ABC Sports: NFL 1984-Super Bowl 19-Miami Dolphins @ San Francisco 49ers: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

I remember this game fairly well as a nine-year old who was already sports junky and loved football and football was probably already my favorite sport to watch. I remember looking forward to this game and then watching it. The two best teams in the NFL the Dolphins and 49ers, with the two best quarterbacks in Dan Marino and Joe Montana. And arguably the two best head coaches as well in Don Shula and Bill Walsh. Similar to 1983 with the Redskins and Oakland Raiders, this looked like a real Super Bowl matchup between two great teams. And if you’re familiar with football and this game, you also know that games aren’t played on paper and the game didn’t live up to the billing.

The difference in this Super Bowl, is that the 49ers were truly a great team. On both sides of the ball. They had the best defense in the league in the NFL in 1984. They had a great quarterback, with a lot of good receivers. Dwight Clark, Freddie Solomon, Earl Cooper and others. And a great running game as well. Their running game might have been better than their passing game. If you look at the fact that they had two Pro Bowl running backs in their backfield. In Wendell Tyler and Roger Craig. And that Roger Craig, who should be in the Hall of Fame was also a great receiver and perhaps the 49ers best receiver and a great blocker as well. The 84 49ers, you could make a case that they are the best team of all-time in the NFL.

The 1984 Dolphins, I believe were actually somewhat underrated. They weren’t a one man team with Dan Marino with a great coach in Don Shula. With no running game and no defense. They had a very good offensive line, which allowed Marino to throw the ball as much as he did and gave him the time to throw the ball as well as he did. They did have a running game at least in 84. With Woody Bennet and Tony Nathan. But losing Andra Franklin, who would’ve given them that one lead running back and a power running game was a big lost for them. And without Franklin, they didn’t have that one great running back that could put the team on his shoulders and lead them. And defensively, they gave up a lot of yards on the ground. But teams ran the ball a lot against the Dolphins in 84 to keep the Dolphins offense off the field. And the Dolphins were solid against the pass.

What I think the difference in this game is that the 49ers again were great on both sides of the ball. They ran and threw the ball very well. They had a very good strong and athletic offensive line. That pass and run blocked very well. They had a great QB obviously and also had a great defense. The best defense that the Dolphins saw during the 84 season, was against the 49ers. Who practically shut them down after the first quarter in this game. And then add that the Dolphins didn’t have a lot of speed on defense to matchup with all the 49ers receivers and had a hard time getting to Montana most of the game and the 49ers ran the ball so well in this game, meant the 49ers could move the ball up and down the field in this game. And as a result this game turned into a blowout.

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

Source:CBS Sports- the 49ers taking an early lead over the Giants.

"The Giants & 49ers fight it out till the bitter end. Please download right away." 

From Richard Waldrup

Probably the best game in this great NFC rivalry where in the 1980s and early 1990s it seemed like every year they were playing for the top seed in the NFC.

Anyone who thinks the 49ers of the 1980s and 90s were a finesse team, that they were white-collar yuppies, who spent their free time playing golf or sailing and thought that the only people who worked hard for a living, lived on another planet or something, obviously didn't see this game. 

If anything, the 49ers were just as big and strong as the New York Giants of this era, at least on defense and hit just as hard. Which is why the 49er-Giants games of this era were so physical, because both teams were big and strong, at least on defense. And their games had so much meaning. And they didn't like each other and hated losing to each other.

CBS Sports: NFL 1978- Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants: Miracle At The Meadowlands

Source:Sports Illustrated- perhaps the most memorable game in the great Eagles-Giants rivalry in the NFC East.

“Forty years ago this week, as the Giants tried to kill off a game against the division-rival Eagles in the waning moments, Joe Pisarcik flubbed a handoff to Larry Csonka, and Herman Edwards scooped the ball up for a stunning Philly win. It’s one of the most notorious bloopers in NFL history—and also one of its most transformative plays, changing the fates of both franchises for the better and ultimately turning the Giants into a Super Bowl powerhouse.”

From Sports Illustrated 

“1978 NFL Philadelphia at NY Giants 11-19-1978”

Source:Virgil Moody- a look at the 1978 Philadelphia Eagles.

From Virgil Moody 

“Check out where the Miracle at the Meadowlands lands on NFL Top 10 worst plays.” 

Source:NFL Films- Eagles DB Herman Edwards running away with the Giants season

From NFL Films  

"Miracle at the Meadowlands (New York Giants - Philadelphia Eagles 1978)"

Source:NFL Films- Eagles DB Herman Edwards, running in the fumble recovery for the Eagles winning TD.

From Amerikai Football

One of the interesting things about this game is that both the Eagles and Giants were still in the NFC Playoff race at this point. This was week 12 in the NF, but Giants only won one more game in 1978 finishing 6-10. The Eagles made the NFC Playoffs in 1978 for the first time since 1960, but they were a 9-7 wildcard team that won some games that they shouldn’t of, like this one being an obvious example of that. And perhaps lost some games they shouldn’t have. And without this victory, the Eagles miss the playoffs again in 1978.

The obvious facts here are the Giants shouldn’t have ran the ball at all. They already had a kneel down play with QB Joe Pisarcik falling down on the ball on first down and then for some reason they ran the ball for an eleven yard gain on second down. But Pisarcik falls down on the ball two more times and the ball game is over, because the Eagles didn’t have any timeouts left. This is a game that makes or breaks a team’s season, especially if they are a borderline playoff team or even a borderline winning team. Like the Eagles and Giants were in 1978. 

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