Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the top 10 teams in franchise history

By Robert Morrison

JAN 1990: THE VINCE LOMBARDI TROPHY PRIOR TO THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 55-10 SUPER BOWL XXIV VICTORY OVER THE DENVER BRONCOS. MANDATORY CREDIT: RICK STEWART/ALLSPORT
JAN 1990: THE VINCE LOMBARDI TROPHY PRIOR TO THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 55-10 SUPER BOWL XXIV VICTORY OVER THE DENVER BRONCOS. MANDATORY CREDIT: RICK STEWART/ALLSPORT /
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No. 10: 1970 49ers

Record: 10-3-1, lost NFC Championship game

10 points for wins

5 points for division title

5 points for divisional-round win

15 points for top 5 offense

5 points for No. 1 offense

5 points for top 15 defense

2 points for Bruce Taylor as DROY

4 points for John Brodie leading league in passing yards and touchdowns

2 points for Gene Washington leading league in receiving yards

Total: 53

If the 1971 team was good but not great, the squad that proceeded them fits closer to the latter than the former.

Head coach Dick Nolan led his team to double-digit wins, their first of three consecutive NFC West titles and nearly to the Super Bowl, getting knocked off by the Cowboys in the NFC championship (for what would prove to be the first of three years in a row).

One of the many things that set this team apart from the aforementioned team is the domination of its offense. John Brodie led the led in passing yards and touchdowns, as he was voted to his one and only All-Pro team, while wide receiver Gene Washington led the NFL in receiving yards, netting 1,100 on just 53 receptions (a whopping 20.8 per catch).

The defense, with Defensive Rookie of the Year cornerback Bruce Taylor, Jimmy Johnson and linebacker Dave Wilcox, was solid but not the stalwarts they’d prove to be the following year.

Unfortunately, the 49ers were unable to turn their regular success into their first Super Bowl berth, but the quality of the output from several players during that regular-season stretch places them here at No. 10 on the list.