1989 San Francisco 49ers: Best NFL Team Ever

Are the 1989 San Francisco 49ers the best team in NFL history? Maybe there is a little bias, and of course, the 1972 Miami Dolphins are a fierce competitor, but the ’89 49ers were insanely special. They are, at times, underappreciated within the football community. This is the final Super Bowl that Joe Montana won, but it was so much more than that. Here is a look back on the 1989 San Francisco 49ers and why it should be in the running for the best NFL team ever.

1989 San Francisco 49ers Starters

While not every player played in every game, this is a look at the listed starters for the 1989 San Francisco 49ers. Even if certain players did not start in every game, the team had important athletes on both sides of the ball.

Offense

The 1989 San Francisco 49ers had a stacked roster. Even if players were not starters for every game, the team had solid depth. For instance, Steve Young did not start that year, but he was there and got playing time. As for the Head Coach of the time, it was George Seifert. 1989 was his first season as head coach of the 49ers, which is even more impressive. Of course, he was with San Francisco for years before becoming the head coach, which definitely helped the team do so well in the 1989 season.

As you know, the starting quarterback for the 1989 San Francisco 49ers was Joe Montana. He passed for 3,521 yards and 26 touchdowns in the regular season. This is compared to just eight interceptions. This was not his final year with San Francisco, but it was the season of his final Super Bowl.

The running back of the season was Roger Craig, another 49ers legend. Craig rushed the ball for 1,054 yards that regular season, with six touchdowns. The 1989 San Francisco 49ers also utilized their fullback, Tom Rathman. Rathman is not talked about as often as the other players from the Super Bowl era, but that should not take away from how he helped the team. In the regular season, he rushed for 305 yards and one rushing touchdown. Rathman also had 616 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.

The 49ers tight end at the time was Brent Jones, who was in just his third year. 1989 was his first year starting, and he became a solid target for Montana. Jones ended the regular season with 500 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Jones also averaged 12.5 yards per reception, which is pretty solid for his first year as a starter.

As known, wide receiver Jerry Rice was a part of the 1989 San Francisco 49ers. Rice led the league in receiving yards at 1,483. He also had 17 receiving touchdowns, also the most in the league that season. The legendary receiver averaged 18.1 yards per reception as a huge part of this 49ers offense. Rice is not just a 49ers legend but an NFL legend.

The team also had wide receiver John Taylor as a starter. Maybe not at the time, but now Taylor is pretty underappreciated for what he did for the team. In 1989, Taylor ended the regular season with 1,077 receiving yards and ten touchdowns. He also had a similar average as Rice at 18 yards per reception. The two of them were a solid duo for the 1989 San Francisco 49ers, making it difficult for their opponents.

Defense

On the defensive side of the ball, the 1989 San Francisco 49ers had  Pierce Holt as one of their starting defensive ends. This was his second year in the league. In 1988, Holt was a nose tackle, and moving him to the left was a smart choice. In 1989, Holt had 10.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. While the 49ers’ offense in the 80s will always be famous, their defense had its strengths as well and should be talked about much more.

Defensive end Kevin Fagan was on the other side of the ball for the 1989 San Francisco 49ers. His stats were not as high as Holt’s were, but he still had an impact on the field. in the 1989 regular season, Fagan had seven sacks in 14 games. It was his third year with the 49ers and the highest amount of sacks he had in the first three years. The team also had Michael Carter as their nose tackle in 1989. Carter made the pro bowl in 1988, but this year he only played in eight regular season games.

On the left side of the field, the outside linebacker was Charles Haley. Haley played in all 16 games in the regular season, and it was a good year for him. In the 16 games, the linebacker had 57 combined tackles and 10.5 sacks. He also had three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery which resulted in a touchdown. On the left side of him was outside linebacker, Keena Turner. This was Turner’s second to last year playing, and he started in 12 regular season games, playing in 13. In those games, he had one interception for 42 yards. He also had an interception in the playoffs.

On the inside, linebacker Matt Millen was listed as a starter; however, he only started in nine games while playing in 15.  In those 15 games, he had one interception for ten yards. He also had three fumble recoveries. While he may have not started in every game, he still made an impact on the field. On the right side of him was inside linebacker Mike Walter. Walter did start in all 16 regular-season games for the 49ers. In those 16 games, he had one fumble recovery, as well as one sack.

Cornerback Darryl Pollard played on the left side of the field for the 1989 San Francisco 49ers. Pollard had a short career but spent four years with the 49ers. In 1989, he had one interception for 12 yards. To the right of him was cornerback Don Griffin. The cornerback forced multiple turnovers in the regular season, starting in every game that year. That year, Griffin had two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

At strong safety was Chet Brooks. Brooks played for just three years in the NFL, but his best season was in 1989. That season he started in 15 regular season games. He had three interceptions, one fumble recovery, and one sack. The other safety on the field was none other than Ronnie Lott. Lott played in just 11 regular season games that year but forced five interceptions and made the Pro Bowl.

1989 Season Schedule

The 1989 San Francisco 49ers lost just two games, making their final record 14-2. The team ended first in the NFC West. The two losses were against the Greenbay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams.

The 49ers lost the game against the Rams 13-12 in week four of the season. There was just one touchdown scored in that game, but it was by the Rams. According to Pro Football Reference, the game was a windy one, which is definitely a factor in why the game ended 13-12. The 49ers did win their second game against the Rams, 30-27. The Rams had a solid team that year and the 49ers met them again in the divisional championship game.

In week 11, the 49ers lost against the Greenbay Packers 17-21. Montana passed for 325 yards that game, but the Packers were able to percent Roger Craig from rushing for more than 41 yards. Craig did still score a touchdown for the team. Despite the score, the 49ers were able to hold the Packers to just 153 passing yards, according to Pro Football Reference. This was a rough one for the 1989 San Francisco 49ers, as they should have won, but they did not play poorly statistically either.

The Playoffs

The playoffs for the 1989 San Francisco 49ers were special. This team was unstoppable, and the point differentials were large. First, the 49ers faced the Minnesota Vikings 41-13. This was a dominant game by San Francisco. While the Vikings were able to put up 338 passing yards, according to Pro Football Reference, they went through three quarterbacks. They also threw four interceptions, one of which Lott returned for a touchdown. Four separate players caught those interceptions and they were Ronnie Lott, Chet Brooks, Don Griffin, and Tim McKyer.

Montana passed the ball for 241 yards and four touchdowns in that game as well. Montana was always great with not turning over the ball in the post-season. Roger Craig rushed the ball for 125 yards and one touchdown in that game, and Jerry Rice had two receiving touchdowns.

Next up, the 1989 San Francisco 49ers faced the Rams for a third time. The 49ers won the game 30-3. The Rams kicked a field goal in the first quarter, and that was it for them. The 49ers defense limited the Rams to 141 passing yards, according to Pro Football Reference. Jim Everett passed three interceptions that game. The players to force the interceptions were Ronnie Lott, Tim McKyer, and Keena Turner. The Rams were also only able to rush the ball for 26 total yards.

Montana passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns. Craig had one rushing touchdown, while Brent Jones and John Taylor both had a receiving touchdown. Despite the scoring 30 points, it was the 49ers’ defense that should be highlighted the most for that game. This win led the team to yet another Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl

This Super Bowl was a big one for the 1989 San Francisco 49ers. The team faced the Denver Broncos and won 55-10. It was a blowout win, making it special. Montana completed 22 passes out of 29 attempts for 297 yards and five touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference. He was only sacked one time, and of course, he did not throw any interceptions. The defense put on a show holding John Elway to just ten completions. They held Denvers’ rushing game to under 100 yards as well.

Jerry Rice had 148 receiving yards and three touchdowns in this Super Bowl. He truly helped the 1989 San Francisco 49ers put on a show and become one of the greatest NFL teams ever. Roger Craig had one rushing touchdown, and Tom Rathman had two. Between the playoffs and the Super Bowl score difference, it is difficult to argue against the 1989 49ers being a top NFL team.

Sure, 49ers fans may be biased when arguing this is one of the best, if not the best, NFL teams ever. The 1972 Dolphins will always be a historic team for being undefeated, and their fans will push that they are still the best. The 1989 San Francisco 49ers only lost two games, but not by much. They then went on to have a fantastic Super Bowl run. They may very well be the best in NFL history.