🚀 go-pugleaf

In the '78 Cotton Bowl, despite battling a serious illness and weather
that was not conducive to the pass, a young kid named Joe Montana led
Notre Dame from a 21 point second-half deficit to victory.  He is still
not regarded highly by the scouts, and is taken in the third round of
the '79 draft by the 49ers.  Bill Walsh is the new head coach.  That
year the Niners repeat their 2-14 record and remain in the basement of
the NFC West.

The next year, with Steve DeBerge as their starting quarterback, they
marginally improve their record to 6-10.  The highpoint of the season
comes with the Niners hosting the Saints in early December.  They are
trailing 35-7 at halftime.  Montana comes off the bench to play the
second half, and the Niners score 31 unanswered points to win the game
in OT.  It is the largest deficit ever overcome to win a game in the
59-year history of the NFL.

Joe Montana is named the starter for the '81 season.  The Niners also
start three rookies in their secondary: Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright, and
Carlton Williamson.  The 49ers not only win their division, but have
the best record in the league.  They topple the Giants 38-24 in the
divisional playoffs, and advance to the NFC Championship game to face
the Cowboys.  The last time the Niners had played in the post-season
was in '72, when the Cowboys just edged them 30-28 in the divisional
playoffs...

It is late in the fourth quarter, and the Niners are down by 6 points.
The lead has changed 5 times, and neither team has led by more than
7 since the 49ers scored the opening touchdown.  It has been an almost
unbelievably exciting football game thus far.

Joe Montana starts with the ball on his own 11-yard line.  In coach Walsh's
offense--contrary to all established doctrine--it is the pass that sets
up the run.  But he thinks he can beat the Cowboy's nickle defense at
the corners.  Lenvil Elliott runs sweeps for 11 and 7 yards respectively.
A reverse to Freddy Solomon gains another 14.

Joe marches his team down the field.  On the final play of the drive,
with the Niners threatening, Montana is flushed out of the pocket.  He
rolls right and retreats, surrounded by the swarming Cowboy rushers.
He releases the ball, stretching to get it over the defenders just
one-and-a-half steps away from a sack.  Tight end Dwight Clark makes
a leaping catch running through the back of the end zone.  Touchdown.

There are 51 seconds left on the clock.  The extra point is good.  The
Niners are up 28-27.

And now for _The Catch_.  ``Wait a minute,'' you say, ``wasn't *that*
The Catch?''  No, for you see, thus began the tradition of the awesome
49er offenses overshadowing the perennially underrated defenses.  To
wit:

The Cowboys get the ball back with less than a minute left to play.
Quarterback Danny White begins his own march down the field.  He finds
wide receiver Drew Pearson on a deep crossing pattern.  Pearson breaks
away, with only green grass between him and the 49ers' end zone.

In three years Eric Wright would go to the Pro Bowl (along with all
four 49er defensive backs).  But today he is a rookie.  Pearson has
only one man to beat.  Wright catches him from behind, with one hand.
His fingers find purchase on the back of Pearson's shoulder pads, and
he drags him down.  Voila', The Catch.

Still, it was a 31-yard gain, and the Cowboys are across midfield.
They needed only a field goal to go ahead.  The clock is ticking down,
but there's time enough to get into field goal range for the winning
score.  White drops back to pass.  Drew Pearson is wide open...

But the 49er defensive line breaks through.  Lawrence Pillars flushes
White, and Hacksaw Reynolds combines on the sack and forces a fumble.
Jim Stuckey recovers for the Niners.  Time expires.  Joe gathers the
game ball.  The 49ers have won the game.

Of course they then went on to edge the Bengals 26-21 in Super Bowl
XVI.  Their first of four with Montana at the helm.  And while the
Montana to Clark touchdown pass is replayed endlessly this week, let
us not forget the gut-checking crucial plays that day on defense which
stopped the Cowboys on that final drive.

Our five-eleven corners will be up against the six-two Cowboy wide
receivers, including the Pro Bowler Michael Irvin.  Our no-name defensive
line will have to pressure Pro Bowler quarterback Troy Aikman, and watch
out for Pro Bowler (and rushing-title holding) running back Emmit Smith.
Our linebackers will have to help support the run, but also cover Pro
Bowler tight end Jay Novacek and Smith coming out of the backfield.  And
finally, our "quarterback" of the defense, the free safety, is once again
a wet-behind-the-ears rookie.

They did it against New Orleans.  Twice.  Against the Eagles too.  Last
week, in the post-season against the defending Super Bowl Champs, they
held up again.

So just who will grab The Catch against who(m) this Sunday?

-timr

ps.

In '81 Jimmy Johnson was the head coach at Oklahoma State.  He went
7-5 that year, went to the Independence bowl, but lost it.  George
Seifert was on the sidelines for that Championship win over the
Cowboys in '81 as an assistant coach.  Today he is the head coach,
and Wright is an assistant.

In '81 the 49ers strengthened their defense by trading for Pro Bowl
pass rusher Fred Dean, who was unwanted by the Chargers.  This year
the Cowboys strengthened their defense by trading for Pro Bowl pass
rusher Charles Haley--unwanted by the Niners.  In '81 Walsh was a
recent winning college (Stanford) coach rebuilding a team with a
disasterous record.  In '92 Jimmy Johnson is a former winning college
(Miami) coach rebuilding a team with a disasterous record.

Then, the Niners had a young quarterback getting himself established.
Now, they have a great quarterback who's replaced a future Hall of Famer.
Now, the Cowboys have a young quarterback getting himself established.
Then, they had great a quarterback who'd replaced a future Hall of Famer
(Roger Stabach).

Then the Cowboys had long been on top.  ``America's Team''.  The
49er win in that game marked the beginning of the end to that, and
the ascent of the Niners.  San Francisco was just two seasons removed
from the worst record in the league.  Now, Dallas is just three
seasons removed from the worst that year (1-15).  Then the Niners
had a relatively new (out of town) owner who'd fired a popular coach.
Now the Cowboys have a relatively new (out of town) owner, Jerry Jones,
who fired the local favorite and legendary Tom Landry (who by the way
was also on the sidelines for the game in question).

Almost as eerie as the Kennedy/Lincoln coincedences.  Oh ya, and
did I mention that the field at Candlestick was mess from all the
rain back then?  The Niners have not only won their division but
have the best record in the league both then and now.  And again
the Cowboys have won their division with the second-best.  The
49ers were coming off of a sluggish semifinal game against the
Giants then, and an unimpressive win over the Redskins this time
'round.  Then the Cowboys were coming off a 38-0 rout of Tampa
Bay, and this time they crushed the Eagles 34-10.

This contest has all the features of a Shakespearian drama (many
of which I've left out, if you can believe it ).  If the 49ers
advance they'll be going for an unprecedented 5th Super Bowl win.
If the Cowboys do, they'll achieve an unprecedented 6th appearence
in the Big Dance.

win or lose, it will be a hell of a game.

--
Our first year of marriage reminds me a lot of the first week of football
practice.                                 --mcgrew@sun.UUCP (Darin McGrew)