The NFL on Tuesday in a since-deleted tweet posted the entirety of Super Bowl LI – the Patriots’ famous 28-3 comeback against Dan Quinn and the Atlanta Falcons. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was the Falcons’ offensive coordinator in that game.
For reasons unknown the league removed the video from its own social media, but it got us wondering what the best 49ers game would be for the league to tweet.
We’re leaving losses and Super Bowls off our list, but there are still plenty of epic 49ers games to choose from.
Here are the seven games we’d most like to see the NFL send out, preferably with the same caption they had on their now-deleted tweet, “frick it, an entire football game.”
1
The Catch
Any excuse to watch the entirety of the 1981 NFC championship game is a good one. Plus it might get Eric Wright some much-deserved internet clout for his game-saving tackle of Drew Pearson with 39-seconds left.
2
The Vernon Post
The 49ers-Saints divisional round matchup in January of 2012 is an all-time great football game that included four lead changes in the final 4:02. It’s worth rewatching the first three-plus quarters though because there were some unbelievable individual performances from players both teams.
3
Dre Greenlaw says, "no"
The 2019 regular season came down to the 49ers and Seahawks playing in Seattle for the NFC West crown. Dre Greenlaw’s stop at the goal line won San Francisco the division, and exorcised nearly a decade of demons for the 49ers in the Pacific Northwest.
4
A shootout in New Orleans
Perhaps there’s some recency bias here, but the 49ers’ 48-46 win over the Saints in Week 14 of the 2019 season was maybe the best regular season game that year. George Kittle’s catch-and-run to set up the game-winning field goal is just one of approximately six million highlights from that Sunday in the Superdome.
5
The Catch II
“OWENS! OWENS! OWENS!”
6
"Colin Kaepernick, what a game!"
This may be more personal bias than recency bias, but the 2012 divisional playoff game vs. the Packers at Candlestick is my favorite football game of all-time. Colin Kaepernick threw a pick-six on the opening drive, then steamrolled Green Bay en route to 181 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, along with 263 yards and two touchdowns through the air. The 49ers ultimately won 45-31, but the game was much closer than the final score indicated.
7
Cowboys conquered
The 49ers took back-to-back NFC championship game losses to the Cowboys in 1992 and 1993. In 1994 they finally got their revenge in a game that wasn’t particularly thrilling – a 38-28 win that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated – but it was a cathartic beatdown that any 49ers fan will enjoy reliving.
