SF 49ers win over Cowboys in 1995 NFC Championship was special

While the 1982 NFC Championship game is special for SF 49ers fans, history shouldn’t forget the dominant 1995 win over the Cowboys.

The SF 49ers have had some legendary moments take place in their seven NFC Championship wins over the years.

As recent as 2020, when the Niners dominated the Green Bay Packers 37-20 en route to Super Bowl LIV, San Francisco’s playoff history is littered with outstanding performances. And while none come anywhere as close to what happened in early 1982 when the SF 49ers pulled off that miracle win over the Dallas Cowboys with “The Catch” by the late legend, wide receiver Dwight Clark, rewinding back and taking a look at the Niners’ 1995 NFC Championship win over Dallas is nearly as special.

Fans may recall that star-studded San Francisco squad in 1994. Quarterback Steve Young and wide receiver Jerry Rice were both in their primes. But after back-to-back conference-championship losses to the Cowboys in the two previous years, the SF 49ers went all out to reinforce their squad to get over the proverbial “Dallas hump.” Those moves included onboarding former Cowboys linebacker Ken Norton Jr. and perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Deion Sanders, who chose the Niners in free agency that year to give him the best chance at winning the Super Bowl.

And while San Francisco would go on to victory in Super Bowl XXIX over the San Diego Chargers, most fans will remember that season’s NFC Championship game against the Cowboys as the real Super Bowl.

What a dominant performance it was, too.

With the Cowboys having won the previous two Super Bowls, this heated bout was going to be epic anyway as the next chapter in the longstanding rivalry between the two squads. And the SF 49ers sure wanted to make a statement right out of the gate.

Turns out, cornerback Eric Davis‘ pick-six interception returned for a touchdown set that tone.

That propelled the Niners out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead, and San Francisco would own a commanding 31-14 lead at halftime.

Yes, Dallas made things a bit interesting late by outscoring the SF 49ers 14-7 in quarters three and four. But the Niners’ 38-28 victory over their chief rivals sure made those previous years’ losses feel much less painful.

“The guys that had experienced the prior two losses I think felt it more than anybody else on the team,” tight end Brent Jones said in a documentary about that 1994 Niners squad. “We knew what was as stake. This was it.”

While Young passed for fewer yards (155) than his Cowboys counterpart, quarterback Troy Aikman (380), the latter’s three interceptions magnified San Francisco’s revamped defense. And that was a major staple behind the win.

That victory, which ended Dallas’ chance for a three-peat shot at being Super Bowl champions, propelled the SF 49ers to their fifth Lombardi Trophy in a game over the Chargers that wasn’t even close.

If anything, the 1995 win over Dallas was that season’s crowning achievement.