49ers Top Moments Against 2016 Opponents
Take a look at some of the most significant plays in 49ers history against the teams they'll see in 2016.
Dec. 27, 1998: 49ers 38, Rams 19 Wide receiver Terrell Owens hauled in five catches en route to the 49ers seventeenth consecutive victory over the Rams.
Nov. 18, 2001: 49ers 25, Panthers 22 (OT) Wide receiver Terrell Owens caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jeff Garcia in an attempt to force overtime. Garcia completed 34 of 54 passes, which ranks fifth on the 49ers single-game record list for both completions and attempts. He posted 305 yards and three touchdowns on the day.
Dec. 14, 2006: 49ers 24, Seahawks 14 Trailing 7-3 heading into the fourth quarter at Qwest Field in Seattle, second-year quarterback Alex Smith orchestrated three straight scoring drives to give the 49ers a 24-7 lead over the Seahawks.
Jan. 10, 1982: 49ers 28, Cowboys 27 Known as "The Catch," Quarterback Joe Montana found wide receiver Dwight Clark open in the end zone for the touchdown to win the NFC Championship game, which clinched the team's first ever Super Bowl appearance.
Oct. 27, 2002: 49ers 38, Cardinals 28 Cornerback Ronnie Heard hauled in three interceptions in the game to hold off the Cardinals.
Dec. 3, 1995: 49ers 27, Bills 17 After the Bills cut their deficit to seven, running back Derek Loville walked into the end zone untouched to put the finishing touch on the Week 14 victory.
Oct. 9, 2011: 49ers 48, Buccaneers 3 Tight end Vernon Davis caught two touchdowns in the team's big win over the Buccaneers.
Jan. 14, 2012: 49ers 36, Saints 32 The first home playoff game for the 49ers in almost eight years provided the crowd with endless memories. With 2:18 remaining on the clock the 49ers trailed 24-23, then quarterback Alex Smith rolled out and scored on a 28-yard touchdown to give the 49ers a 29-24 lead. A mere 34 seconds later, Saints quarterback Drew Brees connected with tight end Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard touchdown to regain the lead, 32-29. Smith and the 49ers continued to claw their way back. With nine seconds left Smith connected with tight end Vernon Davis on a post route to send the 49ers to their first NFC Championship game since 1997. This play would be later known as the "Vernon Post."
Dec. 29, 2013: 49ers 23, Cardinals 20 In a pivotal Week 17 matchup the 49ers travelled down to the desert to take on the Cardinals with both teams vying for a playoff spot. After falling behind 17-7, the Cardinals began their comeback. Carson Palmer completed a touchdown pass to Andre Roberts to cut into the deficit. Both teams proceeded to add field goals to tie the game at 20 with less than a minute to play. Colin Kaepernick completed two passes to bring the 49ers into field goal range. Kicker Phil Dawson buried the 40-yard field goal, which clinched a third-consecutive playoff birth.
Dec. 12, 2012: 49ers 41, Patriots 34 A late season matchup between the 9-3-1 49ers and the 10-3 Patriots provided a ton of drama on rainy Sunday night in Foxborough, Mass. The 49ers jumped out to a 31-3 lead behind three touchdown passes from quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Late in the third quarter, Patriots running back Danny Woodhead scored the Patriots first touchdown of the night. In the fourth quarter, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady guided the Patriots to three straight touchdown drives that tied the game. Then, Kaepernick connected with wide receiver Michael Crabtree for his fourth touchdown pass of the night to put the game out of reach.
Jan. 20, 1985: 49ers 38, Dolphins 16 Quarterback Joe Montana guided the 49ers to their second Super Bowl appearance. The Miami Dolphins and their star quarterback Dan Marino were waiting for them. Montana amassed 331 passing yard and four total touchdowns in the Super Bowl victory and collected his second Super Bowl MVP.
Jan. 8, 1989: 49ers 28, Bears 3 The 49ers found themselves back in the NFC Championship game as they faced the Chicago Bears in the Windy City. The cold didn't faze the 49ers as quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Jerry Rice connected twice in the first half en route to the 28-3 victory.
Sept. 6, 1988: 49ers 36, Jets (OT) A week one matchup in which both teams started the season with high expectations. Quarterback Steve Young found wide receiver J.J. Stokes for a 31-yard touchdown to take a three-point lead. The Jets tied the game up at 30 with three seconds remaining to force overtime. With 11:09 remaining in overtime, history was made. Running back Garrison Hearst exploded for a franchise-record 96-yard touchdown run, which started the season off with a win.
Jan. 20, 2013: 49ers 28, Falcons 24 The 49ers were in pursuit of their first Super Bowl Appearance since 1994 as they faced a tough Atlanta Falcons team. The 49ers held a four point lead with 1:13 left, as the Falcons lined up for a fourth down deep in 49ers territory. Linebacker Navorro Bowman jumped the route that forced an incompletion and sealed the victory.
Nov. 28, 1993: 49ers 35, Rams 10 Behind a stellar performance from quarterback Steve Young, who completed 26 of 36 attempts for 462 passing yards, four touchdowns and posted a quarterback rating of 145.3 the 49ers beat the Rams 35-10. Young's passing yards ranked second on the team's single-game record book.
Sept. 11, 2011: 49ers 33, Seahawks 17 The new-look 49ers debuted under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and the team started off on the right foot. The 49ers jumped out to a 16-0 lead at halftime. Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin scored two second-half touchdowns, which brought the Seahawks within two points. On the ensuing kickoff wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. returned the kick 102-yards for a touchdown. Following a Seahawks three and out, Ginn Jr.'s next touch was on punt return, that he took back 55-yards to the end zone for another return touchdown.
