The
1989 season was the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
' 40th in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), their 44th overall and their 1st season under head coach
George Seifert
George Gerald Seifert (born January 22, 1940) is an American former football coach and player. He served as the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Seifert owned the second-grea ...
. After going 14–2 in the regular season, the 49ers completed the season with one the most dominant playoff runs of all time, outscoring opponents 126–26, earning their fourth
Super Bowl victory and their second consecutive. They finished with the best record in the NFL for the first time since 1987. Their two losses were by a combined 5 points.
In 2007,
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc.
History
Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...
's ''Page 2'' ranked the 1989 49ers as the greatest team in Super Bowl history.
This was the season where the 49ers added the black trim on the SF logo on the helmets which lasted until the 1995 season.
Quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
had one of the greatest statistical passing seasons in NFL history in 1989. Montana set a then-NFL record with a
passer rating
Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leag ...
of 112.4, with a completion percentage of 70.2%, and a 26/8 touchdown-to-interception ratio. In the playoffs, Montana was even more dominant, with a 78.3% completion percentage, 800 yards, 11 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 146.4 rating. ''Cold Hard Football Facts'' calls Montana's 1989 season "the one by which we must measure all other passing seasons."
The 1989 49ers ranked #5 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.
Offseason
NFL Draft
Training Camp
The
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
held training camp at
Sierra College
Sierra College is a public community college in Rocklin, California. It is part of the Sierra Joint Community College District, a district that covers over , serves Placer, Nevada and parts of El Dorado and Sacramento counties.
History
The c ...
in
Rocklin, California
Rocklin is a city in Placer County, California, about from Sacramento, and about northeast of Roseville in the Sacramento metropolitan area. Besides Roseville, it shares borders with Granite Bay, Loomis and Lincoln. As of the 2010 census, Ro ...
.
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Preseason
Schedule
Regular season
The 49ers' offense was just as dominating as it had been during the previous regular season. Quarterback
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
threw for 3,512 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions, giving him what was then the highest
passer rating
Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leag ...
in NFL history (112.4). Montana also rushed for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns, and earned both the
NFL Most Valuable Player Award
The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award (NFL MVP) is an award given by various entities to the American football player who is considered the most valuable in the National Football League (NFL) during the regular season. Organizat ...
and the
NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award The National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual American football award given by various organizations to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. Or ...
. Wide receiver
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. Known primarily as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, winning three championshi ...
had another outstanding season, catching 82 passes for 1,483 yards and 17 touchdowns. Running back
Roger Craig was the team's leading rusher with 1,054 yards and 6 touchdowns, and he recorded 49 receptions for 473 yards and another touchdown.
But other stars on the 49ers' offense began to emerge, enabling the team to spread the ball around. After being used primarily as a punt returner during his first 2 seasons, wide receiver
John Taylor had a breakout season, catching 60 passes for 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also returning 36 punts for 417 yards. Tight end
Brent Jones
Brent Michael Jones (born February 12, 1963) is an American former professional football player, business executive, businessman, coach, and sports analyst. As a player, he was a tight end for the San Francisco 49ers during his entire 11-year ca ...
recorded 40 receptions for 500 yards. Fullback
Tom Rathman
Thomas Dean Rathman (born October 7, 1962) is a former professional football player, a fullback for the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he became a coach in 1995 an ...
had the best season of his career, rushing for 305 yards and catching 73 passes for 616 yards. Even Montana's backup, quarterback
Steve Young
Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccane ...
, had a great year, throwing for 1,001 yards and 8 touchdowns with only 3 interceptions, while also rushing for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns. With all of these weapons, San Francisco's offense led the league in total yards from scrimmage (6,268) and scoring (442 points).
The
49ers' defense was ranked #3 in the
NFL. Three starters from the defense made the 1989
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
Team:
Ronnie Lott
Ronald Mandel Lott (born May 8, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback and safety in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s.
Lott played college football for the Univ ...
,
Don Griffin
Donald Frederick Griffin (born March 17, 1964 in Pelham, Georgia) is a former professional American football player who was NFL Draft, drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 176-lb. cornerback from ...
, and
Michael Walter.
Schedule
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Season summary
Week 1 at
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
Week One proved to be a struggle for the Niners as
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
led five scoring drives, putting the Niners ahead by 23–10 entering the fourth quarter, but then Colts QB
Chris Chandler ran in a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and a 58-yard touchdown bomb to
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. Known primarily as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, winning three championshi ...
was answered by a blocked punt and recovery for a touchdown by the Colts, though they could get no closer than a 30–24 Niners margin.
Week 2 at
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
Week 3 at
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
The Niners fell behind 21–10 in the fourth but despite giving up a safety
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
erupted, outscoring the Eagles 28–7 and throwing for 428 yards and five touchdowns in total, winning 38–28.
Week 4 vs.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
Week 5 at
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
This game was originally scheduled for Candlestick Park, but was played at the
Louisiana Superdome
The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...
instead because the 49ers' fellow Candlestick Park tenant, the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
, played host to Games 3, 4, and 5 of the
1989 National League Championship Series
The 1989 National League Championship Series was played between the National League West champion San Francisco Giants and the National League East champion Chicago Cubs. The Giants won the series four games to one, en route to losing to the Oa ...
. The November 6 game would be moved to San Francisco.
Week 6 at
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
Week 7 vs.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
This game was played at Stanford Stadium, as Candlestick Park had sustained damage in the
Loma Prieta earthquake
The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on California's Central Coast on October 17 at local time. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately northeast of Santa Cruz on a section of t ...
five days earlier.
Week 8 at
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
Week 9 vs.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
This game was originally scheduled for
Louisiana Superdome
The Caesars Superdome, commonly known as the Superdome (formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome), is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints ...
, but was played at Candlestick Park instead, because the originally scheduled October 8 game at Candlestick Park had been moved to the Louisiana Superdome.
Week 10 vs.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
Week 11 vs.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
The Niners fell to the Green Bay Packers in what would be their final loss of the season, as
Don Majkowski
Donald "Majik" Vincent Majkowski (born February 25, 1964) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit Lions.
College career
Following graduation from the F ...
ran in two touchdowns and threw for a third, overcoming 325 yards by
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
, who was sacked five times. The 49ers appeared to take the lead in the 4th quarter on an interception return for a touchdown, but a penalty nullified the score.
Week 12 vs.
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
Week 13 at
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
Week 14 at
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
In what many 49ers fans consider one of the greatest regular-season wins in team history, the 49ers came back from a 27–10 4th-quarter deficit to beat the Rams 30–27. The Rams had already beaten the 49ers earlier in the year and looked poised to do it again, but the 49ers, with help from John Taylor's big game, took the lead late with Roger Craig's 1-yard touchdown. John Taylor had 11 catches for an astonishing 286 yards receiving, which included a touchdown catch of 92 yards, and another touchdown catch for 96 yards. Joe Montana was 30 for 42 and passed for 458 yards.
Week 15 vs.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
Week 16 vs.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
Standings
Playoffs
NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (3) Minnesota Vikings
NFC Championship: vs. (5) Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl XXIV
Game officials
Media
Pre season Local TV
Local Radio
1990 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
Awards and records
* Led NFC with 442 points scored
* Led NFL, 27.6 points per game
* Mike Cofer, Led NFL, 136 Points
* Roger Craig, NFC Pro Bowl
* Ronnie Lott, NFC Pro Bowl
* Guy McIntyre, NFC Pro Bowl
* Joe Montana, Most Valuable Player,
Super Bowl XXIV
* Joe Montana,
NFL Most Valuable Player Award
The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award (NFL MVP) is an award given by various entities to the American football player who is considered the most valuable in the National Football League (NFL) during the regular season. Organizat ...
* Joe Montana,
PFWA NFL MVP
* Joe Montana,
NEA NFL MVP
The Jim Thorpe Memorial Trophy was an American football award presented by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) to the most valuable player (MVP) of the National Football League (NFL) from 1955 to 2008. It was the only NFL MVP award whose w ...
* Joe Montana,
NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award The National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual American football award given by various organizations to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. Or ...
* Joe Montana, Offense,
UPI NFC Player of the Year From 1970 to 1984, United Press International (UPI) awarded the NFC Player of the Year award to players from the National Football League's National Football Conference (NFC). An NFC Defensive Player of the Year was named from 1975 to 1996, and an N ...
* Joe Montana,
Bert Bell Award
The Bert Bell Award is presented by the Maxwell Football Club to the player of the year in the National Football League (NFL). The award is named in honor of Bert Bell (1895–1959), commissioner of the NFL and founder of the Maxwell Club. Voters ...
* Joe Montana, NFL Passing Leader
* Joe Montana, NFC Pro Bowl
*Joe Montana,
Associated Press Athlete of the Year
The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP) in 1931. At a time when women in sports were not given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to ...
Associated Press Athlete of the Year (male)
/ref>
* Jerry Rice, NFL Leader, Receiving Yards
* Jerry Rice, NFL Leader, Receiving Touchdowns
* Jerry Rice, NFC Pro Bowl
* John Taylor, NFC Pro Bowl
Notes
References
External links
49ers Schedule on jt-sw.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:1989 San Francisco 49ers Season
San Francisco 49ers seasons
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
NFC West championship seasons
National Football Conference championship seasons
Super Bowl champion seasons
1989 in San Francisco
San