and effort. They were not great on offense. But, when the game was on the line, Elway was clutch city.

They were great on defense, however. Wade Phillips had three Pro Bowlers: safety Dennis Smith, tackle Greg Kragen, and linebacker Karl Mecklenberg. Also, they had a great rookie free safety by the name of Steve Atwater.

In the playoffs, Denver came back to beat Pittsburgh, 24-23 and were never threatened in a 37-21 triumph over Cleveland. It was the third time in four seasons that the Broncos dispatched the Browns from the playoffs.

Destruction

Going into Super Bowl XXIV, nobody gave Denver a chance to win. It turned out worse…much, much worse than could ever been expected. The Dolphins of the ‘70s won their Super Bowls with a boring, soul-sucking attack. The Steelers of the ‘70s won their Super Bowls with a litany of skill-players on both sides of the ball. There were the Cowboys of the ‘90s and their incredible offensive line and speed on defense.

In Super Bowl XXIV, the 49ers brought all of the above to the table and one could never have thought they were watching the TWO best football teams in the league. San Francisco scored 8 touchdowns on the day! Joe Montana pitched a perfect game, throwing for five scores in the process. Jerry Rice scored three times. The defense allowed just 167 total yards and caused four turnovers. The result: 55-10.

John Elway played a terrible game. But, he would be back. He won his first Super Bowl eight years later, a true testament to his character.

Likewise, the 49ers would win their next Super Bowl five years later. But, Montana would not be a part of that team.

Tomorrow, we’ll see how the 49ers’ efforts at a “three-peat” were thwarted. Also, we’ll get to know a feisty group from upstate New York. Super Bowl XXIV was a rout of epic proportions. Super Bowl XXV was an all-time classic.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XIX

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The Super Bowl is just 33 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 33 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

Palo Alto’s Stanford Stadium hosted Super Bowl XIX on January 20, 1985. The game pitted the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers against the Miami Dolphins of the American Football Conference. 1984 was an epic season for the NFL by any standard. Washington’s Art Monk broke the receptions record. Eric Dickerson of the Rams broke the single-season rushing record. Dan Marino seemed to break every passing record imaginable. And, the 49ers came three points away from a perfect season.

San Francisco 49ers 33 Years Ago

Where the Dolphins were a great passing team and nothing else, San Francisco was a great passing team and everything else. The 49ers were 2nd in points scored and 1st in points allowed. There is no better recipe for success in any sport than that statistic. They were led, of course, by their fabulous quarterback, Joe Montana. Montana was almost the perfect football player. He was accurate. He was a solid scrambler. Montana could hit the deep ball. He was cerebral. He was a joy to watch perform.

Coach Walsh surrounded his terrific QB with a solid running game. Wendell Tyler rushed for over 1200 yards averaging 5 yards per carry. Roger Craig was an innovation at halfback. He would substitute for Tyler on third downs. The Roger Craig-type is on every team in the NFL in 2017. But, he was the first of his kind and one of the best.

San Francisco’s defensive backfield has ridiculous skills at every spot. Ronnie Lott was arguably the best safety ever to play in the NFL. They had a super front line and solid linebackers. This was truly a team without weakness; one of the ten best teams in NFL history. They completed the 1984 regular season with a then-record 15 victories. In the playoffs, they were workmanlike in defeating the upstart Giants and Bears, 21-10 and 23-0 respectively.

Miami Dolphins 33 Years Ago

There was nothing workmanlike about Miami’s 1984 regular season. Their offense was way ahead of its time and, frankly, Marino was the best quarterback we had ever seen up to that point. His receivers were the uber-talented Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. They combined for 144 catches for 2700 yards! Clayton score a then-record 18 times. These numbers don’t sound extraordinary by today’s standards. But, by 1984 standards, they were off the charts. Marino, Clayton and Duper played together for about a decade, but 1984 was their climax.

In the playoffs, Miami got revenge on the Seahawks for their 1983 upset. In the championship game, Miami only had to face 9-7 Pittsburgh. The Steelers had shocked 13-3 Denver in the divisional round, a foreshadow of things to come for John Elway in the 80’s. Pittsburgh was no match for Miami’s powerful offense, losing 45-28.

Marino Shut Down

The Super Bowl started off in competitive fashion. Miami took a 10-7 lead late in the first quarter on a short TD pass from Marino on the roll to tight end Dan Johnson. However, the Niners responded with a three-touchdown explosion. Meanwhile, Miami went three-and-out an astonishing three times. The score was 28-10 late in the first half. The Dolphins got two late field goals to move within 12 points at the break and nobody felt the game was over at that point.

But, Miami came out of the break with more three-and-outs. Marino also threw two red zone picks. Hence, the Dolphins did not score in the second half. Craig, on the other hand, scored three times in the game himself for the Niners! And, San Francisco won the Super Bowl, 38-16.

The Niners have the reputation for being the team of the ’80s. However, they did not reach the Super Bowl again until 1988. But, they won it that season and in 1989. Miami’s Super Bowl XIX appearance was its fifth and last. They have suffered through three decades of mediocrity since then.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about the phenomenal 1985 Chicago Bears!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XVI

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The Super Bowl is just 36 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 36 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

Super Bowl XVI was played in the Pontiac Silverdome on January 24, 1982. The game pitted the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers against the Cincinnati Bengals of the American Football Conference.

San Francisco 49ers 36 Years Ago

The 1981 49ers experienced a decade of mediocrity. Alas, a QB from Notre Dame came upon a white horse. His name was Joe Montana and he was about to rewrite the San Francisco and NFL history books. Bill Walsh, a Paul Brown disciple ironically from his Bengals’ days, served as 49ers head coach. His offensive scheme featured short passing plays mixed with runs by unheralded backs.

The 49ers’ best offensive weapon was wide receiver Dwight Clark. He possessed great hands and ran great routes.

On defense, the Niners were excellent in the defensive backfield. However, they were very young. They started three rookies every game of the season. Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson were good from week one. Lott was special. Dwight Hicks was in his third season. He finished the year with 239 interception-return yards and was invited to the Pro Bowl.

San Francisco added Jack Reynolds and Fred Dean to bolster their run defense and pass rush. And it worked. In fact, the ’81 49ers finished 2^nd in the league in defense and just 13^th in team offense. So, their dynasty began like most of the greatest in NFL history after all. Defense wins championships.

The Catch

Phil Huber

They finished the 1981 season with 15 wins in their last 16 games. Atlanta and Philadelphia were suppose to be the best teams in the NFC. But, the Falcons never got off the ground and the Eagles slumped down the stretch and lost in the wild card game. In the end, the Niners and Cowboys were the leaps and bounds the two best teams in the conference.

The Niners beat the Giants and the Cowboys walloped the Buccaneers to set up the game of the season in the NFC. The teams went back and forth in an instant classic. The 49ers controlled the tempo of the game. But, whether it was nerves or whatever, they were mistake-prone. They turned over the ball an incredible 6 times.

Still, they only trailed 27-21 with five minutes left. They moved the ball slowly, but surely. They mostly relied on the running of veteran Lenvil Elliott and the catching of Dwight Clark. Indeed, it was a spectacular catch by Clark which is known as “the catch” that propelled the Niners into the Super Bowl. When Montana threw the pass, it looked as if he was throwing it away. But, Clark outjumped Everson Walls and scored. Dallas’ QB Danny White fumbled on the final series and the 49ers were Super Bowl-bound.

Cincinnati Bengals 36 Years Ago

The Bengals were surprisingly the best team in the AFC in 1981. They proved that with a 40-17 thrashing at San Diego. Their only loss during the last two months of the season came at home to the 49ers.

Three-time World champion Forrest Gregg was the Head Coach of the 1981 Bengals. Their defense was average, finishing 12^th. However, their offense was excellent. League MVP and longtime Bengals’ starter Ken Anderson had a brilliant season. Rookie wide receiver Cris Collinsworth and fullback Pete Johnson also made the Pro Bowl.

In the playoffs, Cincinnati outlasted Buffalo 28-21. Next up, the high-powered San Diego Chargers. The Chargers defeated Miami in overtime in an epic. San Diego went from that hot, humid victory in Miami to Cincinnati to play in one of the coldest games ever recorded.

The Chargers were once again no match for the Bengals, losing 27-7. Cincinnati with their brand-new stripes were on to their first Super Bowl.

Joe Cool

The Bengals got the first break when the Niners fumbled the opening kickoff. But, Anderson gave it right back with a red zone pick by Hicks. San Francisco took their opening drive to the one-yard line. Subsequently, Montana dove in for the first score.

The Bengals consistently moved the ball. But, they turned it over 4 times. For one, Collinsworth committed a critical red zone fumble. The Niners took advantage of these miscues, scoring 10 points in the second quarter. They squibbed a last-second kickoff at the end of the half. Sure enough, the Bengals fumbled again. San Francisco added one more field goal and the score was 20-0 at the break.

The Bengals did not fold. They scored the next 14 points around a superb 49ers’ goal-line stand. However, Joe Cool sealed the deal with a FG drive that put the game in hand. And the Niners intercepted Anderson again in the closing minutes.

Thus, the 49ers won their first of five Super Bowls over the next 14 seasons. The Bengals would rebuild and be back seven years later. Unfortunately for them, Cincy lost Super Bowl XXIII…to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

Week 16 Winners and Losers

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‘Twas quite the holiday weekend in the NFL. The Chiefs and Rams behaved well enough to find a playoff berth under their tree this year. However, others must have been not-so-well behaved. The Raiders, Dolphins, Lions and Cowboys found nothing but a way ticket to their couch during playoff time. In other news, Jimmy G and the Niners keep rolling, and the Browns did that thing they do once again. Below are Week 16’s biggest winners and losers.

WEEK 16 WINNERS

KANSAS CITY: 29-13 W vs MIAMI

chiefswire.usatoday.com

The Chiefs earn a well deserved spot under the winners column this week. The reason is not for pulling off an impressive win over a tough opponent. The reason is because many counted them out after falling to 6-6 following a hot 5-0 start. A very underwhelming seven game stretch for Kansas City had their playoff hopes looking slim. However, thanks the regression of other AFC West teams, they remained in the race. It appears the Chiefs have learned from their rough stretch and are back to their normal selves again.

Their dominant Week 16 win over Miami extended their win streak to three games and brought their record to 9-6. During the streak they scored at least 26 points and have not allowed more than 15, outscoring opponents 85-41. The fact that the Chiefs have rebounded so strong after dropping six of seven games says a lot about the toughness of this team.

SEATTLE: 21-12 W @ DALLAS

Tough opponent + road game + win = spot earned under the winners column. Further, it was a game that had serious playoff implications on the line. Both teams entered the contest at 8-6 and needed a win to remain in the playoff race. This Sunday it was the Seahawks who prevailed. I can not give enough credit to this team. I did not expect them to pull off this win on the road, especially with Ezekiel Elliott coming back from suspension. However, the pesky Seahawks will simply not give in. They have reigned in the NFC for about half a decade now and have preserved their playoff hopes with this big win. Another impressive aspect of this team’s season is that they are doing it without two of their defensive superstars, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman. I don’t know what others think but I would not want my team facing this experienced group in the playoffs.

SAN FRANCISCO: 44-33 W vs JACKSONVILLE

mercurynews.com

What difference one player can make; just ask Green Bay. Unlike the Packers, the Niners are benefiting from a one-player-difference scenario. San Fran was just 1-10 without Jimmy G and are 4-0 with him. This team became a lot more impressive with their most recent win. The Jaguars came into town at 10-4, riding the league’s premier defense and an improved Blake Bortles. Well, Garopollo and company put up 44 points on a defense that has allowed just over 15 points a game on the season. Thinking back, if Jimmy was quarterbacking the Niners all season they would certainly be at least in the playoff race. From Weeks two through six, SF lost five straight games by a total of just 13 points. It is reasonable to say that if they had Jimmy at that point in time then he could have been the difference and won those games. I know this is a stretch, but had they won those games their record would be 10-5, pretty interesting and says something about their potential for next year. To all other members of the NFC, keep an eye on this team.

WEEK 16 LOSERS

TENNESSEE: 27-23 L vs LA RAMS

Tennessee pretended that they were going to win this game just like they pretended to be a good team all year. I had high hopes for this team entering the year. I thought Mariota would continue to improve and possibly emerge into a top 12 quarterback, instead, he regressed. Tennessee’s third year QB has just 12 TD passes and 15 interceptions on the season, less than impressive. Also, the defense is currently ranked 20th in the league in points allowed per game at 23.1. Not necessarily terrible but with the offensive troubles, not gonna cut it.

Tennessee mostly beat up on the worst teams in the league this year in order to maintain a winning record. five of their wins have come against awful teams such as the Texans, Browns, Bengals and Colts twice. Now, with two straight losses, their playoff hopes are in serious jeopardy and Jacksonville rolls into town. They must win to advance to the playoffs.

DETROIT: 26-17 LOSS @ CINCINNATI

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Last week I said, “Wouldn’t that be the most Lions-y thing to do?”, referring to them potentially losing to the Bengals this week thus being eliminated from playoff contention. Well, they did in fact do the Lions-y thing, which was lose a big game to an inferior opponent. This has to hurt Detroit fans. Stafford and company fought so hard all season long. For much of the season they played playoff caliber football. Unfortunately, once again, they folded when everything was on the line. Road games are rarely easy, but they really should have had this one. The Bengals entered the day with a record of 5-9, and were playing terrible football pretty much all year. They also were playing for nothing but pride as they had already been eliminated from playoff contention. Well, rather than take advantage of their opportunity, they decided to stick to their roots and collapse. Overall, a pretty solid year for the Lions but this one bad loss did them in, onto next year.

DALLAS: 21-12 LOSS vs SEATTLE

Shoulda woulda coulda for Dallas, disappointing season. It started out rough, at 2-3 through their first five games. Then getting hot and winning three straight to improve to 5-3. Then Ezekiel Elliott was suspended and they went just 3-3 without him. So here they were, at 8-6, fighting for their playoff lives. Luckily, Ezekiel Elliott returned but he was not enough as they only managed 12 points in the loss that removed them from the playoff race. They finish at Philadelphia and it appears that this group may surprisingly be just a 8-8 team. Alike their Thanksgiving mates, its on to next year.

*Questions or Comments? find me on twitter @MLBfromNH (Kevin Civiello)*

*Featured pic credit goes to upi.com*