The San Francisco 49ers Mt. Rushmore

49ers were the “team of the 80’s”, but still made league history into the 90’s.

 It may be hard for NFL fans under the age of 25 to imagine, but for a decade the San Francisco 49ers were the definition of dominant.

This franchise was the first to win 5 Super Bowls and, also has 6 NFC Championship titles, 19 NFC Division Championship titles in their trophy case, and 14 players (and 1 owner) in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Several of the men that helped them accomplish so much are arguably the greatest to EVER play the game at the respective positions. Here are the players I believe are on the Niners Mt. Rushmore.

CRITERIA:

• No owners, unless they were also coaches, and their place on this list is based on their contributions as coach. No General Managers or Personnel executives.  Just those who directly affected the games on Sunday.  I will make a separate list for them soon.

• Key contributors to the team’s history and success, not just fan favorites or box office draws.

• Can you tell the franchise’s story without them?

Jerry Rice (1985-2000) is the greatest wide receiver of all-time, and is arguably the greatest football player of all-time. His franchise leading 1,281 receptions, 19,247 receiving yards, and 187 total touchdowns (176 receiving, 10 rushing, 1 fumble return) were good enough for the number one on the all-time NFL record books before he went on to play four more seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. He was apart of 3 Super Bowl Championship teams in San Francisco (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX) and was MVP of Super Bowl XXIII. Rice has so many individual accomplishments (over 100 records), there are too many to list here and would take up all of this post. In 2010, Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the 49ers retired his number 80 jersey. He’s also a member of the NFL 75^th Anniversary All-Time, 1980s and 1990s All-Decade Teams. Rice currently holds 23 NFL records.

Joe Montana (1979-1992) has been called the greatest quarterback in NFL History. “Cool Joe” as he’s often been called, led the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV) in four tries, and he was MVP of the game three times (XVI, XIX, XXIV). Montana is the 49ers all-time leader in career wins (100), passing touchdowns (244), passing yards (35,124), completions (2,929), and attempts (4,600). #16 is also a member of the NFL 75^th All-Time Anniversary and NFL 1980s All-Decade teams. The 49ers retired his jersey in 1997, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Ronnie Lott (1981-1990) was the most feared defensive back in the NFL during the 1980s and early 1990s. He patrolled the secondary for the teams that won four Super Bowls. Lott finished his time in San Fran as the team leader in tackles (721); recently retired linebacker Patrick Willis has since passed him in defensive touchdowns (5) and interceptions (51). He’s is still the only rookie in NFL history to return three interceptions for touchdowns. He’s a member of the NFL 75^th Anniversary All-Time Team, NFL 1980s and 1990sAll-Decade Teams. In 200 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and had his jersey number 42 retired by the team.

Bill Walsh (1979-1988) is the father of the West Coast offense that is widely used in the game today in some variation or another. Walsh coached the 49ers to three Super Bowl victories (XVI, XIX, XXIII), 92 regular season wins and 10 playoff victories. Walsh was named NFL Coach of the Year in 1981and 1984, and is a member of the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade Team. In 1993 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His coaching tree is also one of the most productive in league history. The late Dennis Green, Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Steve Mariucci, Jim Fassel, George Siefert, and Mike Shanahan’s careers all spawned from Walsh.

Niner fans let me know what you think? Did I get it right? Who would be on your list? I wanna hear from you.

What To Watch In Week Two

Week two in the NFL kicks-off Thursday night, and it’s already rivalry week. Here’s a look at the best games on the schedule.

N.Y. JETS @ N.E. PATRIOTS (Thursday, 8pm)

Rookie Geno Smith was decent in his first start at quarterback (24/38, 256 yards with a touchdown and interception.) Still, the Jets needed a bone head play by Tampa Bay Buccaneer linebacker Lavonte David and a 48 yard field goal by Nick Folk to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The matchup with the Pats will be the first true test for Smith. Coach Bill Belichick is known for dominating and confusing rookie QBs, yet in week one, Buffalo Bills rookie QB E.J. Manuel was able to throw for 2 touchdowns with no turnovers against “The Hoodie’s” schemes. It took a late Stephen Gostkowski field goal to slip by the Bills.

Both teams are dealing with uncertainty on offense with injuries and new faces. The Pats will be without their leading rusher from week one, Shane Vereen (14 carries for 101 yards). The Jets are still trying to figure everything out. They have lost the last 5 to the Pats including a 49-19 beat down last Thanksgiving night that gave us, “The Butt Fumble.”

The Pats have swept the season series the last two seasons. Yet, if the Jets can pull off the upset, they’ll be in at least a tie for first place in the AFC East come Sunday night. Who saw that coming?

DENVER BRONCOS @ N.Y. GIANTS (Sunday, 4:25pm)

There are those who say Eli Manning is better than Peyton Manning because he has two Super Bowl rings and has been more clutch when it counts, in the postseason. I’m not one of them. After what I saw from Peyton against Baltimore – 462 yards passing and 7 TDs – in the opener and the abysmal Giants defense on Sunday night in Dallas – who will probably be without their best cornerback Prince Amukamura (concussion), I see Big Brother Peyton riding his “Fearsome Foursome” (Welker, DeMaryius Thomas, Decker & Julius Thomas ) of receiving threats to another win in the Manning bowl to move to 3-0 against his little brother.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS @ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (Sunday, 8:30 pm)

Anquan Boldin vs. Richard Sherman. Colin Kaepernick vs. Russell Wilson. Jim Harbaugh vs. Pete Carroll. While the other two match ups should decide who will win, the Harbaugh-Carroll match up is a cantankerous one that goes back to Stanford vs. USC. I just want to see the pre-game and post game handshakes.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeS3VeluAmg

On the field, I don’t expect Kaepernick to throw for 400 plus yards against the Seahawks tall, physical, athletic defensive backs, but I see him gaining more than 22 yards rushing (his totals from week 1.) I do expect Russell Wilson to be as efficient at home as he was against Carolina, which is saying alot since he was 25 of 33 for 320 yards and a touchdown.

In their last meeting (SEA 42-13; 12/23/12) Wilson threw a career-high four touchdown passes and Marshawn Lynch scored two first-quarter TDs. Don’t expect Lynch to be bundled up two weeks in a row – he gained only 43 yards on 17 carries against the Panthers – he’s rushed for 100+ yards in his last three meetings against the Niners. This is meeting one of two in what could be a preview of the NFC Championship game.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS @ CINCINNATI BENGALS (Monday 8:40 pm)

I was hard on the AFC North division after week one, so was the national media and rightfully so. They are the only winless division in pro football. That will end this week with these two teams meeting and Cleveland playing at Baltimore, unless there are two ties (If you watched these teams play last week that could happen.) Cincinnati is the favorite to win this division by many, present company included. In order to do so, they have to beat the big boys of the division in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, who have controlled the AFC North for almost two decades. Their first crack is the Steelers.

New Bengal and former Steeler linebacker James Harrison will be looking for payback since the Black & Gold didn’t resign him in the offseason. The Steelers have been taking it on the chin all week after looking like their game was drowned in the Three Rivers outside of Heinz Field. There is little doubt Head Coach Mike Tomlin will have his team ready to bounce back.

The two teams split the season series in 2012, with each winning on the other’s home field (PIT 24-17, 10/21/12; CIN 13-10; 12/23/12.) This early season matchup will have a playoff feel, neither team wants to fall in an 0-2 hole. Even though I think 8-8 will win this division, a two game deficit will not bode well for either to make a legit run in January.