CBS Sports: NFL 1985- NFC Wildcard- San Francisco 49ers @ New York Giants: Pat Summerall Intro

Source:CBS Sports– San Francisco 49ers QB Joe Cool Montana, perhaps celebrating another TD against the Dallas Cowboys.

Source:The New Democrat

“NYG 1985 Wild Card Intro Vs 49ers”

From NY Giants

The NFL on CBS was a great show for many reasons and Pat Summerall might of been the number one reason. But their timing and intros were classic and so well done and knew exactly how to put things and show things to people.

Pat Summerall: “First New York Giants home playoff game since the 1962 NFL Championship that was at Yankee Stadium”, the day this wildcard game was played. Giants Stadium opened up in East Rutherford, New Jersey in 1976 and this was the first Giants home playoff game there.

How does CBS Sports introduce this game, with Bruce Spingsteen singing Glory Days. The Glory Days of the New York Giants from the 1950s and early 60s. With Pat Summerall a former New York Giant of course doing the intro. A simple two-minute video or so and this is one of best NFL videos and intros of all-time. Just for those reasons.

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Chris Myers: Interviews Joe Montana

Source:Chris Myers– interviewing Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana.

“A look at the past Chris Myers Interviews. Chris Myers interviews Joe Montana from CMI Chris Myers Interview”

From Chris Myers

If you judge quarterbacks by their size or their physical abilities or their numbers, Joe Montana doesn’t stack up very well except for his numbers. But if you judge quarterbacks by how well they play in big games and how they do when the game is on the line and how they play the game, then you are going to have an impossible time finding a list of quarterbacks who you could even compare with Joe Montana as far as great quarterbacks. The list would be like two quarterbacks at least as far as I’m concern. John Unitas and John Elway and perhaps Otto Graham as well and that’s about it.

Some QB’s have a nice run 5-6 years where they do well and then you can say they are one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Rich Gannon comes to mind with the Oakland Raiders. And then there are quarterbacks who may have a short run of greatness, but accomplish so much in that period that it lands them in the Hall of Fame. Terry Bradshaw comes to mind with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But it’s hard to find many if anyone who were as great as Joe Montana for as long as Montana in the history of the NFL.

When I think of Joe Montana I think of the QB who played for the best team and the best head coach of his era. The San Francisco 49ers playing for the best offense and playing with a great defense where he for the most part didn’t have to win games on his own. Joe Cool was a possession passer who would beat you with play after play, pass after pass. And when the defense got tired of that and came after Joe, he could go deep on the defense with wide receivers like Jerry Rice or John Taylor.

And earlier Joe had Freddie Solomon and Dwight Clark. So if you want to play press coverage against Joe and the 49ers, now you are at risk of giving up the deep pass against the 49ers. Because their West Coast offense always had the deep threat in guys who would look for the big play. Especially against press coverage which is what made this offense so great because it forced defenses to defend the whole field. Short, middle and deep and Joe was the best at running this offense.

What separates Joe Cool from anyone as far as quarterbacks again except for John Unitas and John Elway, you could make a very good case for any of these three quarterbacks as the best all-time, is they all played a long time, but they were all great quarterbacks for a long time and how well they played in the big games for as long as they did. A lot of quarterbacks hang around and stay in the league for a long time. But it’s the special quarterbacks that are not just in the league forever as it may seem, but they are great QB’s for so long. Winning so many games and championships and that’s the type of QB Joe Cool was.

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CBS Sports: FBS 1977- Cotton Bowl- Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Texas Longhorns: Full Game

Source:CBS Sports with the 1977-78 Cotton Bowl.

“1978 Cotton Bowl Texas vs Notre Dame 1 2 1978”

From Virgil Moody

Great game that I have on DVD and also a big game from Joe Montana who was already starting to make a name for himself as a great fourth quarter and comeback QB.

Montana wasn’t a great college QB in the sense that he would have several great years at Notre Dame. When the San Francisco 49ers drafted him in 1979 they were taking a risk because he was somewhat slightly built at Notre Dame and got hurt a lot. Even though he had great footwork, mobility, good arm as far as touch, accuracy, and could even throw the ball long and hard.

Joe Montana’s college football numbers are nothing compared with the consistent career he had in San Francisco. It’s in the NFL with the 49ers where he starts to put great seasons together one after the other. At Notre Dame he was somewhat inconsistent and dealt with injuries.

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CBS Sports: NFL 1990-NFC Final-New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers: Full Game

Source:CBS Sports– I believe this is the hit that was delivered by New York Giants DE delivered against San Francisco 49ers QB Joe Montana, that knocked out Montana for the next two seasons and essentially ended Montana’s career with the 49ers.

“1990 NFC Championship Game, January 20, 1991. Giants 15, 49ers 13.”

Source:CBS Sports

This is one of the best NFL football games, period, of all-time and perhaps the best conference championship of all-time as well. Two great teams that had a lot of respect for each other and who didn’t like each other. Whose fans hated the other team because of all the great games that they’ve played against each other over the last ten years.

The 49ers looking to make history and win a third straight Super Bowl and perhaps go down as the greatest collection of teams from 88-90 in NFL history. The Giants obviously having different plans and looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1986 and winning another one.

The 49ers of the 1980s were obviously stereotyped as soft and as a finesse team. Even though they had the best all around running back in the league at this point in Roger Craig. Who was a power runner and ran the ball up the middle for the most part, as well as power sweeps. A 6’0 225 pound tailback with the power of a fullback and the speed of a great wide receiver. Who was both a great all around running back and a great receiver and blocker as well. The 49ers even though having a light offensive line in weight, ran the ball very well against everyone and ran the ball up the middle as well.

And the 49ers were always big and strong on defense and have a very good tough defense in 1990 like they had for most of the 1980s. But yet they were called soft because they were a pass first team that threw a lot of short passes. Playing a team that was known for being tough and strong as the Giants were with tough physical defense, big powerful offensive line and a great power running game.

This was not a matchup of a power team in the Giants vs. a finesse team in the 49ers. When the fact was both teams were two of the strongest and most physical teams in the NFL in 1990. And as a result this was one of the most physical games in the history of the NFL as far as all the big hits in it from both teams.

This game also represents the end of an era. The last time that Joe Montana would represent the 49ers as their starting quarterback and leader. Who took a huge hit late in this game from Giants defensive end Leonard Marshall. And suffered a concussion and back injury that would cost him the entire 1991 season and most of the 1992 season.

This was also the last season that 49ers would enter the year as the favorite to win the Super Bowl, or expected to win the Super Bowl. The rest of the NFL at least the good developing teams were getting better and were catching up. Including a young team that represents Dallas, Texas. So this was a very important game in NFL history.

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