'''QB''' [[Steve Young]]
'''WR''' [[Jerry Rice]]
'''RB''' [[Garrison Hearst]]
'''MLB''' [[Winfred Tubbs]]"},"shortnavlink":{"wt":"49ers seasons"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwBw">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}
1998 San Francisco 49ers season | |
---|---|
Owner | Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. |
General manager | John McVay and Dwight Clark |
Head coach | Steve Mariucci |
Offensive coordinator | Marty Mornhinweg |
Defensive coordinator | John Marshall |
Home field | 3Com Park |
Results | |
Record | 12–4 |
Division place | 2nd NFC West |
Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Packers) 30–27 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Falcons) 18–20 |
Pro Bowlers | G Kevin Gogan QB Steve Young WR Jerry Rice RB Garrison Hearst MLB Winfred Tubbs |
The 1998 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 53rd overall. The 49ers were heavily favored to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXIII.
The season saw the return of Jerry Rice, who missed most of 1997 with a major knee injury.
After defeating the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round of the playoffs, thanks to young Terrell Owens's game-winning catch, referred to by fans as "The Catch II", San Francisco's season ended with a loss to the Atlanta Falcons the following week in the divisional round. The Falcons went on to defeat the 15–1 Minnesota Vikings in the NFC title game but lost to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl.
1998 would prove to be the final full season of Steve Young's career. In Week 3 of the following season, Young suffered a concussion on a violent sack by Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams which ultimately ended his 15-year NFL career. Also in the divisional-round game, 49ers running back Garrison Hearst broke his foot, keeping him out of football for the next two seasons. Hearst was the first NFL player to be on the cover of Madden NFL , and his injury marked the beginning of the Madden curse.
1998 San Francisco 49ers draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 28 | R. W. McQuarters | Cornerback | Oklahoma State | |
2 | 58 | Jeremy Newberry * | Center | California | |
3 | 89 | Chris Ruhman | Tackle | Texas A&M | |
4 | 119 | Lance Schulters * | Safety | Hofstra | |
5 | 151 | Phil Ostrowski | Guard | Penn State | |
6 | 180 | Fred Beasley * | Fullback | Auburn | |
7 | 215 | Ryan Thelwell | Wide receiver | Minnesota | |
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|
Jim Nelson | Linebacker | Penn State |
Brock Olivo | Fullback | Missouri |
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 6 | New York Jets | W 36–30 (OT) | 1–0 | 3Com Park | 64,419 | |
2 | September 14 | at Washington Redskins | W 45–10 | 2–0 | Jack Kent Cooke Stadium | 76,798 | |
3 | Bye | ||||||
4 | September 27 | Atlanta Falcons | W 31–20 | 3–0 | 3Com Park | 62,296 | |
5 | October 4 | at Buffalo Bills | L 21–26 | 3–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | 76,615 | |
6 | October 11 | at New Orleans Saints | W 31–0 | 4–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 62,811 | |
7 | October 18 | Indianapolis Colts | W 34–31 | 5–1 | 3Com Park | 68,486 | |
8 | October 25 | at St. Louis Rams | W 28–10 | 6–1 | Trans World Dome | 58,563 | |
9 | November 1 | at Green Bay Packers | L 22–36 | 6–2 | Lambeau Field | 59,794 | |
10 | November 8 | Carolina Panthers | W 25–23 | 7–2 | 3Com Park | 68,572 | |
11 | November 15 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 19–31 | 7–3 | Georgia Dome | 69,828 | |
12 | November 22 | New Orleans Saints | W 31–20 | 8–3 | 3Com Park | 68,429 | |
13 | November 30 | New York Giants | W 31–7 | 9–3 | 3Com Park | 68,212 | |
14 | December 6 | at Carolina Panthers | W 31–28 (OT) | 10–3 | Ericcson Stadium | 63,332 | |
15 | December 14 | Detroit Lions | W 35–13 | 11–3 | 3Com Park | 68,585 | |
16 | December 20 | at New England Patriots | L 21–24 | 11–4 | Foxboro Stadium | 59,153 | |
17 | December 27 | St. Louis Rams | W 38–19 | 12–4 | 3Com Park | 68,386 | |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jets | 3 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
49ers | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 36 |
at 3Com Park, San Francisco, California
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
The game lead tied or changed eight times in regulation as the Jets under Bill Parcells came to Candlestick Park. Jets quarterback Glenn Foley matched Steve Young's three touchdowns and one pick with three scores and one pick of his own; Foley put up 415 yards to Young's 363 yards. The two teams traded punts in overtime; the Niners had to start at their four-yard line and coach Steve Mariucci called "90 O", a run play intended to get away from their endzone. Garrison Hearst burst through a hole and raced 96 yards straddling the sideline, getting key blocks from Dave Fiore despite an injured leg, and from Terrell Owens for the touchdown and a 36–30 Niners win.
The Niners defeated the Redskins 45–10 with 504 yards of offense and three touchdowns by Steve Young. The Redskins coughed up the ball three times in the loss.
Bye week
Hosting the 2–1 Falcons, the Niners picked off Chris Chandler three times and won 31–20 behind 387 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, and three touchdowns from Steve Young. |Weather= 62 °F or 16.7 °C (Light Rain)
The Niners traveled to Rich Stadium to face the Bills and crashed hard 26–21 despite 21 fourth-quarter points. The Niners committed 22 penalties eating up 178 yards (compared to Buffalo's 12 fouls for 106), while the two teams' punters Chris Mohr and Reggie Roby combined for 323 punting yards.
Still smarting from their poor performance at Buffalo, the Niners traveled to the Superdome and crushed Mike Ditka's Saints 31–0. The game was another penalty-laden affair with a combined 24 fouls eating up 240 yards. The Niners shut down Danny Wuerffel and Billy Joe Tolliver, limiting them to 15 completions for 174 yards and a pick.
The Niners hosted the Colts and their new quarterback Peyton Manning. The Colts immediately served notice for the future as they raced to a 21–0 lead behind two Manning scores to Marvin Harrison and a 65-yard score from future Ram Marshall Faulk; Manning would add another touchdown to Harrison in the third quarter and the Colts added a field goal following a Garrison Hearst fumble and subsequent personal foul penalty. The Niners clawed back as Steve Young threw three touchdowns and ran in a fourth; a botched PAT by Ty Detmer and resultant smothered two-point attempt led on the Niners' next possession to a Jerry Rice two-point conversion catch from Young to tie the game. Mike Vanderjagt missed from 53 yards out on the Colts' next possession with 1:10 to go, then after a crushing pass interference penalty on Tyrone Poole against J.J. Stokes with 43 seconds to go (this following two Young interceptions erased on Indianapolis holding penalties in the first half) Wade Richey's 24-yard field goal won it 34–31 for the Niners. [1] The game became notable in league history for the showdown between veteran Young (331 passing yards, 60 rushing yards nearly matching Garrison Hearst at 65, and four total touchdowns) and rookie phenomenon Manning (231 passing yards and three scores); the game featured eight Hall of Famers in Young, Manning, Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Bryant Young, Marshall Faulk, Terrell Owens, and Chris Doleman. |Weather=68 °F or 20 °C (Sunny)
Hitting the TWA Dome, the Niners cruised to a 28–10 win over the Rams as Steve Young overcame two picks with three touchdowns and budding superstar Terrell Owens ran in a 21-yard score. The Niners picked off Tony Banks three times.
For the fifth straight time the Niners fell to the Green Bay Packers, this time 36–22 at Lambeau Field. The Niners overcame a botched punt snap for safety and erased a 16–0 Packer lead to take the lead 22–19 in the third quarter. From there, despite three Brett Favre interceptions, it all fell apart for the Niners as the Packers unleashed 17 unanswered points.
Ty Detmer took over for Steve Young against the 1–7 Panthers, throwing for 276 yards and three touchdowns (to J.J. Stokes and Terrell Owens), but three interceptions kept the Panthers in the game and they took a 23–22 lead before Wade Richey's 46-yard field goal capped a 25–23 Niners win. |Weather=57 °F or 13.9 °C (Cloudy)
The battle for the NFC West had now become a true battle as the 7–2 Falcons hosted the 7–2 Niners and things got ugly for San Francisco. Steve Young managed 342 passing yards but only 21 completions; the Falcons grabbed a fumble at the Niners goalline for a Jessie Tuggle touchdown and when Young connected on long-range scores to Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice, Chris Chandler put the game away on his 78-yard strike to Terance Mathis. The 31–19 Falcons win marked the end of the Niners' hold on the division crown that season.
Steve Young outdueled ex-Panther Kerry Collins despite a Collins rushing score that put the 5–6 Saints up 10–0 in the first quarter. The Niners outscored the Saints 31–10 in the second and third quarters on four Young touchdown throws. Collins was picked twice and failed on fourth and goal at the Niners' 1-yard line in the fourth quarter; an Aaron Craver rushing score in the final two minutes put the Saints within eleven points at the end.
A Gary Brown rushing score in the opening six minutes of the first quarter was the only time the Giants were in contention as Steve Young answered with a 79-yard touchdown to Terrell Owens. Young scored again at the end of the second quarter and Terry Kirby and Garrison Hearst ran in the ball for additional scores and 31–7 Niners win.
Following four straight wins the Niners traveled to Foxboro Stadium to face a struggling Patriots squad. Regular starter Drew Bledsoe was out for the year with a broken throwing hand so backup Scott Zolak took over. Despite a blocked field goal attempt the Niners scored 21 second-quarter points (including a touchdown from backup Ty Detmer on a fake field goal attempt), but the Patriots battled back and tied the game on a Robert Edwards four-yard score, then won it on a drive in the final 1:48 on four straight Edwards rushes and then on Adam Vinatieri's 35-yard field goal with eighteen seconds left. Terrell Owens was held to three catches for 61 yards; in the second quarter the two teams exchanged interceptions as a pass for Owens was intercepted by Ty Law but three plays later a Zolak pass to Ben Coates was intercepted by Tim McDonald.
Former Niner Steve Bono put the Rams, winless against the Niners since 1990, up 7–0 on a touchdown to Ricky Proehl. Proehl would catch another touchdown but by then the game was out of reach on two Steve Young touchdowns and scores from R. W. McQuarters and three Wade Richey field goals. Notably, this was the first game in which former Arena Football quarterback, Kurt Warner, saw playing time in the NFL, completing four of eleven passes for 39 yards.
NFC West | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
(2) Atlanta Falcons | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 442 | 289 | W9 |
(4) San Francisco 49ers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 479 | 328 | W1 |
New Orleans Saints | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 305 | 359 | L3 |
Carolina Panthers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 336 | 413 | W2 |
St. Louis Rams | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 285 | 378 | L2 |
Playoff Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Game Site |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wild Card | January 3, 1999 | Green Bay Packers (5) | W 30–27 | 1–0 | 3Com Park |
Divisional | January 8, 1999 | at Atlanta Falcons (2) | L 20–18 | 1–1 | Georgia Dome |
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Packers | 3 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
49ers | 7 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
Game information |
---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
For the first time in the Brett Favre era, the 49ers pulled off a victory over the Packers. After a late Packers touchdown, the Niners trailed 27–23 and a continuing issue during the game was dropped passes by the receiver Terrell Owens. In the final ten seconds, Steve Young dropped back in the Packers' RedZone, stumbled but stayed on his feet, then heaved the ball to the endzone where Owens caught it and landed in the endzone with four seconds left, holding on to the ball despite hits by two Packers defensive backs. The Niners had pulled out one of the most dramatic wins in their history. This play is often referred to by 49ers fans as "the Catch II", a reference to "The Catch" touchdown from Joe Montana to Dwight Clark in the final minute against the Cowboys in the 1981 playoffs. The victory over the Packers turned out to be Young's final playoff win.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
49ers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
Falcons | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta
The game started poorly for the 13–4 49ers, who lost 1,500-yard rusher Garrison Hearst to a broken bone in his left leg on the first play of the game. Backup Terry Kirby was only able to rush for 46 yards. With their running game hobbled, the 49ers trailed 14–0 in the first half, and 20–10 going into the fourth quarter. With 2:57 remaining, Young scored on an 8-yard run and the team converted a two-point conversion after a botched snap, to bring the score to 20–18. The 49ers had one more chance to win with the ball deep in their territory but Young threw a desperation pass that was picked off by the Falcons' William White. [2]
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The team plays its home games at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, located 38 miles (61 km) southeast of San Francisco. The team is named after the prospectors who arrived in Northern California in the 1849 Gold Rush.
The National Football League playoffs for the 1998 season began on January 2, 1999. The postseason tournament concluded with the Denver Broncos defeating the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, 34–19, on January 31, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida.
The 1996 season was the Green Bay Packers' 76th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 78th overall and their fifth under head coach Mike Holmgren. The franchise won its third Super Bowl and league-record 12th NFL Championship. The Packers posted a league-best 13–3 regular season win-loss record, going 8–0 at home and 5–3 on the road. It was the first time since 1962 that the team went undefeated at home. Additionally, the Packers had the NFL's highest-scoring offense (456) and allowed the fewest points on defense (210). Green Bay was the first team to accomplish both feats in the same season since the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. They finished the season with the number one ranked offense, defense, and special teams. They also set a then NFL record for the fewest touchdowns allowed in a 16-game season, with 19. The Packers also allowed the fewest yards in the NFL and set a record for punt return yardage. Brett Favre won his second straight MVP award while also throwing for a career-high and league-leading 39 touchdown passes.
The 2004 season was the Philadelphia Eagles' 72nd in the National Football League (NFL). The Eagles entered the season as back-to-back-to-back NFC runner ups and had been one of the most successful teams in the league after the Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb era began in 1999, making it to the playoffs for four straight seasons and to the NFC Championship Game in 2001, 2002, and 2003. However, the team could not reach the Super Bowl in any of those years, despite being favored in the latter two NFC title games. In the offseason, this already championship-level team was reinforced on both sides of the ball by the free agent additions of wide receiver Terrell Owens, defensive end Jevon Kearse and return of middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, their third-round draft pick in 1998.
The 1998 season was the Green Bay Packers' 78th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 80th overall. The Packers entered the 1998 campaign as the two-time defending NFC champions, losing the Super Bowl the year before. The season began with the team attempting to improve on their 13–3 record from 1997, three-peat as National Football Conference (NFC) champions, and win their second Super Bowl in three years.
The 2003 season was the St. Louis Rams' 66th in the National Football League, their ninth season in St. Louis and their fourth under head coach Mike Martz. The Rams were coming off a disappointing 7–9 season and former MVP Kurt Warner was demoted to backup quarterback; Marc Bulger earned the starting job after replacing Warner in 2002 and winning six of his seven starts. Though many agree that The Greatest Show on Turf ended after the 2001 season, the Rams nonetheless finished 12–4, winning the NFC West, only to lose to the eventual NFC champions Carolina Panthers. This would be the last time the Rams won the NFC West until the 2017 NFL season.
The 1996 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's second season in the National Football League, the second under head coach Dom Capers, and the first at Ericsson Stadium. They improved upon their 7–9 record in 1995, and made it to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
The 1994 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 45th in the National Football League (NFL), their 49th overall, and their sixth under head coach George Seifert. This season was highlighted by a victory in Super Bowl XXIX. The championship made San Francisco the first team to win five Super Bowls. After losing to the Dallas Cowboys in the previous two conference championship games, the 49ers made significant acquisitions in the 1994 free agent market. This included the signing of two-sport star Deion Sanders and Cowboys linebacker Ken Norton, Jr. Sanders had a major impact on the team's success, winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award and recording six interceptions. The 49ers won their division, the NFC West, for the eighth time in nine seasons.
The 1994 Detroit Lions season was the 65th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Lions finished with a 9–7 record and made their second consecutive playoff appearance as one of the NFC's Wildcard teams—the first time the franchise had made the playoffs in consecutive non-strike seasons since 1954.
The 2001 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 56th season and 52nd in the National Football League (NFL). The 49ers rebounded from two losing seasons in 1999 and 2000, achieving their first winning season under quarterback Jeff Garcia and returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1998 behind a strong 12–4 record. However, the 49ers failed to progress further, falling 25–15 to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round. This was the fourth time out of five games that they had lost to the Packers in the playoffs since the 1995 season. However, they have won all five meetings since then. This for first time since 1984 Jerry Rice was not on the opening day roster.
The 2000 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 55th overall. Jerry Rice entered the 2000 season as the oldest player in the league at the wide receiver position. At the end of the year, however, with the emergence of Terrell Owens, Rice decided to leave the team after sixteen seasons to join the Raiders. Running back Charlie Garner would join Rice in Oakland.
The 1997 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 52nd overall. The team appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the fifth time in the 1990s. This season marked the 49ers' last appearance in the NFC title game until the 2011 season as well as the last time that they clinched the number 1 seed with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs until the 2019 season. The team's playoff run was ended by the Green Bay Packers for the third straight season.
The 1996 San Francisco 49ers season was the club's 51st since its inception. In commemoration, the 49ers wore a special 50th anniversary patch. They also wore a new uniform reminiscent of the 1994 throwback uniforms with white pants and shadowed numbers, but with a darker shade of red and an updated logo. The franchise tied for first place in the NFC West with a 12–4 record, but lost the division title to the Carolina Panthers on the division-record tiebreaker. The 49ers ranked 3rd in the league in points scored and 4th in fewest points allowed.
The 1995 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 50th overall.
The 1993 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 44th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 48th overall. The 49ers appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the second consecutive season and for the fifth time in six seasons. For the first time since 1978, Joe Montana was not on their active roster; specifically, the 49ers had traded him away to the Kansas City Chiefs in April.
The 1992 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 47th overall. The 49ers appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the fourth time in five seasons.
The 2002 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 57th season, and 53rd in the National Football League (NFL) and the sixth and final under head coach Steve Mariucci.
The 2012 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 63rd season in the National Football League (NFL), the 67th overall, the second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke, and their penultimate season at Candlestick Park. After going 13–3 and reaching the NFC Championship the year before, the 49ers topped that success with their first NFC championship since 1994 as well as their sixth overall as a franchise, overcoming a 17–0 deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 28–24 on January 20, 2013, in the NFC title game. However, the season ended with their first-ever defeat in the Super Bowl, falling to the Baltimore Ravens, 34–31. With that game, the Ravens replaced the 49ers as the only team with multiple appearances to never lose a Super Bowl; they have since been joined by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this capacity.
The Catch II was a National Football League (NFL) Wild Card Playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers on January 3, 1999. The game, which was played at 3Com Park in San Francisco, California, became notable after a completed pass with 8 seconds left in the 4th quarter won the game for the 49ers. The 49ers, who had just lost the lead to the Packers late in the 4th quarter, were facing 3rd-and-3, when San Francisco wide receiver Terrell Owens caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Steve Young, enabling the 49ers to defeat the Packers, 30–27. It came at the end of a 9-play, 76-yard drive engineered by Young. This game and moment mirrors a similar catch in 49ers history, when quarterback Joe Montana threw to receiver Dwight Clark in the 1981–82 NFL playoffs, and is similarly regarded as one of the most memorable events in NFL history, and a significant moment in Owens's NFL career.
The 49ers–Packers rivalry is an American football rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. As the 49ers play in the NFC West, and the Packers play in the NFC North, both teams do not play every year; instead, they play once every three years and at least once every six seasons at each team's home stadium due to the NFL's rotating division schedules during which their divisions are paired up. Additionally, not only both teams could meet in the playoffs, but also if they finish in the same place in their respective divisions, they would play the ensuing season. The rivalry became prominent during the 1990s, as the Brett Favre-led Packers defeated the Steve Young-led 49ers in three of four playoff meetings. In the 2005 NFL draft, the 49ers selected Alex Smith with the first overall selection, passing on northern California native Aaron Rodgers; Green Bay later selected Rodgers with the 24th pick. Since Rodgers became the Packers' starter in 2008, the Packers and 49ers met in the playoffs five times, four with Rodgers, though the 49ers have won all five of these meetings.