The Catch

The 1981 NFL Championship Game, played on January 10, 1982, featured the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys led 27-21 late in the fourth quarter. With little under five minutes remaining, San Francisco received the ball on their own 11-yard line. With 58 seconds remaining, 49ers quarterback Joe Montana led the team on a drive that put them on the Dallas six. Montana found wide receiver Dwight Clark at the back of the end zone on third and four, with a possible first down if they progressed to the Dallas two. Clark's fingertips produced a leaping, twisting catch. The Niners had the lead, but Dallas still had 50 seconds to drive for a game winning field goal.

The Cowboys drove to midfield before their offensive stalled, and the 49ers triumphed. The game-winning play became known as "The Catch," despite the fact that neither Montana nor 49ers head coach Bill Walsh witnessed it. Montana fell down after being hit, and Walsh assumed the ball had been thrown away because of its altitude in the end zone. The 49ers went on to win the Super Bowl that year, as well as three more during the decade. The Cowboys experienced a period of decline. The Catch was ranked second on NFL Films' list of the 100 Greatest NFL Plays of All Time in 2019.

Date: January 10, 1982

Venue: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California