1990 NFC Championship Game (Giants vs. 49ers) - The Game That Ended A Dynasty

From 1969 to 2006, I was a big fan of NFL football. During those 38 years, I watched many great football games, most from the 1970s. But there was a game from 1991 that I would rank among the best I’ve seen.

The SF 49ers finished the 1990 season with a 14–2 record and then beat the Redskins 28–10 in the divisional playoff game. The NY Giants went 13–3 before defeating the Bears 31–3 in their playoff game. The 49ers had won the last two Super Bowls and aimed to become the first team to win three in a row.

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1990 NFC Championship Game

The 1990 NFC Championship game featured the New York Giants versus the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on January 20, 1991. The winner would advance to play in Super Bowl XXV. The two teams had previously faced off about a month and a half earlier on Monday Night Football in a defensive slugfest. Both teams entered that game with impressive 10–1 records. The 49ers emerged victorious, winning 7–3.

The 49ers had won the last two Super Bowls and aimed to become the first team to win three in a row. Most so-called experts believed the 49ers would win this game, primarily because they had home-field advantage, but more importantly, because the Giants were without their starting quarterback Phil Simms, who broke his foot in a Week 14 game against the Bills.

San Francisco won the coin toss and started their first drive at the 26-yard line. Three consecutive passes moved them to the 37-yard line. A pass completion from Joe Montana to tight end Brent Jones pushed them past the 50-yard line. A five-yard run was followed by what looked like a dropped pass, but the referee ruled it complete, giving the 49ers a first down at the Giants’ 31-yard line. However, the ‘Big Blue’ defense responded by stopping San Francisco with no gain on the next three plays. A 47-yard field goal put the 49ers ahead 3–0.

The kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback, and the Giants started at their 20-yard line. A holding penalty pushed them back to their 10-yard line. After two runs gained seven yards, a 20-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler to Mark Ingram gave them a first down on the 37-yard line. A short pass and run gained enough for another first down. An offside penalty on the 49ers and a short pass completion moved the ball to the 49ers’ 37-yard line.

After the next two plays picked up only two yards, the 49ers were penalized for a questionable pass interference. Two runs by Otis Anderson gained 19 yards to bring the ball to the 11-yard line. However, the Giants passed on the following three plays, and all three passes were incomplete, with one that should have been caught dropped in the end zone. A field goal tied the score.

On their next possession, the 49ers went three-and-out and had to punt. The Giants took over at the 44-yard line. Two false start penalties pushed them back to their 34-yard line. A 19-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler to David Meggett left them one yard short of a first down, and the Giants punted.

San Francisco took possession at their 19-yard line. A short run and a twelve-yard reception by Tom Rathman gave them a first down at the 35-yard line. A 12-yard reception by Jerry Rice moved the ball to the 47-yard line. On third down and eight, Joe Montana threw deep to Jerry Rice, but the ball was knocked down by cornerback Mark Collins.

Rare Competition For Jerry Rice

Before continuing with the game, I want to point out that Mark Collins was one of the few NFL cornerbacks who played well against Jerry Rice. As John Madden mentioned during the telecast, Collins wasn’t afraid of getting beaten by Rice. He played him aggressively and physically, and it proved to be an effective strategy. In their Monday Night game in December, Rice caught just one pass for seven yards. Okay, back to the game.

The 49ers punted, and the Giants gained possession on their 20-yard line. After two runs for seven yards, Hostetler dropped back to pass, saw a hole open, and ran for the first down. A run, a short pass completion, and another run gave the Giants another first down. A 13-yard pass to Mark Bavaro moved the ball to the San Francisco 46-yard line.

A penalty against the 49ers awarded the Giants another first down. A nine-yard run by Meggett and a five-yard run by Maurice Carthon brought the ball to the 26-yard line. After the next three plays resulted in no gain, Matt Bahr kicked a 42-yard field goal to give the Giants a 6–3 lead.

A 27-yard return on the kickoff gave San Francisco the ball on their 34-yard line. A 19-yard completion from Joe Montana to Rice moved the ball to the Giants’ 47-yard line. On the next play, Montana ran for seven yards and called a timeout with 26 seconds remaining in the first half.

The 49ers advanced the ball to the 21-yard line, but a sack by defensive end Leonard Marshall pushed them back to the 30-yard line. The next two plays gained 13 yards, and with eight seconds remaining, Mike Cofer tied the game with a 35-yard field goal.

2nd Half - 1990 NFC Championship Game

The Giants received the second-half kickoff and started at their 20-yard line. A pass interference call against the 49ers gave the Giants an easy first down.

Then, Hostetler connected with receiver Mark Ingram to advance the ball to the 40-yard line. After two runs gained only five yards, Hostetler was sacked by Charles Haley, and the Giants punted.
A solid return by John Taylor gave the 49ers good field position at their 39-yard line.

Taylor then followed up his return with a 61-yard touchdown reception. The extra point put San Francisco ahead 13–6.

The Giants started on their 20-yard line, and Hostetler connected with Ingram for a 21-yard gain. The next two plays gained only two yards, but on third and eight, the 49ers were again flagged for pass interference. On a third and ten, Bavaro caught a 13-yard pass for a first down. After the next three plays gained just five yards, Matt Bahr kicked a 46-yard field goal.

Both teams played solid defense, and although the Giants trailed by four points, their ball control strategy was effective. At this stage in the game, the Giants had run 45 plays compared to just 25 for the 49ers.

The kickoff resulted in a touchback as it went into the end zone, and the ‘Big Blue Defense’ tightened up. Erik Howard and Lawrence Taylor sacked Montana, forcing the 49ers to punt.

The Giants started at their 45-yard line, and Otis Anderson powered his way for a 9-yard gain. After an incomplete pass, Anderson ran for a 27-yard gain. But now the 49ers’ defense stepped up, stopping the Giants from advancing further. The usually reliable Matt Bahr missed a 37-yard field goal, and the 49ers took possession at their 20-yard line.

After Montana connected with Rice for a 14-yard gain, Roger Craig ran for seven yards, but the next two plays gained nothing, and San Francisco punted.

The Giants took over on their 36-yard line. After a two-yard run, Hostetler connected with Ingram for a 16-yard gain. Hostetler was injured on the play, and Matt Cavanaugh replaced him. Three plays later, the Giants were punting.

The 49ers started on their 22-yard line. After their first two plays went nowhere, Montana dropped back to pass and was hit hard by Leonard Marshall. The fumble was recovered by the 49ers, but Montana was done for the day. The 49ers punted, and the Giants took over on their 38-yard line.

Hostetler returned to the game, but the Giants went three and out. The 49ers’ nose tackle, Michael Carter, who won a silver medal in the shot put at the 1984 Olympics, was having a particularly good game.

The Giants lined up to punt, but instead of snapping the ball to the punter, they snapped it to linebacker Gary Reasons, who found a wide-open hole to run through. The Giants had a first and ten at the 49ers’ 24-yard line, but once again, the San Francisco defense refused to give ground, forcing another field goal attempt. Matt Bahr connected from 38 yards, and the Giants now trailed by just one point.

San Francisco took possession at their 20-yard line, and Steve Young replaced the still-dazed Montana. On their first play, the 49ers fumbled but recovered. Young connected with Brent Jones for a 29-yard gain on the next play. Craig made two runs, gaining 11 yards; time was running out in the Giants’ season.

On the following play, Erik Howard caused Roger Craig to fumble, and the Giants recovered. The Giants took over at their 43-yard line with 2:36 left in the game. Hostetler connected with Bavaro for a 19-yard gain.

A 4-yard loss on the next play was followed by a 13-yard reception by Stephen Baker. On the next play, Anderson lunged for the first down. The following two plays gained three yards, and now it all depended on Matt Bahr’s kicking leg. The 42-yard field goal was good, and there would be no three-peat for the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers.

Recapping The 1990 NFC Championship Game

The stats show the Giants had the advantage. They had 20 first downs compared to the 49ers’ 13, 152 rushing yards to the 49ers’ 39, and more total yards, 311 to 240. The Giants also controlled the clock, holding the ball for 39 minutes to the 49ers’ 21. Joe Montana played a solid game, completing 18 of 26 passes for 190 yards with one touchdown, but the 49ers lacked a strong running game.

Knowing this, the Giants’ defense focused on stopping Jerry Rice, who was limited to five receptions for 54 yards. There was only one turnover, the Roger Craig fumble. One thing I didn’t like about the game was the 14 penalties, some of which seemed unnecessary to call.

Using the same ball control strategy they employed in this game, the Giants beat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV, 20–19.

Mark Morthier is the host of Yesterday’s Sports, a podcast dedicated to reliving memorable sports moments from his childhood days and beyond. He grew up in New Jersey just across from New York City, so many of his episodes revolve around the great sport’s teams of the 70s for the New York area.

He is also an author of No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training (Second Edition): A Guide for People with Limited Time and Running Wild: (Growing Up in the 1970s)