49ers vs. Cowboys: 10 biggest moments in most storied NFL rivalry

No. 1: ‘The Catch’

You knew it came down to this. And there’d be some who would argue “The Catch” is the most iconic play in all of football.

Since we’re a 49ers site, we’ll go ahead and say it is.

The story itself needs little introduction. An upstart Niners squad being led by a hotshot quarterback, Joe Montana, and an innovative head coach in Bill Walsh. All they had to do was upset Tom Landry and the Cowboys, something those San Francisco teams of the 1970s could never do.

Truth be told, Montana didn’t have a great game, throwing three interceptions in what was turning into a back-and-forth game.

Of course, it came down to that 3rd-and-3 play late in the fourth quarter where Montana hit wide receiver Dwight Clark on a play every 49ers fan knows: the sprint-right option.

That 6-yard touchdown, one which is replayed almost every postseason, gave the Niners a 28-27 lead, although Dallas nearly stole it away on its ensuing possession, only saved by a game-clinching tackle by cornerback Eric Wright.

No one talks about Wright’s play, and that’s probably a good thing.

Instead, they remember Clark, Montana and the greatest single NFL moment of all time.