San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 10 Worst Teams in Franchise History
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: The 1963 49ers
Regular-Season Record: 2-12, seventh in the NFL West
OK, 49ers fans. Here it is: the worst of the worst.
San Francisco’s all-time worst team in franchise history belongs to the 1963 49ers — a year which Niner fans would like to forget. And most probably have.
The 49ers finished last in the NFL West in the years before the Super Bowl and managed just two narrow wins over the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys in Weeks 6 and 9, respectively.
The Niners were at or near the bottom in nearly every significant offensive and defensive category over the course of the season. San Francisco’s leading receiver, Bernie Casey, did manage 762 yards and seven touchdowns, but he was one of just a handful of standouts from the 49ers roster that year.
What separates this group from the 2004 49ers is the dramatic difference in point differential. Both years saw the Niners post a minus-193 point differential, but this is quite astounding given the 1963 squad reached that mark in two fewer games.
Not exactly the way a team goes about finding bragging rights.
Tack on the fact the 2004 49ers outscored their 1963 counterparts by 61 points with the extra two games, and one should have further evidence why this team ranks No. 1 on our all-time worst list.
So there you have it — the worst 49ers teams in franchise history. These years may not be pretty at all. And many of the listed seasons are ones which San Francisco fans would like to forget.
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But these years are equally a part of Niner history just as those seasons which defined a franchise. After all, one can never measure greatness without acknowledging the failures.
Let’s only hope this list stays put, and failed teams never reach this top-10 status moving forward.
Next: San Francisco 49ers: The All-Time Super Bowl Team
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.