San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 10 Best Teams in Franchise History
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: The 1948 49ers
Regular-Season Record: 12-2, second place in the AAFC West
The 1948 49ers may be a team long forgotten, but that doesn’t mean they should be.
Two years after their formation, the 49ers of this year were powerhouses in the old All-America Football Conference and posted a more-than impressive 12-2 record.
Over 14, yes 14, games, this group amassed a total of 495 points scored under the team’s first head coach Buck Shaw. The 1948 49ers led the AAFC on offense and were ranked No. 2 on the defensive side of the ball.
San Francisco’s plus-247 point differential was also tops in the conference.
But this was in the days before wild cards and multiple playoff berths. Despite the 49ers’ lofty offensive and defensive numbers, two losses — both against the Cleveland Browns — meant San Francisco would occupy the No. 2 seed in the West.
The Browns would go undefeated that year and would eventually claim the AAFC crown in 1948.
Next: No. 2