This would be their seventh Super Bowl appearance.
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Their last trip to the big game was one most 49er fans would like to forget: "The Harbowl."
It was a heartbreaker in the Superdome, in which they came close, but ultimately fell to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31.
Had Colin Kaepernick and Michael Crabtree connected on that fourth-down pass in the corner of the endzone (remember that?) with less than two minutes left in the game, the 49ers might have a pristine 6-0 Super Bowl record. But we'll take 5-1.
Here's a look back at the Red and Gold's Super Bowl wins:
Super Bowl XVI
January 24, 1982
49ers beat Cincinnati Bengals 26-21
MVP: Joe Montana
In a game where the Niners started out dominant, shutting the Bengals out 20-0 at the half, they found themselves inches away from losing it all at the end of the 4th quarter.
Protecting a four-point lead while the Bengals drove downfield with time running out, it was linebacker Dan Bunz's goal-line tackle that saved the day.
"Danny Bunz will always own the moment of one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history," said teammate Ronnie Lott in an NFL documentary. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGxfW7SMgJY)
Bunz hit Bengals receiver Charles Alexander inches from the endzone on what was third and goal.
Then, after a successful goalline stand on fourth down with the clock expiring, the 49ers won the franchise's first-ever Lombardi Trophy.
FUN FACT!
The team was stuck in traffic on the way to the game (talk about stressful!) because Vice President Bush was in town and jammed to "This is It" by Kenny Loggins.
Later, Instead of a pregame speech, Coach Walsh just continued playing the song.
He wasn't one for speeches anyways - according to the players.
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Super Bowl XIX
January 20, 1985
49ers beat Miami Dolphins 38-16.
MVP: Joe Montana
It was the Montana vs. Marino matchup football fans had been dreaming of, but the quarterback dual turned out to be more lopsided than expected.
Montana completed 24 of 35 passes for a then Super Bowl record 331 yards and three touchdowns. He also broke the Super Bowl record for most rushing yards gained by a quarterback: 59 yards on 5 rushes and one rushing touchdown.
On the other side, the young star Marino, who had thrown for more than 5,000 yards and 48 touchdowns that season was quieted by the 49ers defense. Led by Ronnie Lott and Eric Wright, their secondary was first in the league that year for points allowed and it showed in this Super Bowl.
Marino and the Dolphins did not score the entire second half of that Super Bowl.
Coach Bill Walsh got the game ball
Super Bowl XXIII
January 22, 1989
49ers beat Cincinnati Bengals 20-16
MVP: Jerry Rice
It was an ending no one watching would ever forget.
3:10 remaining, the 49ers were trailing 16-13. They had to score.
Starting from their own 8-yard line Joe Montana led a miracle 92-yard, 11-play drive to win it all.
The drive featured three catches from Jerry Rice, who was named Super Bowl MVP.
The Hall of Famer's trio of grabs included one pivotal 27-yard play.
Second and 20 from the Bengals' 45. Rice was double covered, but Montana found him for 13 yards. Number 80 took care of the rest. Running for another 14 yards, he put the 49ers in field goal range at the Bengals' 18.
They went on to win the game on a 10-yard endzone pass to John Taylor.
It was the last play Bill Walsh ever called as head coach of the 49ers.
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Super Bowl XXIV
January 28, 1990
49ers beat Denver Broncos 55-10
MVP: Joe Montana
It was the first time a team had won back-to-back Super Bowls since the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 70's and they did so emphatically, blowing out the John Elway and the Broncos by 45 points.
One of the most dominant Super Bowl victories in league history, it was the perfect bookend to the "team of the 80's."
Joe Montana was named MVP after throwing for 297 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Broncos defense who was the top-ranked for points allowed in the regular season.
NFL Network ranks this the 6th-best on their list: "Top 10 Joe Montana Games of All Time."
In fact, head coach George Seifert took mercy on the Broncos and pulled Montana from the game with 11 minutes still to play. That means, those mind-blowing stats above? Yeah, they were accomplished in just three quarters.
Super Bowl XXIX
January 29, 1995
49ers beat San Diego Chargers 49-26
MVP: Steve Young
This was Steve Young's only Super Bowl, and Jerry Rice's last as a 49er.
The dynamic duo made sure it was an unforgettable one.
After living in the shadow of Joe Montana, Young finally, "got the monkey off his back."
As the game was ending, he famously said to his teammates on the sideline, "Someone take the monkey off my back, please," and they literally acted out ripping an animal off his back and screamed, "It's gone forever!"
This was the last Lombardi Trophy for the San Francisco 49ers. A quarter of a century later, the team has a chance to bring it back to the Bay.
But first, the Niners must get past Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers this Sunday, in the NFC Championship Game at Levi's Stadium.
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