1981 San Francisco 49ers season
Encyclopedia
The San Francisco 49ers
1981 season
was their 32nd season in the National Football League. The season was highlighted by their first Super Bowl victory. A big turning point for the franchise was the drafting of Ronnie Lott from the University of Southern California. Quarterback Joe Montana
began the 1981
season as San Francisco's starting quarterback. The season would be one of the franchise's most successful seasons to that point. Montana was influential as he helped San Francisco win two of those games with fourth-quarter comebacks. One of the most famous moments of his career was part of the winning drive in the NFC Championship Game. Under the tutelage of Bill Walsh, the team finished the regular season with a 13–3 record.
, Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson
and giving Dwight Hicks
a prominent role. He also acquired veteran linebacker Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds and veteran defensive lineman and sack specialist Fred Dean
.
These new additions, when added to existing defensive mainstays like Keena Turner
, turned the 49ers into a dominant team. After a 1-2 start, the 49ers won all but one of their final games to finish with a 13-3 record, easily the best record in the team's history. Additionally, the 49ers defense yielded more than 20 points in only three games. Dean made the Pro Bowl
, as did Lott, in his rookie season, and Hicks.
Led by Montana, the unusual offense was centered around the short passing game, which Walsh used as ball control. Both Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon had excellent years receiving; Clark as the possession receiver, and Solomon as more of a deep threat. The 49ers running game, however, was among the weakest for any champion in NFL history. Ricky Patton led the 49ers with only 543 yards rushing. The 49ers' most valuable running back, however, might have been Earl Cooper, whose strength was as a pass-catching back (he had 51 catches during the season).
led the 49ers to victory in his first ever playoff game, completing 20 of 31 passes for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. His top target in the game was receiver Dwight Clark
, who caught 5 passes for 104 yards.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Charlie Young
8 yard pass from Joe Montana
(Ray Wersching
kick) SF 7-0
NYG- Earnest Gray
72 yard pass from Scott Brunner (Joe Danelo
kick) TIED 7-7
2nd Quarter
SF- Ray Wersching 22 yard field goal SF 10-7
SF- Freddie Solomon
58 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) SF 17-7
SF- Ricky Patton
25 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) SF 24-7
NYG- Joe Danelo
48 yard field goal SF 24-10
3rd Quarter
NYG- Johnny Perkins
59 yard pass from Scott Brunner (Joe Danelo kick) SF 24-17
4th Quarter
SF- Bill Ring
3 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) SF 31-17
SF- Ronnie Lott
20 yard interception return (Ray Wersching kick) SF 38-17
NYG- Johnny Perkins 17 yard pass from Scott Brunner (Joe Danelo kick)SF 38-24
A photograph of the catch, with Clark at the height of his leap and Everson Walls
reaching out to try to block the ball, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
the following week.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Freddie Solomon 8 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) SF 7-0
DAL- Rafael Septien
44 yard field goal SF 7-3
DAL- Tony Hill
26 yard pass from Danny White
(Rafael Septien kick)DAL 10-7
2nd Quarter
SF- Dwight Clark
20 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick)SF 14-10
DAL- Tony Dorsett
5 yard rush (Rafael Septien kick)DAL 17-14
3rd Quarter
SF- Johnny Davis 2 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick)SF 21-17
4th Quarter
DAL- Rafael Septien 22 yard field goal SF 21-20
DAL- Doug Cosbie
21 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septien kick) DAL 27-21
SF- Dwight Clark 6 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) SF 28-27
Super Bowl XVI
Scoring summary:
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
1981 season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
was their 32nd season in the National Football League. The season was highlighted by their first Super Bowl victory. A big turning point for the franchise was the drafting of Ronnie Lott from the University of Southern California. Quarterback Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
began the 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
season as San Francisco's starting quarterback. The season would be one of the franchise's most successful seasons to that point. Montana was influential as he helped San Francisco win two of those games with fourth-quarter comebacks. One of the most famous moments of his career was part of the winning drive in the NFC Championship Game. Under the tutelage of Bill Walsh, the team finished the regular season with a 13–3 record.
NFL Draft
| Round # | |Player | |College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Ronnie Lott Ronnie Lott Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players... |
Defensive Back | USC University of Southern California The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university... |
| 2 | 36 | John Harty John Harty John Daniel Harty is a former American football defensive tackle. Harty was selected in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers out of the University of Iowa in the 1981 NFL Draft.-External links:**... |
Defensive Tackle | University of Iowa University of Iowa The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees... |
| 2 | 40 | Eric Wright | Defensive Back | |University of Missouri University of Missouri The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses... |
| 3 | 65 | Carlton Williamson Carlton Williamson Carlton Williamson , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 3rd round of the 1981 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 200 lbs. safety from the University of Pittsburgh, Williamson was a 2-time Pro Bowl selection in 1984 and 1985 and a 2-time Super... |
Defensive Back | University of Pittsburgh |
Staff
Roster
Regular season
With the offense in good shape, Walsh and the 49ers focused on overhauling the defense in 1981. Walsh took the highly unusual step of overhauling his entire secondary with rookies and untested players, bringing on board Ronnie LottRonnie Lott
Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players...
, Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson
Carlton Williamson
Carlton Williamson , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 3rd round of the 1981 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 200 lbs. safety from the University of Pittsburgh, Williamson was a 2-time Pro Bowl selection in 1984 and 1985 and a 2-time Super...
and giving Dwight Hicks
Dwight Hicks
Dwight Hicks is a former professional American football player who played defensive back for the Toronto Argonauts in 1978, the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1985, and for the Indianapolis Colts in 1986.-High school and college:...
a prominent role. He also acquired veteran linebacker Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds and veteran defensive lineman and sack specialist Fred Dean
Fred Dean
Frederick Rudolph "Fred" Dean is a former American football player in the National Football League, and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. His career started with the San Diego Chargers in 1975 and ended with the San Francisco 49ers after the 1985 season. Dean was born in Arcadia, the seat of...
.
These new additions, when added to existing defensive mainstays like Keena Turner
Keena Turner
Keena Turner , is a former American professional football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 1980 NFL Draft and traded on draft day to the San Francisco 49ers. A 6'2" 237 pound linebacker from Purdue University, Turner played in 11 NFL seasons and spent his entire...
, turned the 49ers into a dominant team. After a 1-2 start, the 49ers won all but one of their final games to finish with a 13-3 record, easily the best record in the team's history. Additionally, the 49ers defense yielded more than 20 points in only three games. Dean made the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
, as did Lott, in his rookie season, and Hicks.
Led by Montana, the unusual offense was centered around the short passing game, which Walsh used as ball control. Both Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon had excellent years receiving; Clark as the possession receiver, and Solomon as more of a deep threat. The 49ers running game, however, was among the weakest for any champion in NFL history. Ricky Patton led the 49ers with only 543 yards rushing. The 49ers' most valuable running back, however, might have been Earl Cooper, whose strength was as a pass-catching back (he had 51 catches during the season).
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6, 1981 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L 17-24 | |
| 2 | September 13, 1981 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 28-17 | |
| 3 | September 20, 1981 | at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17-34 | |
| 4 | September 27, 1981 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 21-14 | |
| 5 | October 4, 1981 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 30-17 | |
| 6 | October 11, 1981 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 45-14 | |
| 7 | October 18, 1981 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 13-3 | |
| 8 | October 25, 1981 | Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 20-17 | |
| 9 | November 1, 1981 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 17-14 | |
| 10 | November 8, 1981 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17-14 | |
| 11 | November 15, 1981 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 12-15 | |
| 12 | November 22, 1981 | at Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 33-31 | |
| 13 | November 29, 1981 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 17-10 | |
| 14 | December 6, 1981 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
W 21-3 | |
| 15 | December 13, 1981 | Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
W 28-6 | |
| 16 | December 20, 1981 | at New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 21-17 | |
NFC Divisional Playoff
The Giants were making their first appearance in the postseason since 1963. First year starting quarterback Joe MontanaJoe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
led the 49ers to victory in his first ever playoff game, completing 20 of 31 passes for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. His top target in the game was receiver Dwight Clark
Dwight Clark
Dwight Edward Clark is a former American Pro Bowl wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1987...
, who caught 5 passes for 104 yards.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Charlie Young
Charlie Young
Charles 'Charlie' Young is a fictional character played by Dulé Hill on the television serial drama The West Wing. For the majority of the series, he is the Personal Aide to President Josiah Bartlet.-Creation and development:...
8 yard pass from Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
(Ray Wersching
Ray Wersching
Raimund "Ray" Wersching is an Austrian former placekicker in the National Football League . He played in the NFL for a span of 15 years, stretching from 1973 through 1987.-NFL career:...
kick) SF 7-0
NYG- Earnest Gray
Earnest Gray
Earnest L. Gray is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. He played college football at the University of Memphis and was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft...
72 yard pass from Scott Brunner (Joe Danelo
Joe Danelo
Joseph Peter Danelo is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, the New York Giants, and the Buffalo Bills between 1975 and 1984...
kick) TIED 7-7
2nd Quarter
SF- Ray Wersching 22 yard field goal SF 10-7
SF- Freddie Solomon
Freddie Solomon
.Freddie Solomon , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 1975 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 184-lb. wide receiver from the University of Tampa, Solomon played in 11 NFL seasons for the Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers from 1975 to 1985...
58 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) SF 17-7
SF- Ricky Patton
Ricky Patton
Ricky Patton , is a former professional American football player who played running back for five seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers. He started in Super Bowl XVI for the 49ers....
25 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) SF 24-7
NYG- Joe Danelo
Joe Danelo
Joseph Peter Danelo is a former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, the New York Giants, and the Buffalo Bills between 1975 and 1984...
48 yard field goal SF 24-10
3rd Quarter
NYG- Johnny Perkins
Johnny Perkins
John Eugene "Johnny" Perkins was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the New York Giants. Perkins was born in Franklin, Texas. He played college football at Ranger College before transferring to Abilene Christian University...
59 yard pass from Scott Brunner (Joe Danelo kick) SF 24-17
4th Quarter
SF- Bill Ring
Bill Ring
William Thomas Ring is a former NFL running back who played six seasons in the National Football League from . He was a reserve and special teams player for the San Francisco 49ers during the early success of the Bill Walsh era...
3 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick) SF 31-17
SF- Ronnie Lott
Ronnie Lott
Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players...
20 yard interception return (Ray Wersching kick) SF 38-17
NYG- Johnny Perkins 17 yard pass from Scott Brunner (Joe Danelo kick)SF 38-24
NFC Championship Game
The 49ers were making their third appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Their opponent was their opponent for the two previous NFC Championship Games-the Dallas Cowboys. In both previous matches, the 49ers had lost the game. The game is remembered for "The Catch". The play, remembered in 49er lore as "Red Right Tight--Sprint Right Option" had called for both the primary receiver, Solomon, and Dwight Clark to line up on the right. Montana was supposed to roll to his right and find Solomon. Clark's pattern called for him to cut left across the end zone, stop, and immediately reverse his path to the right. If Solomon were covered, it would be up to Montana to find Clark. Due to the pressure, Montana's pass was high, but Clark was in position to make his memorable grab.A photograph of the catch, with Clark at the height of his leap and Everson Walls
Everson Walls
Everson Collins Walls is a former American football cornerback in the NFL, having played for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the Cleveland Browns. During his 14 seasons, he was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He was also a 3-time All-Pro selection...
reaching out to try to block the ball, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
the following week.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
SF- Freddie Solomon 8 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) SF 7-0
DAL- Rafael Septien
Rafael Septien
Jose Rafael Septien was a Mexican placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1978 through 1986. He was the leading scorer for the Cowboys those nine years...
44 yard field goal SF 7-3
DAL- Tony Hill
Tony Hill (American football)
Leroy Anthony Hill, Jr. is a former professional American football wide receiver who played ten seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from 1977 to 1986...
26 yard pass from Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
(Rafael Septien kick)DAL 10-7
2nd Quarter
SF- Dwight Clark
Dwight Clark
Dwight Edward Clark is a former American Pro Bowl wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1987...
20 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick)SF 14-10
DAL- Tony Dorsett
Tony Dorsett
Anthony "Tony" Drew Dorsett is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.-Early years:...
5 yard rush (Rafael Septien kick)DAL 17-14
3rd Quarter
SF- Johnny Davis 2 yard rush (Ray Wersching kick)SF 21-17
4th Quarter
DAL- Rafael Septien 22 yard field goal SF 21-20
DAL- Doug Cosbie
Doug Cosbie
Douglas Durant Cosbie is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft. A 6'6", 236-lb. tight end from Santa Clara University, Cosbie played his entire NFL career for the Cowboys from...
21 yard pass from Danny White (Rafael Septien kick) DAL 27-21
SF- Dwight Clark 6 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) SF 28-27
Super Bowl XVISuper Bowl XVISuper Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...
Scoring summary:1st Quarter
- SF - Joe Montana 1 yard run (Ray Wersching kick) 7-0 SF
2nd Quarter
- SF - Earl Cooper 11 yard pass from Joe Montana (Ray Wersching kick) 14-0 SF
- SF - Ray Wersching 22 yards 17-0 SF
- SF - Ray Wersching 26 yards 20-0 SF
3rd Quarter
- CIN - Ken Anderson 5 yard run (Jim Breech kick) 20-7 SF
4th Quarter
- CIN - Dan Ross 4 yard pass from Ken Anderson (Jim Breech kick) 20-14 SF
- SF - Ray Wersching 40 yards 23-14 SF
- SF - Ray Wersching 23 yards 26-14 SF
- CIN - Dan Ross 3 yard pass from Ken Anderson (Jim Breech kick) 26-21 SF
Awards and records
- Joe MontanaJoe MontanaJoseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player - Bill Walsh, National Football League Coach of the Year Award