Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers all-time 5 best games in franchise history

By Peter Panacy

SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 9: Dwight Clark #87 of the San Francisco 49ers and teammates await the introduction of Joe Montana #16 prior to an NFL game against the St. Louis Cardinals played on November 9, 1986 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. Also visible are John Ayers #68 and Fred Quillan #56. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 9: Dwight Clark #87 of the San Francisco 49ers and teammates await the introduction of Joe Montana #16 prior to an NFL game against the St. Louis Cardinals played on November 9, 1986 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. Also visible are John Ayers #68 and Fred Quillan #56. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images) /
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Dwight Clark, 49ers
Wide receiver Dwight Clark of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Arthur Anderson/Getty Images) /

No. 1: 1982 NFC Championship Game vs. Dallas Cowboys

You know this had to be the No. 1 game on this list. If for no other reason than 49ers fans across all generations know of it and still talk about it.

Heck, all NFL circles still talk about this game.

The 1982 NFC Championship game, which saw the upstart Niners face off against their longtime and always dominant foes, the Dallas Cowboys, is known for one play: “The Catch” when wide receiver Dwight Clark jumped as high as possible over Cowboys cornerback Everson Walls for one of the most iconic touchdowns of all time:

But what’s often lost in the discussion was just how back-and-forth this particular game was, too.

And from the 49ers’ perspective, it wasn’t overly pretty, either.

San Francisco took a 21-17 lead in the third quarter, but Dallas responded with a touchdown and field goal of its own to create that 27-21 lead the Niners would have to overcome. Along the way, quarterback Joe Montana tossed three interceptions, and San Francisco turned the ball over six times in total.

Usually, teams doing that never come close to winning.

Yet the sprint-right option play worked, and Clark caught the game-winning catch. Except that wasn’t it. On Dallas’ following possession, then-rookie defensive back Eric Wright made a lead-preserving tackle against Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson, which could have resulted in a 75-yard go-ahead touchdown for Dallas.

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But Wright made the tackle. And a dynasty was born.