With two feet of snow in the forecast for Sunday Night Football this week, let's look back at some of the 49ers most memorable bad weather games.
1969: 10-7 Loss to Vikings
The 22 degree afternoon belied the true conditions of this wintery afternoon. In the face of snow as high as two feet and gusts of wind as violent as 14 miles per hour, the underdog 49ers gave their all against the Super Bowl-bound Vikings.
Minnesota led 3-0 into the fourth quarter when Steve Spurrier lofted a short touchdown pass to tight end Ted Kwalick. All of the sudden, the eleven-point underdog 49ers were up by four.
Joe Kapp always seemed to have ice in his veins when it mattered most. With the clock winding down, he found Gene Washington for a 52-yard dagger right through the hearts of San Francisco.
1988: 16-13 Loss to Broncos
Candlestick Park was notorious for its winds, On October 9. 1988, it cost the 49ers a hard-fought win. All day long, 16 mile per hour gusts squelched the potent passing attacks of both the 49ers and John Elway's Broncos.
Much of the game was more like a soccer match, with both kickers in high demand. Joe Montana scored the game's first touchdown with a six-yard scramble into the end zone, giving the 49ers a 10-3 lead.
Back and forth the two kickers went, with Denver's Rich Karlis and San Francisco's Mike Cofer trading 27-yarders. Finally, John Elway found Vance Johnson for the game tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Rich Karlis won the game for Denver with a 22-yard strike in overtime.
2013: 23-20 Win over Packers
In what was one of the coldest games of the year, the 49ers battled the Green Bay Packers in a classic at Lambeau Field. After the 49ers started the game kicking two field goals, Aaron Rodgers found Jordy Nelson in the end zone to give Green Bay a one-point lead early in the second quarter.
The 49ers answered right back when Frank Gore rumbled for a ten-yard touchdown. San Francisco still led 13-10 after Green Bay ended the half with a field goal. After a scoreless third, the teams traded touchdowns to begin the fourth, with Vernon Davis's 28-yard catch and run answering John Kuhn's one-yard plunge.
Finally, after all the talk about the potent offenses, the smothering defenses and the frigid conditions, it all came down to two kickers. Mason Crosby tied the game at 20-all with a 24-yarder, but he left too much time on the clock. Colin Kaepernick calmly led his team down the field where, after 15 years in the league, Phil Dawson finally won his first playoff game by nailing a 33-yard strike.
2021: 13-10 Win over Packers
This was the Packers' year. Or so they thought. After beating the 49ers in Week 3, Green Bay tore through their schedule and earned the top seed in the playoffs. With league MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm and a well-rounded defense to complement an electric offense, they had the look of a champion going into their rematch with the 49ers in the Divisional round.
After starting the frigid affair hot, the Packers offense stalled for the rest of the game. On the other side, the 49ers could not find any rhythm in the face of 12 mile per hour winds and 15 degree weather.
The game went on, the crowd grew weary of boredom snow began to fall to the ground as one of the NFL's great defensive masterpieces unfolded on the historic Lambeau Field. Finally, with just over three minutes to go, Jordan Willis blocked a Packers punt. The crowd was aghast as players from both teams desperately looked for the pigskin. Like a toddler who found a loose ball, rookie Talanoa Hufanga calmly picked up the football and trotted into the end zone, instantly making him a household name as he tied the score at 10-all.
San Francisco held Green Bay's once-potent offense for three downs and after Green Bay punted it back, the 49ers took full advantage. When Robbie Gould nailed the 45-yard field goal, none of his teammates felt any warmer.
1988: 28-3 Win over Bears
This is Bear weather! Or so they said. The 49ers had played the Bears at Soldier Field more than two months earlier and had lost a tough defensive slugfest 10-9. It was more than just the final result, it was as if the Bear's vaunted defense had gotten in Joe Montana's head. Coming into a frigid Soldier Field for the NFC Championship, many saw this as a coronation for the Bears.
They could not have been more wrong. With winds as strong as 29 miles per hour and a windchill as nasty as 2 degrees, the warm weathered 49ers fared well in Chicago's frost. Jerry Rice got the 49ers on the board first with a 61-yard catch and run. He added a second touchdown in the second quarter, this one a 27-yarder that made the score 14-0. Chicago kicked a field goal to make the score somewhat respectable going into the half.
But in all respects, the game was over. The 49ers were red hot going into the game and had warmed themselves to the tune of two touchdowns already. Tight end John Frank both extended the lead and scored the final touchdown of his career with a short touchdown grab in the third quarter. Fullback Tom Rathman put an explanation point on the game with a four yard plunge in the middle of the fourth.
After completing 17 of 27 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns, it was clear that Joe Montana was back to his old self. Two weeks later, he led the 49ers to their third Super Bowl in balmy Miami.
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