Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: 5 biggest villains in franchise history

By Peter Panacy

1 Nov 1998: Quarterback Brett Favre #4 of the Green Bay Packers in action during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the 49ers 36-22. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport
1 Nov 1998: Quarterback Brett Favre #4 of the Green Bay Packers in action during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the 49ers 36-22. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport /
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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – FEBRUARY 04: Roger Staubach, former NFL quarterback, speaks to members of the media at a press conference where the new Super Bowl logo is unvieled at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center as part of media week for Super Bowl XLIV on February 4, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – FEBRUARY 04: Roger Staubach, former NFL quarterback, speaks to members of the media at a press conference where the new Super Bowl logo is unvieled at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center as part of media week for Super Bowl XLIV on February 4, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Quarterback Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys

Yes, another member of the Dallas Cowboys. See why this rivalry was so heated?

Long before the battles of the 1990s, and even before “The Catch,” the 49ers and Cowboys shared some tremendous moments during the early 1970s. San Francisco went to the playoffs three years in a row, between 1970 and 1972, and were eliminated from the postseason each time.

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And by who? You guessed it. Dallas.

Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach was at the helm for two of those three playoff exits (1971 and 1972). He compiled a 3-1 record against the Niners during his career, posting an impressive 114.8 passer rating in the process.

But Staubach’s 1972 performance was particularly heartbreaking for San Francisco. NFL Mocks’ Erik Lambert described what went down:

"Staubach had been injured most of the season and was on the bench when two teams met again in the divisional round. The 49ers built a 28-13 lead going into the 4th quarter. Their eyes were already on the next round. Dallas, with nothing left to lose, put Staubach in. In a span of mere minutes, he engineered three-straight scoring drives including two touchdown passes to stun San Francisco 30-28. That loss crippled the franchise."

Indeed, it did. The Niners fell on some hard times after that season, while the Cowboys went on to be the team of that decade.

Next: 5 most heartbreaking playoff losses in 49ers history

San Francisco wouldn’t exorcise those demons until 1981, when the franchise would win its first Super Bowl, knocking off those Cowboys in historic fashion.