San Francisco 49ers: Top 10 Moments in Franchise’s Super Bowl History
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: Joe Montana Finds John Taylor to Win Super Bowl XXIII
Result: 49ers 20, Bengals 16
The greatest of great Niners Super Bowl moments came from none other than quarterback Joe Montana in the waning seconds of Super Bowl XXIII against the Cincinnati Bengals.
San Francisco was trailing 16-13 with just over three minutes remaining in regulation. And it was on this drive where “Joe Cool” would engineer one of the greatest game-winning performances of his legendary career.
Before the drive, Montana pointed out a celebrity in the stands to his teammates. Larry Schwartz of ESPN described the incident:
"While others saw turmoil and danger after the snap, Montana saw order and opportunity. He was Joe Cool, the unflappable king of the comeback. Take the 1989 Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals. The San Francisco 49ers were down by three points with 3:20 left when Montana spotted — no, not an open receiver — but a personality. “There, in the stands, standing near the exit ramp,” Montana said to tackle Harris Barton. “Isn’t that John Candy?” And then he led the 49ers 92 yards, throwing for the winning touchdown with 34 seconds left."
Yeah, that happened.
Montana completed eight of nine passes, capped off by his 10-yard pass to wide receiver John Taylor with a little more than half a minute remaining in the game.
The drive forever cemented Montana’s legacy and is immovable from the No. 1 spot atop the list of greatest 49ers Super Bowl moments.
Next: Best Individual Performances in 49ers Playoff History
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.