When will the San Francisco 49ers find gold again? After capturing five Super Bowl championships (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994), the 49ers have struggled to return to the “big show” again. Since their last NFL title, they have earned playoff spots for seven seasons. That has included three division titles and two NFC championship games. If you are bummed by the 49ers’ current performance, remember that the situation must get worse before it gets better. Here are the 49ers’ worst NFL seasons:
1978-1979 (2-14 record)
The season started off promising, but ended in waterloo. Before the start of the season, the San Francisco 49ers had made some big changes. In particular, they had traded in some of their draft picks to acquire OJ Simpson, the Running Back star of the Buffalo Bills. During the 1973-1974 season, Simpson had won an NFL record of 2,000 rushing yards. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury caused him to miss most of the season and gain 593 yards. Quarterback Steve De Berg compounded the problem, throwing nearly three interceptions for every touchdown thrown. Head coach Pete McCullery posted a measly 1-8 record. McCullery’s replacement, coach Fred O’Connor, then racked up a terrible 1-6 record.
1979-1980 (2-14 record)
After the failures of Coach McCullery and Coach O’Connor, the 49ers changed generals once again by signing Bill Walsh. Eventually, Walsh would coach the 49ers to three Super Bowl victories (1981, 1984, 1988). However, his first season at San Fran resulted in a second straight record of 2-14. While OJ Simpson’s final year in the NFL would be disappointing, the 49ers’ offense turned out to be one of the best in the league. In particular, a rookie named Joe Montana was starting to warm up. During the 1979-1980 season, Montana threw the pigskin 23 times, accumulating 96 yards and a touchdown. In fact, the 49ers were rebuilding their squad and they were a work in progress.
2004-2005 (2-14)
A decade after their fifth and most recent Super Bowl title, the 49ers were a shell of who they were. There was a lot of blame, and 49ers owner John York got a lot of it. How bad was the 2004-2005 season for the 49ers? His victories included two victories over the same team: the Arizona Cardinals. To top it off, the 49ers needed extra time to beat the Cardinals. The first time, he beat them 31-28. Meanwhile, the second clash between the teams resulted in the same score: 31-28. After the end of the season, the 49ers fired coach Dennis Erickson and used Mike Nolan (son of former 49ers coach Dick Nolan) to replace him.
Recently, the 49ers have found little gold on the grid. However, they continue to fight their way to the top of the NFL. By making the right moves on and off the field, the 49ers can return to the glory days of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott. Use San Francisco 49ers merchandise to cheer on the team for its sixth gold Super Bowl trophy!
