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San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 5 Greatest Plays in Franchise History

By Peter Panacy

December 23, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) runs the ball for a touchdown after an interception during the fourth quarter in the final regular season game against the Atlanta Falcons at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Falcons 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
December 23, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) runs the ball for a touchdown after an interception during the fourth quarter in the final regular season game against the Atlanta Falcons at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Falcons 34-24. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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No. 1: “The Catch”

You couldn’t have thought anything else would be on here, right? Of course not.

Quarterback Joe Montana’s game-sealing touchdown pass to wide receiver Dwight Clark in the 1982 NFC Championship game over the Dallas Cowboys certainly stands as the greatest 49ers play ever.

Heck, one might even call it the greatest play in NFL history.

Anyone who has watched the Niners for any length knows the play and the history behind it. We need not recollect.

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But there is a funny tale associated with the play itself, namely featuring then-49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo.

“There was about a minute left and we were driving,” DeBartolo explained during his Hall of Fame induction speech (h/t 49ers.com). “I wanted to be on the field with the guys, so I went through the tunnel and out of the dugout. I was trying to see what was happening, but I was behind the biggest horse that you could ever imagine, with the police officer on him about 12 feet above me.

“Then I heard the screams of the crowd and looked up to the officer. He put his thump up and winked and said, ‘Clark, touchdown.’ That’s how I found out. At our moment of glory, I was literally blocked by a horse’s a–.”

Well, at least most Niners fans watching at the time saw it. And they continue to see it to this day.

Next: Ranking the Top 30 49ers Players of All Time

Which is why this play stands as the No. 1 all-time moment in 49ers history.