1990 San Francisco 49ers season
1990 San Francisco 49ers season | |
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Owner | Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. |
Head coach | George Seifert |
General manager | John McVay and Carmen Policy |
Home field | Candlestick Park |
Results | |
Record | 14–2 |
Division place | 1st NFC West |
Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Redskins) 28–10 Lost NFC Championship (vs. Giants) 13–15 |
Pro Bowlers | 5[1]
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AP All-Pros | 7[2]
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The 1990 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League and their 45th overall. the team entered the 1990 season heavily favored to win their third consecutive Super Bowl. The season was highlighted by their victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 13. Throughout the season, the 49ers and the Giants were the two best teams in the NFL. The two teams would meet again in the NFC Championship Game.
Between 1988 and 1990, the 49ers set a league record with 18 consecutive road victories. Jerry Rice had a career year by becoming the fourth receiver in the history of American football to have at least 100 receptions in one season. The 49ers won their fifth consecutive NFC West Division Title. Dating back to 1989, the 49ers completed a fifteen-game unbeaten streak in the regular season (5 victories in the last 5 games of 1989 and 10 victories in the first ten games of 1990).
The 49ers were the closest team in NFL history to "three peat" in the Super Bowl, losing in the final seconds on a field goal by the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants in the NFC Championship Game. The season ended on quite a haunting note, because the Giants' Leonard Marshall made a devastating hit on 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, knocking him out of the game. Subsequent to this, Giants nose tackle Erik Howard fought through a double-team block by 49ers center Jesse Sapolu and 49ers guard Guy McIntyre to force 49ers running back Roger Craig to fumble by getting his helmet on the football with only a few minutes left while the 49ers were driving to run out the game clock. Erik Howard dropped to one knee and managed to turn his shoulders perpendicular to the line of scrimmage in an effort to neutralize the double-team block. 49ers guard Guy McIntyre released from the double-team block on Erik Howard in order to attempt a block on onrushing Giants inside linebacker Pepper Johnson allowing Erik Howard to knife through the protection and lay a hit on 49ers running back Roger Craig. The ball was recovered by Giants outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor after he beat a block at the line of scrimmage by 49ers tight end Brent Jones and a subsequent block by 49ers fullback Tom Rathman to position himself just behind where Roger Craig was located along the line of scrimmage to catch the football after Giants nose tackle Erik Howard's hit forced it out of Craig's grasp. The Giants took over possession and began driving to kick the game-winning field goal. They ended up winning 15–13. The words of announcer Pat Summerall, "There will be no three-peat!" still haunt 49ers fans.
Following the 1990 season, the 49ers left team stalwarts Roger Craig and Ronnie Lott unprotected and let them go to the Los Angeles Raiders via Plan B free agency. Joe Montana would remain on the 49ers' roster for the next two seasons, but would never start another game for the 49ers.
Offseason[]
NFL Draft[]
= Pro Bowler [3] | = Hall of Famer |
Round # | Pick # | Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 25 | Dexter Carter | Running Back | Florida State |
2 | 48 | Dennis Brown | Defensive End | Washington |
2 | 54 | Eric Davis | Cornerback | Jacksonville State |
3 | 69 | Ronald Lewis | Wide Receiver | Florida State |
4 | 93 | Dean Caliguire | Center | Pittsburgh |
6 | 166 | Frank Pollack | Tackle | Northern Arizona |
8 | 221 | Dwight Pickens | Wide Receiver | Fresno State |
9 | 249 | Odell Haggins | Defensive Tackle | Florida State |
10 | 277 | Martin Harrison | Defensive End | Washington |
11 | 290 | Anthony Shelton | Safety | Tennessee State |
Staff[]
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Roster[]
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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Regular season[]
Player | Comp % | Yards | TDs/INTs |
---|---|---|---|
Joe Montana | 61.7 | 3,944 | 26/16 |
Steve Young | 61.3 | 427 | 2/0 |
Schedule[]
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 10 | at New Orleans Saints | W 13–12 | 1–0 | Louisiana Superdome | 68,629 | Recap |
2 | September 16 | Washington Redskins | W 26–13 | 2–0 | Candlestick Park | 64,287 | Recap |
3 | September 23 | Atlanta Falcons | W 19–13 | 3–0 | Candlestick Park | 62,858 | Recap |
4 | Bye | ||||||
5 | October 7 | at Houston Oilers | W 24–21 | 4–0 | Astrodome | 59,931 | Recap |
6 | October 14 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 45–35 | 5–0 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 57,921 | Recap |
7 | October 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 27–7 | 6–0 | Candlestick Park | 64,301 | Recap |
8 | October 28 | Cleveland Browns | W 20–17 | 7–0 | Candlestick Park | 63,672 | Recap |
9 | November 4 | at Green Bay Packers | W 24–20 | 8–0 | Lambeau Field | 58,835 | Recap |
10 | November 11 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 24–6 | 9–0 | Texas Stadium | 62,966 | Recap |
11 | November 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 31–7 | 10–0 | Candlestick Park | 62,221 | Recap |
12 | November 25 | Los Angeles Rams | L 17–28 | 10–1 | Candlestick Park | 62,633 | Recap |
13 | December 3 | New York Giants | W 7–3 | 11–1 | Candlestick Park | 66,092 | Recap |
14 | December 9 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 20–17 (OT) | 12–1 | Riverfront Stadium | 60,084 | Recap |
15 | December 17 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 26–10 | 13–1 | Anaheim Stadium | 65,619 | Recap |
16 | December 23 | New Orleans Saints | L 10–13 | 13–2 | Candlestick Park | 60,112 | Recap |
17 | December 30 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 20–17 | 14–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 51,590 | Recap |
Game summaries[]
Week 6[]
- October 14, 1990 – Joe Montana set a 49ers record by throwing for 476 yards in one game and throwing six touchdown passes.
- October 14, 1990 – Jerry Rice set a 49ers record with 5 touchdown receptions and 30 points in one game.
Week 9[]
- November 4, 1990 – In a game versus the Green Bay Packers, Joe Montana threw for 411 yards and 3 touchdown passes.
Week 13 vs Giants[]
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
49ers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
- Date: December 3
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C) • Wind 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h; 2.6 kn)
- Game attendance: 66,092
- Referee: Dale Hamer
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf
- Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database
Game information | ||
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It was the second highest rated Monday Night game ever at the time. The game had a 42% share and a 26.9 rating.
Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Week 14[]
- December 9, 1990 – The 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime. Mike Cofer kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the 49ers a 20–17 victory.
Standings[]
NFC West | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(1) San Francisco 49ers | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 4–2 | 10–2 | 353 | 239 | W1 |
(6) New Orleans Saints | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 274 | 275 | W2 |
Los Angeles Rams | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 345 | 412 | L4 |
Atlanta Falcons | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 348 | 365 | W2 |
Postseason[]
NFC Divisional Playoff[]
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redskins | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
49ers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco
- Date: January 12, 1991 (Sat)
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), light rain
- Game attendance: 65,292
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen
NFC Championship Game[]
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
49ers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco
- Date: January 20, 1991
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), passing clouds
- Game attendance: 65,750
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Just like the regular season game between the two teams won by the 49ers 7–3, the championship game was mostly a defensive battle. San Francisco running back Roger Craig's fumble with 2:36 left in the game led to Giants kicker Matt Bahr's 42-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Bahr was New York's only scorer with 5 (of 6) field goals. Despite not scoring a TD in eight quarters against the 49ers, the Giants moved on to Super Bowl XXV with their victory.
Awards and Records[]
- Led NFC with 353 points scored
- Charles Haley, Led NFC, Sacks (16)
- Charles Haley, NFC Pro Bowl
- Ronnie Lott, NFC Pro Bowl
- Joe Montana, AP NFL MVP
- Joe Montana, Associated Press Athlete of the Year[4]
- Joe Montana, NFC Pro Bowl Selection, Injured, did not play
- Joe Montana, Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year
- Guy McIntyre, NFC Pro Bowl
- Jerry Rice, NFL Leader, Receptions (100)
- Jerry Rice, NFL Leader, Receiving Yards (1,502)
- Jerry Rice, NFL Leader, Receiving Touchdowns (13)
- Jerry Rice, NFC Pro Bowl
Milestones[]
- Jerry Rice, First 100 reception season [5]
References[]
- ^ "1990 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "1990 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career.
- ^ Associated Press Athlete of the Year (male)
- ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 440
External links[]
- San Francisco 49ers seasons
- NFC West championship seasons
- 1990 National Football League season by team
- 1990 in sports in California
- 1990 in San Francisco