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49ers 38, Dallas Cowboys 28NFC ChampionshipJanuary 15 at Candlestick Park(San Francisco, CA)CB Eric Davis returned an interception 44 yards for atouchdown and forced a fumble that San Franciscoconverted into another touchdown. Those playsset the stage for a defensive effort that producedfive takeaways in San Francisco’s 38-28 NFCChampionship Game win over the Dallas Cowboys. Thegame was played before a Candlestick Park-record69,143 (since broken). On the third play of the game,Davis, playing a disguised zone coverage, stepped infront of a QB Troy Aikman pass and sprinted to the endzone. Three plays later, he stripped the ball from WRMichael Irvin and S Tim McDonald recovered. Five playslater, QB Steve Young hit FB Ricky Watters in the flat ona play that produced a 29-yard touchdown and a 14-0lead. The ensuing kickoff saw 49ers RB Adam Walkerjar the ball loose from Dallas returner Kevin Williamsand K Doug Brien recovered the fumble. It took sevenplays before FB William Floyd plunged in from the oneto make it 21-0 with 7:33 remaining in the first quarter.Dallas began its comeback on the next series. Facingthird and 23 from the San Francisco 44, Aikman hit Irvinfor a touchdown that cut the score to 21-7. Followinga Brien field goal of 34 yards, RB Emmitt Smith cappeda 63-yard drive with a four-yard run that narrowedthe gap to 24-14. The crucial point in the game cameseconds before the first half expired. With eight secondsremaining, Young found WR Jerry Rice for a 28-yardscore, giving the 49ers a 31-14 lead heading intothe locker room. The teams traded touchdowns in thesecond half with the 49ers holding off a strong Dallascharge in the fourth quarter. Young completed 13-of-29 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He alsorushed for 47 yards and another score. Watters led theground game, compiling 72 yards, while TE Brent Jonesand Floyd each had three receptions. Defensively, LBKen Norton Jr. paced the squad with 10 tackles, whileDavis and McDonald added seven. Davis also had twointerceptions and a forced fumble. CB Deion Sandershad an interception, along with five passes defensed,while DT Rhett Hall and DE Tim Harris each had twosacks.49ers 21 10 7 0 - 38Cowboys 7 7 7 7 - 2849ers — Davis 44 interception return (Brien kick)49ers — Watters 29 pass from Young (Brien kick)49ers — Floyd 1 run (Brien kick)Cowboys — Irvin 44 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick)49ers— Brien 34 FGCowboys — Smith 4 run (Boniol kick)49ers — Rice 28 pass from Young (Brien kick)Cowboys — Smith 1 run (Boniol kick)49ers — Young 3 run (Brien kick)Cowboys — Irvin 10 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick)POSTSEASON49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26Super Bowl XXIXJanuary 29 at Joe Robbie Stadium(Miami, FL)QB Steve Young set a Super Bowl record with sixtouchdown passes and WR Jerry Rice hauled in threescoring passes for the second time in his career inthe world championship game. The 49ers stars ledan offensive explosion that carried the team to a 49-26 win over San Diego. San Francisco wasted littletime getting on the scoreboard as it took just threeplays following the game’s opening kickoff to crackthe Chargers end zone. Following a FB William Floydfour-yard run and an 11-yard pass from Young to WRJohn Taylor, Young connected with Rice streaking downthe middle of the field for a 44-yard scoring strike.Following a San Diego punt, San Francisco was back inthe end zone again after only three plays as Young, onceagain, challenged the middle of the Chargers defense,this time with a pass to RB Ricky Watters, which netteda 51-yard score. The Chargers made things close forawhile, however, putting together a 13-play, 78-yarddrive that concluded with a RB Natrone Means oneyardtouchdown plunge to make it 14-7 after onequarter of play. The 49ers began to break the gameopen in the second quarter. They followed the SanDiego touchdown with a 70-yard drive that culminatedwith a five-yard scoring pass from Young to Floyd. Twopossessions later, following a partially blocked punt byRB Adam Walker, the Niners drove 49 yards for anotherscore on an eight-yard toss from Young to Watters. KJohn Carney’s 31-yard field goal with less than twominutes remaining in the half closed the margin atintermission to 28-10. The Niners put the game awayin the third quarter, running the lead to 42-10 on apair of long drives that ended with Watters’ third scoreof the evening, a nine-yard blast up the middle, anda 15-yard pass from Young to Rice. Rice caught histhird touchdown of the night on a seven-yard toss fromYoung in the fourth quarter, enabling Young to break QBJoe Montana’s record of five Super Bowl touchdownpasses. Young was named the game’s Most ValuablePlayer, while Rice turned in the second best receivingperformance in Super Bowl history with 10 catchesfor 149 yards, while tying his own record with threescoring receptions.Chargers 7 3 8 8 - 2649ers 14 14 14 7 - 49GAME SUMMARIES49ers — Rice 44 pass from Young (Brien kick)49ers — Watters 51 pass from Young (Brien kick)Chargers — Means 1 run (Carney kick)49ers — Floyd 5 pass from Young (Brien kick)49ers — Watters 8 pass from Young (Brien kick)Chargers — Carney 31 FG49ers — Watters 9 run (Brien kick)49ers — Rice 15 pass from Young (Brien kick)Chargers — Coleman 98 KO return (Humphries to Seay pass)49ers — Rice 7 pass from Young (Brien kick)Chargers — Martin 30 pass from Humphries(Humphries to Pupunu pass)1995Green Bay Packers 27, 49ers 17NFC Divisional PlayoffJanuary 6 at 3Com Park(San Francisco, CA)Aided by a swarming defense that caused fourturnovers, the Green Bay Packers defeated the 49ers27-17 at 3Com Park. A record crowd of 69,311 sawthe Packers advance to the NFC Championship Game,while the 49ers one-year reign as world championsended with an overall record of 11-6. Green Bay tookits opening drive and marched to the San Francisco26 before settling for a field goal attempt. However, KChris Jacke’s 44-yard attempt was blocked by S TimMcDonald and the 49ers took over at their 34. On thefirst play from scrimmage, QB Steve Young hit FB AdamWalker in the flat, but LB Wayne Simmons jarred theball loose and CB Craig Newsome returned the fumble31 yards for the touchdown. Green Bay also scored onits next two possessions, a three-yard pass from QBBrett Favre to TE Keith Jackson and a 13-yard tossfrom Favre to TE Mark Chmura. San Francisco scoredits first points of the game late in the half when K JeffWilkins nailed a 21-yard field goal with two minutesremaining. The 49ers took their first possession of thethird quarter and marched 80 yards for a touchdown,when Young plunged in from the one, cutting the deficitto 21-10. On the 14-play drive, Young was 9-of-10and ran the ball twice. Again, the Packers respondedto the challenge, using a pair of Jacke field goals(27 yards in the third quarter, 26 yards in the fourthquarter), and boosted Green Bay’s lead to 27-10.San Francisco’s final score of the season came on atwo-yard plunge by RB Derek Loville with 50 secondsremaining in the game. Young completed 32 passes inan NFL postseason record 65 attempts, for 328 yardsand two interceptions. He also led the 49ers in rushing,gaining 77 yards in nine attempts, including a 40-yard sprint after he was flushed from the pocket. WRJerry Rice led the receivers with 11 catches for 117yards, while TE Brent Jones gained 112 yards on eightreceptions. Defensively, DT Dana Stubblefield recordeda team-high 10 tackles and a sack for a loss of fiveyards, while LB Ken Norton Jr. added nine tackles.Packers 14 7 3 3 - 2749ers 0 3 7 7 - 17Packers — Newsome 31 fumble return (Jacke kick)Packers — Jackson 3 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)Packers — Chmura 13 pass from Favre (Jacke kick)49ers — Wilkins 21 FG49ers — Young 1 run (Wilkins kick)Packers — Jacke 27 FGPackers — Jacke 26 FG49ers — Loville 2 run (Wilkins kick)SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS \\254// MEDIA GUIDE