Walsh, Montana & The First of the 49ers' Decade of Dominance
By Peter Mann
As they prepare to head to Australia ahead of their season opener against West Coast rivals, Los Angeles Rams, Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers will be positively hopeful of another play-off run, and, a shot at the Super Bowl this coming season.
With three of their five, opening games, coming at their Levi’s Stadium home, the game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and at Seattle Seahawks, bookending the visits of Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, and Denver Broncos during the opening throes of the Road to Super Bowl LXI.
Coincidentally, that’s at SoFi Stadium, the home of the franchise which Shanahan’s charges meet in the season opener, but, some 45 years ago now, life was a different story in the Bay Area, as Hall of Famer, Bill Walsh will attest to.
Taking over a franchise who had not only never reached the Super Bowl, Walsh arriving in the January of 1979, having resigned from his post as Head Coach of Stanford Cardinal, they hadn’t claimed the NFC West since 1972 – that would all soon change during a heady eighties, a decade of dominance.
After winning the West in ’72, the Niners proceeded to endure seven losing seasons in eight, going as far as, between 1978 and 1980, losing thirty-eight of their forty-eight, regular season outings (2-14, 2-14, 6-10), but Walsh was afforded time and, all of a sudden, in 1981, everything clicked, despite a rocky start.
It would become an era that saw the Niners claim seven NFC West divisional titles, four NFC Conference championships, and ultimately, four Super Bowl successes, encompassing the 1980s; they’d also claim six more divisional and a conference title during the 1990s, adding a fifth Super Bowl in 1994, their last – for now….
A perfect sentence to sum up the Niners of the Eighties comes in Glenn Dickey’s book, ‘San Francisco 49ers. The Super Years’ (1992) where he says, in the opening paragraph of the profile on Bill Walsh that; “If the Raiders were the ruffians of the NFL, the 49ers were the gentlemen; fans could be proud of their team’s demeanour as well as its success.”
The 1981 Regular Season
In ‘Forty Niners. From the Formative Forties to the Team of the Eighties,’ (Joseph Hession, 1990), he described the start of the 1981 season thus; “In the 1981 college draft, the 49ers hoped to improve the porous pass defense that plagued them throughout the 1980 season.
“They selected Ronnie Lott on the first round, Eric Wright on the second round, Carter Williamson on the third round.
“The three defensive backs stepped into immediate starting roles. By the end of the 1981 season, the 49ers had the best secondary in football.”
The Niners began the ’81 regular season 1-2, losing the opener, 17-24, at Detroit Lions, and their third game, 17-34 at Atlanta Falcons, a 28-17 success over the visiting Chicago Bears sandwiched between, in front of more 49,500 at Candlestick Park.
Then came a run of seven straight victories, a run of results that had never been achieved before in franchise history; something special was brewing, and the Niners were, all of a sudden, a dangerous, 8-2 outfit.
It began in late-September, against the visiting New Orleans Saints, a 21-14 success which saw running back Johnny Davis claim a rushing score to tie the contest in the second quarter, quarterback ‘Joe Cool’ Joe Montana connected with wide receiver Freddie Solomon over sixty yards to afford the Niners a third quarter lead, then cornerback Ronnie Lott added a fourth quarter, 26-yard interception return, with kicker Matt Bahr adding the extras on each, Jeff Groth and Wayne Wilson opening and closing the scoring for the Saints.
Six further successes were racked up throughout October and early November as Washington Redskins (30-17 at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium), Dallas Cowboys (45-14), Green Bay Packers (13-3 at Milwaukee County Stadium), Los Angeles Rams (20-17), Pittsburgh Steelers (17-14 at Three Rivers Stadium), and Atlanta Falcons (17-14), were all brushed aside.
Against the Cowboys, on 11 October 1981 at Candlestick Park, Montana posted 279yds, 2TDs (pass), connecting with both Solomon (close range), and Dwight Clark (78-yards), whilst there were also rushing scores for running backs Paul Hofer, Johnny Davis, and Amos Lawrence; Ronnie Lott ran in a 41-yard interception return, and Ray Wersching kicked the extras, including a second quarter, 18-yard field goal.
That success over the Cowboys was, for Lott, the standout moment from his time in the Bay Arena; despite all those championship successes, it’s the 45-14 regular season win in ’81 that lights his eyes.
In his profile interview in ‘San Francisco 49ers. The Super Years’ (Glenn Dickey, 1992), Lott said that; “To me, the most memorable game of my years with the 49ers was the regular season game against Dallas in 1981.
“That was really something because of all the hoopla surrounding the game, all the things that had transpired between the 49ers and the Cowboys over the years, and what the Cowboys represented as a football team…..
“It was especially big to me because the guy who really taught me how to play football, Dennis Thurman, was playing for the Cowboys (safety/corner, 1978-85).”
Clark was one of those who became key to that first Super Bowl success, and said of his arrival in the opening of his interview in Glenn Dickey’s 1992 publication; “I didn’t expect to be around long.
“I thought I’d just go out to California to the mini-camp and see what happened…..
“I took my golf clubs to camp. I thought if I got cut after a couple of weeks I’d just go down the coast and play Pebble Beach and maybe some courses in Santa Barbara and L.A. and then fly home.
“I thought I’d never get a chance to go back to California.”
How wrong could Clark have been, and how pivotal did he become to this ’81 season.
Cleveland Browns ended the seven-game winning streak, in front of close to 52,500 at Candlestick, a contest decided by the boots of opposing kickers, with Matt Bahr coming back to haunt his former employers.
Bahr kicked two field goals, 28-yards, and a 24-yard winning score, as well as the extras following Reggie Rucker’s score off Brian Sipe, whilst in reply, the Niners could only muster four field goal scores from Wersching, three of which were from 28-yards, the other from 29-yards, over the second and third quarters.
The defeat, putting the Niners at 8-3 going into the closing weeks of the ’81 regular season, galvanised them to push through, and with it, at least, make the play-offs, which they did following a further five straight victories, finishing the regular season with a 13-3 record.
A trip to Anaheim Stadium, home of Los Angeles Rams, would see a 64-point game in front of near 63,500 spectators, on 22 November, with the boot of Wersching sealing a stunning, 33-31 success; Davis notched a second quarter rushing score, alongside Lawrence’s 92-yard kick-off return, and Lott’s 25-yard interception return, kept the Niners in the hunt throughout.
The New York Giants (17-10) and Houston Oilers (28-6) were both beaten at Candlestick, whilst there were also road wins over Cincinnati Bengals (21-3) and New Orleans Saints (21-17) to close out a successful, regular season, and a home run in the play-offs.
Star quarterback, Montana, finished the regular season with impressive statistics of 3,565yds, 19TDs, 78lng (passing), 95yds, 2TDs (rushing) from sixteen games, alongside running backs Johnny Davis’s 297yds, 7TDs (rushing) and Ricky Patton’s 543yds, 4TDs (rushing).
Giants & Cowboys Overcome in Candlestick Playoff Drama
Early January saw first the NFC Divisional Playoffs as the Niners welcomed New York Giants to Candlestick, a side they’d already beaten, 17-10, in late November.
Ray Perkins’ Giants had finished third in the NFC East, and overcome Philadelphia Eagles, 27-21, in the Wild Card game; usurping the Niners though, that was to be a task too much and the hosts, in front of a 58,360 crowd, marched themselves to a 38-24 victory.
The clash hinged on strong second and fourth quarters from the hosts, with the Giants attempting a shock in the third, but to no avail, pulling themselves, at that point, to within seven.
Throwing for two TD scores, Montana tore at the Giants defence and posted 304yds, 2TDs (pass), connecting first with tight end Charles Young in the opening quarter, then hitting wide receiver Solomon over 58yds in the second; running backs Ricky Patton and Bill Ring added rushing scores, before Ronnie Lott, who else, put them out of sight with a 20yd interception return, Wersching again successful with the boot.
Replying for the Giants, quarterback Scott Brunner put up 290yds, 3TDs (pass), connecting with first Earnest Gray, then twice with Johnny Perkins, Joe Danelo’s boot keeping the Giants on the Niners’ tail including a 48yd field goal before the half.
Success over the Giants set up a collision with, on 10 January, Dallas Cowboys, and an enthralling encounter settled at the death by what became forever known as, ‘the Catch,’ in the NFC Championship game.
Montana posted 286yds, 3TDs (pass), in an early, standout showing in red and gold, hitting first Solomon, and Dwight Clark twice, whilst Johnny Davis also added a rushing score as the Cowboys and the Niners went ball-to-ball over four, exhilarating quarters of football.
Cowboys quarterback, Danny White, threw two TD passes of his own in reply, connecting with Tony Hill and Doug Cosbie, of which the latter afforded a 27-21 advantage going into the final stages.
Then came Montana, and ‘the Catch,’ where, with the Niners in a last chance saloon moment, with 58 seconds left on the game-clock, threw a third down, six-yard pass to a leaping Clarke in the end zone, completing what was, overall, a fourteen-play, 89-yard drive, and with it ended the Cowboys’ decade of dominance that ran through the seventies.
Austrian-born kicker, Ray Wersching, added the extra point to seal a dramatic, last-gasp victory; he’d arrived in San Francisco in 1977 after four seasons with San Diego Chargers, spending eleven, successful seasons in the Bay Area.
In Hession’s ‘Forty Niners. From the Formative Forties to the Team of the Eighties,’ (1990), Wersching looked back on those barren years with franchise saying; “I went through those 2-14 seasons and believe me they were no fun.
“Actually, there was a lot of spirit on the team when I got there,” adding of the veterans in the team, “the vets were friendly and that filtered down to the rookies, too.
“We just kept rolling along. Those losing years were no fun though.”
Continuing about his role in ‘the Catch,’ a seemingly oblivious at the time Montana added in this piece that; “I thought the pass might have been a little high when I threw it, but I didn’t really see it.
“I was knocked to the ground after I threw. I heard the roar of the crowd so I thought Dwight caught it.
“I didn’t know what a great catch it was until I saw it later.”
Victory over the Cowboys, that set up not only a date with destiny, but the ushering in of a new era in the NFC/NFL, as the Niners collided head-on with Cincinnati Bengals who, like the Giants, they’d seen off in the latter stages of the regular season as well.
Walsh's Niners Reign as Decade-Long Dominance Begins in Super Bowl XVI
The Bengals came into Super Bowl XVI on the back of a 12-4 regular season, winning the AFC Central, and picking up wins over Buffalo Bills (28-21) in the divisional playoff, and San Diego Chargers (27-7) in the AFC Championship game, but were put on the back-foot from the off.
A devastating first half from the 49ers saw Bill Walsh’s glittering franchise pummel Forrest Gregg’s side into submission, leading 20-0 at the half, courtesy of the deadly duo of Montana and Wersching.
It was no surprise that Montana would be the one to open the scoring after the Bengals had lost the ball in the end zone, and safety Dwight Hicks begun a move from there, to the opposite end of the field, which took in Montana, Patton, Solomon, Montana, Young, Montana, Solomon, before the quarterback finished himself from a yard out.
Montana would then throw to Earl Cooper for an eleven-yard score, and c=doubling the Niners lead, before a pair of field goals from Ray Wersching, adding to his extra points earlier on, took the tally to twenty.
Both coming in the second quarter, Wersching slotted home from first 22-yards, then 26-yards, as they built up a then seemingly unassailable lead, before a second half fightback from the Bengals made a game of it.
Ken Anderson rushed in from five yards out in the third quarter, before Dan Ross received a pass from Anderson in the fourth quarter, and, all of a sudden, the Niners lead was six points (20-14).
The reliable boot and accuracy of Wersching kept the Niners’ noses in front however, doing so with another couple of field goals, the first from 40-yards, then 23-yards, moving the advantage back to a dozen points, before Anderson again connected with Ross to make for an edgy finale – but it was too little, too late.
Surprisingly, the Bengals outscored the Niners in touchdowns registered, the boot of Wersching pivotal in the final outcome; Bengals quarterback, Ken Anderson, posted 300yds, 2TDs (pass), 15yds, 1TD (rush), whilst in reply, Montana had 157yds, 1TD (pass), 18yds, 1TD (rush) – Montana, along with Dean and Lott for the Niners, and Bengals pair Anthony Muñoz (left tackle) and Ken Riley (right cornerback), have since been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The San Francisco 49ers’ starting lineup for Super Bowl XVI against Cincinnati Bengals was; Dwight Clark (WR), Dan Audick (LT), John Ayers (LG), Fred Quillan (C), Randy Cross (RG), Keith Fahnhorst (RT), Charlie Young (TE), Freddie Solomon (WR), Joe Montana (QB), Ricky Patton (RB), Earl Cooper (FB)
Jim Stuckey (LE), Archie Rees (NT), Dwaine board (RE), Fred Dean (LOLB), Jack Reynolds (LILB), Bobby Leopold (RILB), Keean Turner (ROLB), Ronnie Lott (LCB), Eric Wright (RCB), Carter Williamson (SS), Dwight Hicks (FS)
Joe Cool & His First Niners Supporting Cast of Stars
Six of the successful, 1981 49ers, would be named in 1982 Pro Bowl game, Montana being joined by Lott and Clark, Andy Cross, Fred Dean, and Dwight Hicks, just reward for what had been a very successful season, with more to come.
But who were the main players in Walsh’s vanguard – the main one, not long having started his career in the Bay Area, was ‘Joe Cool,’ the now iconic legend that is Joe Montana; the fulcrum of all that was good in the Niners offense, their gun-slinging quarterback of the highest order.
Born in Pennsylvania in 1956, Montana would play college football for Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the mid-seventies before being a third round draft pick for Bill Walsh, a masterstroke that saw him lead the franchise to four Super Bowl titles, eight Pro Bowl appearances, and register over three hundred TDs at Candlestick.
In Hession’s 1990 publication, Montana spoke of the turnaround in fortune for the Niners, saying that; “It was the 49ers organization that got this team turned around.
“It was Bill Walsh and the coaching philosophy he brought with him.
“Bill installed the system and had some good drafts to get the players he needed.
“Basically, Bill’s philosophy was to attack the defense at its weak spots and make the other team stop us.
“We would just try to after a vulnerable area. When I go through the films preparing for games, I try to find those areas.”
And boy did it work; Candlestick was on fire for most the eighties and early nineties, and everyone connected to the organization, more after what gone before, loved it.
Despite being challenged by the likes of Matt Cavanaugh and Steve Young, Montana continued to raise the bar for both himself, and those around him at the same time.
Of those who benefitted, certainly in ’81, was North Carolina-native, Dwight Clark; born in 1957 (died 2018), Clark was a tenth round draft pick the same year as Montana’s arrival, in ’79, from Clemson Tigers.
A 2-times Super Bowl winner, and twice Pro Bowler, wide receiver Clark has been inducted in the Clemson, 49ers, and Bay Area Hall of Fame, spending a nine-year career wearing the red and gold, before retiring at the end of the 1987 season.
In Glenn Dickey’s ‘San Francisco 49ers. The Super Years,’ (1992), Clark said of their first world championship win that; “Winning the Super Bowl any time is the greatest thing you can ever do, but that first year the fans didn’t expect it and they were so pumped up.
“The second time they expected us to win. We had the best players, the best coach, the best owner.
“Plus, in ’81 I had a lot more to do with it. In ’84 I contributed, but we had Roger Craig, Wendell Tyler, Russ Francis – we had a lot of weapons.”
Two other stars of the ’81 season were corner Ronnie Lott, and defensive end Fred Dean; the former born in New Mexico in 1959 going on to appear for the USC Trojans in the late-seventies and would go on to earn similar, legendary status like team-mate Montana.
Throughout his career Lott would also claim the four Super Bowl championship won with the Niners, and earn an impressive ten, Pro Bowl spots; constantly named in differing Team of the Decade lists, Lott also pulled on the jerseys of Los Angeles Raiders (1991-92) and New York Jets (1993-94), notching an extra thirty-plus appearances for both.
Lott meanwhile, he knew of the Niners need for a player of his calibre before being drafted for the red and gold. He said in Glenny Dickey’s masterpiece; “When I was drafted by the 49ers my first thought was ‘Now I can stay in California,’ I knew they needed defensive backs bad, real bad, so I wasn’t surprised when they put me in the starting lineup right away.
“I was a little surprised when they put me at cornerback.
“There had been a lot of talk I’d be playing safety in the pros.”
Finally, Louisianna-native, Fred Dean, born in 1952 (died 2020), was actually a second round draft pick by the San Diego Chargers in ’75, from the Louisianna Tech Bulldogs, winning a hat-trick of AFC West titles (1979-81) until his move to the Bay Area following the latter.
A four-time Pro Bowler, Dean won two Super Bowl championships with the Niners and had been inducted in both the Chargers, and Niners Hall of Fame – these four, and many more, being a cog in the success of the San Francisco 49ers throughout their heady, halcyon days of the 1980s and, to a point, early 1990s.
Back to the Future: Shanahan's Modern-Day 49ers
Since Kyle Shanahan took the helm at Levi’s Stadium, stepping, in essence, into Jim Harbaugh’s shoes (Jim Tomsula, 2015, and Chip Kelly, 2016, had a season apiece between Harbaugh and Shanahan), the 49ers have again tasted success, although falling at the final hurdle.
Under Shanahan’s guidance the red and gold have won three NFC West titles, two NFC Conference championships, reached the playoffs on five occasions, before coming up short in two Super Bowls, losing in both 2019 and 2023 to Kansas City Chiefs – they’ve also lost two Championship games during this period.
Now though, it’s on to 2026, and, following the addition of numerous players, both in the draft, free agency, and signings, it’s all systems go for the season opener in a ‘Land Down Under,’ and Los Angeles Rams on 10 September.
Following the Rams game, Shanahan’s Niners season is as follows; Miami Dolphins (20 September), Arizona Cardinals (27 September) and Denver Broncos (4 October) all at home, Seattle Seahawks (a, 11 October), Washington Commanders (h, 19 October), Atlanta Falcons (a, 25 October), bye week, the (once known as) ‘Battle of the Bay’ against Las Vegas Raiders (h, 8 November), Dallas Cowboys (a, 15 November), a trip to Mexico City, Mexico, and Minnesota Vikings (22 November), Seattle Seahawks (h, 29 November), New York Giants (a, 6 December), and Los Angeles Rams (h, 13 December).
The regular season finishes with three road games in their final four outings as they travel to Los Angeles Chargers (17 December) and Kansas City Chiefs (27 December), the visit of Philadelphia Eagles (3 January), before closing out the action at Arizona Cardinals (9/10 January) – with a little luck, and plenty of action from a stacked Niners roster, the hope of a postseason run to the Super Bowl, it could be real.
PETER MANN
NFL ANALYST
PETER IS A LIFELONG SPORTS FAN, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR BASED IN COUNTY DURHAM. HE HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL AND THE RAIDERS SINCE THE 1980s, AND LOVES BOTH SPORTS AND FAMILY HISTORY. PETER HAS A DEGREE IN SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY, AND CAN BE FOUND ON TWITTER @petermannwriter