The (72 and Counting) Greatest Football Moments in Candlestick History

Next year is the last for the Niners at Candlestick -the club's put together this ranking of greatest moments.

It may not surprise you that this was insufficient for me.

So - here are (as of the end of 2012) the 71 greatest NFL moments in Candlestick Park history.  I'm just ranking them chronologically, at least one per season.  


1. 11-26-1971 NFC Divisional Playoffs – d Redskins 24-20 – Our first Candlestick playoff game; we held them to under 100 passing yds. Brodie had a 78 yard TD to Washington

 

2.       9-17-72 Home Opener – d Chargers 34-3 – We opened up the following season with three TDS for Washington

3.       10-21-73 biggest Candlestick margin to that date – d Saints 40-3 – We held NO to negative passing yds. Brodie was in his final year, he went 8 of 9 for 131 and a score.

44. 11-24-74  d Falcons 27-0– We had back to back shutouts in '74; Dave Wilcox led the defense.

5.      11-16-75 d Bears 31-3 – We held Bears to under 50passing yards. Tommy Hart took back a fumble for a score.

5. 10-23-76  d Falcons 15-0 – We improved to 6-1 when we heldAtl under 50 yds total offense. Jimmy Johnson was in his final season.

7.      11-27-77 d. Saints  20-17 – Wilbur Jackson had 190 yds rushing

8.      10-1-78 d. Bengals 28-12 – OJ Simpson’s firstNiner TD

9.      10-21-79 d Falcons 20-15 – Niners were 0-7coming in. Paul Hofer scored twice.

10.  9-14-80 d. Cardinals 24-21 – My firstCandlestick football game, 11 days before my 10^th birthday, a 4^thqtr comeback and OT win. Hofer scored twice including a game tying bustout in the 4th qtr.  

11.  12-7-80 d. Saints 38-35 – biggest regular seasoncomeback in NFL history

12.  10-11-81 d. Cowboys 45-15, Cowboys 5 ptfavorite, this was the real beginning of dynasty. Fred Dean's first game.

13.  1-3-82 NFC Divisional Playoffs d NYG 38-24 – firsthome playoff game in ten years

14.  1-10-82 NFC Title d Cowboys 28-27 – The Catch

15.  We didn’t win a home game in ‘82.  A bit of a Super Bowl hangover.  

16.  11-13-83 d NO 27-0 6 Fred Dean sacks

17.  12-19-83 –last game of regular season, MondayNight d Cowboys 42-17 win NFC West, Montana 4TDS


 

18.  12-31-83 – NFC Divisional Playoffs d Lions 24-234^th quarter comeback

19.  12-8-84 d Vikings 51-7, we hang 50 on the Vikes

20.  12-29-84 NFC Divisional Playoffs d NYG 21-10

21.  1-6-85 NFC Title d Bears 23-0, shutout, 9 sackshold Bears to 37 passing yds

22.  12-22-85 need win to make playoffs, last game ofseason d Cowboys 31-16, scored last 21 points

23.  10-5-86 d Colts 35-14, 3 TDS, 172 receiving ydsfor Rice – from Jeff Kemp

24.  11-9-86 d Cards 43-17, 3 TD 156 receiving ydsfor Rice – from Montana, making his return after back surgery


 

25.  12-19-86 d. Rams 24-14, for the division title

26.  11-29-87 d Browns, Cle had second best ptdifferential in ’87, Joe threw 4 TDs, 3 to Jerry, his last TD pass to Dwight.


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27.  12-27-87 d Rams 48-0, outgained them by almost300 yds, both Joe/Steve threw for multiple TDS

28.  10-30-88 d Vikes 24-21, Young’s broken tacklerun

29.  11-21-88 – Monday night against Champs dSkins  37-21, Joe retook job, the SB rollstarted, JT 95 yd punt return


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30.  1-1-89 – NFC Divisional Playoffs, d Vikes 34-9,revenge game, 3 Rice TD, Bill’s last Candlestick win

31.  11-27-89 Monday night, battle of 9-2 teams, dNYG 34-24, Joe 27-33 3 scores/0int

32.  1-6-90 NFC Divisional Playoffs, d Vikes again 41-13,Joe 4 TDs

33.  1-14-90 NFC Title d Rams 30-3 Joe 26-30, 2scores/0int

34.  11-18-90 d Bucs 31-7 took us to 10-0 afterwinning back to back SBs.

35.  12-3-90 d NYG Monday Night War 7-3

36.  1-12-91 NFC Divisional Playoff d Skins 28-10,Joe’s last Niner playoff win, we scored last 28.

37.  12-23-91 d Bears 52-14, there’s a future Ninerhead coach on the field, guess who it is, Don Griffin took a fumble back 99 yards.

38.  10-18-92 d Falcons 56-17, most Candlestickpoints, almost 600 total yards, Jerry 2 td receiving/1 rushing, over 200 totalyds, we then beat Atl 41-3 later in season

39.  12-28-92 Monday Night d Lions 24-6, Joe’s lastgame at Candlestick 15-21 2 scores

40.  1-9-93 NFC Division Playoffs d Skins 20-13

41.  1-15-94 NFC Division Playoffs d NYG 44-3 Wattersscored 5 TD

42.  9-5-94 Monday night season open d Raiders 44-14,Jerry scores 3 breaks all time TD record

43.  11-13-94 d Dallas 21-14,  We finally getpast the Cowboys in the regular season.

44.  11-20-94 d Rams 31-27, Jerry 16 catches/3 TD

45.  1-7-95 Divisional Playoff d Bears 44-15 3William Floyd TDs

46.  1-15-95 NFC Title d. Cowboys 38-28 21-0 first qtr leadand held on to finally beat the Cowboys

47.  12-18-95 d Vikes 37-30 – Is this Jerry Rice’sbest game?  14 catches/289 yds/3 TDs
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48.  9-8-96 d Rams 34-0. Same ole sorry assRams.  At least for one more game.  7 sacks/2 safeties

49.  9-29-96 d Falcons.  The best game for a Niner kicker?  Jeff Wilkins’s 6 FG.

50.  12-29-96 NFC Wild Card d. Eagles 14-0, theWatters returns game, we hold him to less than 3 yds/carry

51.  12-15-97 Monday Night d Broncos 34-17, Joe gothis jersey retired, Jerry returned early from nearly season long injury andscored a TD, we went to 13-2.

52.  1-3-98 NFC Divisional Title d. Vikes 38-22,Terry Kirby 120 yds/2TD.  Terry Kirby!

53.  9-6-98 d Jets 36-30 Garrison Hearst had 187yards/2TD and a 96 yard OT TD to win it

54.  1-3-99 NFC Wild Card d. Packers 30-27Owens!  Owens! Owens! Owens!

55.  9-19-99 d Saints 28-21, Steve Young’s lastCandlestick game, Lance Schulters won game with 4^th qtr pick 6.

56.  12-17-00 d Bears 17-0, 20 balls for Owens onJerry’s last Candlestick game.

57.  11-11-01 d Saints, 28-27 4 TD passes and a 4^thqtr comeback for Garcia. Game winning TD pass to Eric Johnson, future JessicaSimpson baby daddy

58.  12-16-01 d Dolphins 21-0, battle of 9-3 teams,Niners get 6 sacks/4 turnovers, 2 of those were Zack Bronson picks.

59.  1-5-03 NFC Wild Card d. NYG 39-38, we scoredlast 25 points, Owens caught 9/177 2 TDs

60.  12-7-03 d Cards 50-14, 6 TDS for Garcia (4passing/2rushing)

61.  10-10-04 d Cards 31-28, only home win, scoredlast 19 points, Mr Jessica Simpson 13 catches/162/1TD

62.  10-30-05 d Bucs 15-10, Bucs were 5-1, 11.5 pointfavorites, Joe Nedney hit 4 40+yd FGs

63.  11-19-06 d Seahawks, 20-14 Frank Gore had 214 yds onground

64.  12-23-97 d Bucs 21-19, highlight of ’07 wasrookie Patrick Willis, here, 8 tackles, 2 sacks

65.  11-16-08 d Rams 35-16, highlight of ’08 was AndyLee, here 6 punts/311 yards

66.  9-20-09 d Seahawks 23-10, Gore 16/209/2TD

67.  11-14-10 d Rams 23-20, did Troy Smith reallythrow for 356 yards?

68.  9-11-11 d Seahawks 33-17, Ted Ginn takes back apunt and a kick for 4^th qtr scores

69.  12-19-11 A big Monday night game, like the olddays, two 10-3 teams, d Steelers 20-3, 2.5 sacks for Aldon Smith

70.  1-14-12 NFC Division Playoffs d Saints 36-32, 2    4^th qtr comebacks

71.  11-19-12 Monday Night v. Bears, we’re 6-2-1,they’re 7-2, d 32-7, Kaepernick takes starting QB job, 5.5 sacks for AldonSmith

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   72. 1-12-13 NFC Division Playoffs v. Packers. 45-31  Kaepernick amasses nearly 450 total yards, breaking the all time QB single game rushing record.

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