49ers: Ranking the 5 Most Infamous Plays in Franchise History

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

Jan 19, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) tips the ball against San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) for an interception by Seahawks outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (not pictured) during the fourth quarter of the 2013 NFC Championship football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

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No. 2: Running Back Roger Craig’s Costly NFC Championship Fumble

For all intents and purposes, former 49ers running back Roger Craig should still be considered one of the greats in Niners lore. He had one really bad moment.

But that moment is still all too painful.

Fans will remember the 1991 NFC Championship game versus the New York Giants. And fans may recall how quarterback Joe Montana was knocked out with a hand injury. Yet the Niners were still leading 13-12 at the Giants 40-yard line and with less than three minutes in the fourth quarter.

All the 49ers had to do was wind down the clock and/or kick an insurance field goal, and they would be on their way to possibly doing something no NFL team has ever done — win three consecutive Super Bowls.

Craig fumbled, which led to a game-winning 42-yard field goal from Giants kicker Matt Bahr.

“It drained us of everything,” said Carmen Policy, the former team president, via Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News. “We lost the game. We lost our quarterback. We knew if we got to the Super Bowl, we were going to win it. The gloom was unbelievable. I don’t recall ever seeing the team or the organization as down as we all were that day.”

All us fans were down too.