# 1981 San Francisco 49ers season

The 1981 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 32nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 36th overall and their third under head coach Bill Walsh.
The 49ers were 13–3 in the regular season for their first winning season in five years and first playoff appearance in nine years. The franchise's most successful season to date, it was considered to be "the birth of a dynasty", when the 49ers began a decade of dominance over much of the NFL. The 49ers drew an average home attendance of 54,398 in the 1981 season.
The 49ers won Super Bowl XVI, defeating the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals 26–21. It was the first of five Super Bowl victories in franchise history, all within the next thirteen seasons. From 1981 to 1997, the 49ers would have thirteen NFC West titles, eight NFC top seeds, and seven seasons with the NFL's best regular season record.
Third-year quarterback Joe Montana began the 1981 season as the starter, and produced two fourth-quarter comeback victories. His signature game of the season was the NFC Championship Game, which culminated in "The Catch", a last-minute touchdown pass from Montana to Dwight Clark, propelling the 49ers to victory over Dallas and a berth in their first Super Bowl. The 49ers were undefeated in their first five Super Bowls.
NFL Films produced a documentary about the team's season entitled A Very Special Team; it was narrated by John Facenda. On March 23, 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, the 1981 San Francisco 49ers, with team commentary from Dwight Clark, Ronnie Lott and Randy Cross, and narrated by Gene Hackman.

## Offseason
### NFL Draft

A turning point for the franchise was the drafting of safety Ronnie Lott from the University of Southern California, later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In addition, they also drafted cornerback Eric Wright from Missouri and safety Carlton Williamson from Pittsburgh.
1981 San Francisco 49ers Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 8 | Ronnie Lott | CB | USC | |
| 2 | 36 | John Harty | DT | Iowa | from Washington |
| Traded to the Bears |||||
| 2 | 40 | Eric Wright | CB | Missouri | from Chicago |
| 3 | 65 | Carlton Williamson | SS | Pittsburgh | |
| 4 | Traded to the Cowboys | Traded to the Cowboys | Traded to the Cowboys | Traded to the Cowboys | Traded to the Cowboys |
| 5 | 121 | Lynn Thomas | CB | Pittsburgh | |
| 5 | 122 | Arrington Jones | RB | Winston-Salem State | from Chicago |
| 6 | 147 | Pete Kugler | DT | Penn State | |
| 7 | Traded to the Eagles | Traded to the Eagles | Traded to the Eagles | Traded to the Eagles | Traded to the Eagles |
| 8 | 203 | Garry White | RB | Minnesota | |
| 9 | Traded to the Bengals | Traded to the Bengals | Traded to the Bengals | Traded to the Bengals | Traded to the Bengals |
| 10 | Traded to the Colts | Traded to the Colts | Traded to the Colts | Traded to the Colts | Traded to the Colts |
| 11 | 286 | Ron DeBose | TE | UCLA | |
| 12 | 313 | Major Ogilvie | RB | Alabama | |
| 12 | 322 | Joe Adams | QB | Tennessee State | from Pittsburgh |
    Source:

## Training Camp

The 1981 San Francisco 49ers season held training camp at Red Morten Park in Redwood City, California.

## Personnel
### Roster

    Source:

## Preseason
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Time | TV | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | August 5 | at Seattle Seahawks | 7:30 p.m. PDT | KPIX-TV | W 27–24 (OT) | 1–0 | Kingdome | 56,958 | Recap |
| 2 | August 15 | San Diego Chargers | 6:00 p.m. PDT | KPIX-TV | L 28–31 | 1–1 | Candlestick Park | 41,667 | Recap |
| 3 | August 22 | Seattle Seahawks | 6:00 p.m. PDT | KPIX-TV | W 24–22 | 2–1 | Candlestick Park | 37,563 | Recap |
| 4 | August 29 | at Oakland Raiders | 6:00 p.m. PDT | KPIX-TV | L 7–21 | 2–2 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 51,192 | Recap |

## Preseason Game summaries
### Week P1 (Wednesday, August 5, 1981): at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| 49ers (1–0) | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
| Seahawks (0–1) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
at The Kingdome • Seattle, Washington
* Date: August 5, 1981
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: indoors
* Game attendance: 56,958
* TV announcers (KPIX-TV): Wayne Walker (play-by-play)
| Team | Category |
| SF | Passing |
| SF | Rushing |
| SF | Receiving |
| SEA | Passing |
| SEA | Rushing |
| SEA | Receiving |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | SEA |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 27 | 24 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* First downs
* Rushes–yards
* Passing yards
* Passes
* Sacked–yards
* Net passing yards
* Total yards
* Return yards
* Punts
* Fumbles–lost
* Penalties–yards
* Time of possession

### Week P2 (Saturday, August 15, 1981): vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers (1–1) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 31 |
| 49ers (1–1) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: August 15, 1981
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
* Game attendance: 41,667
* TV announcers (KPIX-TV): Wayne Walker (play-by-play)
| Team | Category |
| SD | Passing |
| SD | Rushing |
| SD | Receiving |
| SF | Passing |
| SF | Rushing |
| SF | Receiving |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SD | SF |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 31 | 28 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* First downs
* Rushes–yards
* Passing yards
* Passes
* Sacked–yards
* Net passing yards
* Total yards
* Return yards
* Punts
* Fumbles–lost
* Penalties–yards
* Time of possession

### Week P3 (Saturday, August 22, 1981) vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks (0–3) | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 49ers (2–1) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: August 22, 1981
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
* Game attendance: 37,563
* TV announcers (KPIX-TV): Wayne Walker (play-by-play)
| Team | Category |
| SEA | Passing |
| SEA | Rushing |
| SEA | Receiving |
| SF | Passing |
| SF | Rushing |
| SF | Receiving |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SEA | SF |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17 | 24 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* First downs
* Rushes–yards
* Passing yards
* Passes
* Sacked–yards
* Net passing yards
* Total yards
* Return yards
* Punts
* Fumbles–lost
* Penalties–yards
* Time of possession

### Week P4 (Saturday, August 29, 1981): at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (2–2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Raiders (2–2) | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum • Oakland, California
* Date: August 29, 1981
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. PDT
* Game attendance: 51,192
* TV announcers (KPIX-TV): Wayne Walker (play-by-play)
| Team | Category |
| SF | Passing |
| SF | Rushing |
| SF | Receiving |
| OAK | Passing |
| OAK | Rushing |
| OAK | Receiving |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | OAK |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 7 | 21 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* First downs
* Rushes–yards
* Passing yards
* Passes
* Sacked–yards
* Net passing yards
* Total yards
* Return yards
* Punts
* Fumbles–lost
* Penalties–yards
* Time of possession

## Regular season

With the offense in good shape, Walsh and the 49ers focused on overhauling the defense in 1981. Walsh took the highly unusual step of overhauling his entire secondary with rookies and untested players, bringing on board Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson and giving Dwight Hicks a prominent role. He also acquired veteran linebacker Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds and veteran defensive lineman and sack specialist Fred Dean.
These new additions, when added to existing defensive mainstays like Keena Turner, turned the 49ers into a dominant team. After a 1–2 start, the 49ers won all but one of their final games to finish with a 13–3 record, easily the best record in the team's history. Additionally, the 49ers defense yielded more than 20 points in only three games. Dean and Hicks made the Pro Bowl. The 49ers selection of Lott in the 1981 NFL draft proved to be a seminal one. In addition to making the NFC Pro Bowl roster, Lott was voted First-Team All-Pro and received nods from all 5 newspapers that voted, a significant honor for a rookie. Giants' linebacker Lawrence Taylor was the only other rookie from the 1981 NFL draft to achieve this unanimous selection to the First Team All-Pro unit.
Led by Montana, the unusual offense was centered around the short passing game, which Walsh used as ball control. Both Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon had excellent years receiving; Clark as the possession receiver, and Solomon as more of a deep threat. The 49ers running game, however, was among the weakest for any champion in NFL history. Ricky Patton led the 49ers with only 543 yards rushing. The 49ers' most valuable running back, however, might have been Earl Cooper, whose strength was as a pass-catching back (he had 51 catches during the season).

### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Time | TV | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 6 | at Detroit Lions | 10:00 a.m. PDT | CBS | L 17–24 | 0–1 | Pontiac Silverdome | 63,710 | Recap |
| 2 | September 13 | Chicago Bears | 1:00 p.m. PDT | CBS | W 28–17 | 1–1 | Candlestick Park | 49,520 | Recap |
| 3 | September 20 | at Atlanta Falcons | 10:00 a.m. PDT | CBS | L 17–34 | 1–2 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 56,653 | Recap |
| 4 | September 27 | New Orleans Saints | 1:00 p.m. PDT | CBS | W 21–14 | 2–2 | Candlestick Park | 44,433 | Recap |
| 5 | October 4 | at Washington Redskins | 10:00 a.m. PDT | CBS | W 30–17 | 3–2 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | 51,843 | Recap |
| 6 | October 11 | Dallas Cowboys | 1:00 p.m. PDT | CBS | W 45–14 | 4–2 | Candlestick Park | 57,574 | Recap |
| 7 | October 18 | at Green Bay Packers (at Milwaukee) | 11:00 a.m. PDT | CBS | W 13–3 | 5–2 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 50,171 | Recap |
| 8 | October 25 | Los Angeles Rams | 1:00 p.m. PST | CBS | W 20–17 | 6–2 | Candlestick Park | 59,190 | Recap |
| 9 | November 1 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | 10:00 a.m. PST | CBS | W 17–14 | 7–2 | Three Rivers Stadium | 52,878 | Recap |
| 10 | November 8 | Atlanta Falcons | 1:00 p.m. PST | CBS | W 17–14 | 8–2 | Candlestick Park | 59,127 | Recap |
| 11 | November 15 | Cleveland Browns | 1:00 p.m. PST | NBC | L 12–15 | 8–3 | Candlestick Park | 52,455 | Recap |
| 12 | November 22 | at Los Angeles Rams | 1:00 p.m. PST | CBS | W 33–31 | 9–3 | Anaheim Stadium | 63,456 | Recap |
| 13 | November 29 | New York Giants | 1:00 p.m. PST | CBS | W 17–10 | 10–3 | Candlestick Park | 57,186 | Recap |
| 14 | December 6 | at Cincinnati Bengals | 10:00 a.m. PDT | CBS | W 21–3 | 11–3 | Riverfront Stadium | 56,796 | Recap |
| 15 | December 13 | Houston Oilers | 1:00 p.m. PST | NBC | W 28–6 | 12–3 | Candlestick Park | 55,707 | Recap |
| 16 | December 20 | at New Orleans Saints | 11:00 a.m. PST | CBS | W 21–17 | 13–3 | Louisiana Superdome | 43,639 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. ||||||||||

## Regular Season Game summaries
### Week 1 (Sunday, September 6, 1981): at Detroit Lions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (0–1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| Lions (1–0) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Pontiac Silverdome • Pontiac, Michigan
* Date: September 6, 1981
* Game time: 10:00 a.m. PDT
* Game weather: indoors
* Game attendance: 63,710
* Referee: Tom Dooley
* TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson (play-by-play) and George Allen (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 18/28, 195 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| SF | Rushing | Ricky Patton | 15 CAR, 72 YDS, 1 TD |
| SF | Receiving | Freddie Solomon | 8 REC, 94 YDS, 1 TD |
| DET | Passing | Gary Danielson | 16/27, 197 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| DET | Rushing | Billy Sims | 21 CAR, 59 YDS, 1 TD |
| DET | Receiving | Billy Sims | 5 REC, 66 YDS, 1 TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | DET |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 25-yard field goal by Wersching | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | | | | | Lions | Sims 39-yard touchdown reception from Danielson, Murray kick good | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | | | | | Lions | 29-yard field goal by Murray | 3 | 10 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Patton 1-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 10 | 10 |
| 4 | | | | | Lions | King 17-yard touchdown reception from Danielson, Murray kick good | 10 | 17 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Solomon 21-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 17 | 17 |
| 4 | | | | | Lions | Sims 1-yard touchdown run, Murray kick good | 17 | 24 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17 | 24 |
* Point spread: 49ers +4
* Over/Under: 40.0 (over)
* Time of Game:
| 49ers | Game Statistics | Lions |
| 19 | First downs | 21 |
| 33–121 | Rushes–yards | 30–127 |
| 195 | Passing yards | 196 |
| 18–28–1 | Passes | 16–27–1 |
| 4–19 | Sacked–yards | 4–28 |
| 176 | Net passing yards | 168 |
| 297 | Total yards | 295 |
| 105 | Return yards | 47 |
| 3–33.7 | Punts | 4–46.2 |
| 2–2 | Fumbles–lost | 1–1 |
| 8–54 | Penalties–yards | 7–65 |
| 31:56 | Time of possession | 28:04 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 18/28, 195 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
* Rushing: Patton – 15 CAR, 72 YDS, 1 TD; Easley – 7 CAR, 23 YDS; Cooper – 9 CAR, 22 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 4 YDS
* Receiving: Solomon – 8 REC, 94 YDS, 1 TD; Clark – 5 REC, 57 YDS; Cooper – 3 REC, 11 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 33 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Jones – 3 KR, 43 YDS; Patton – 1 KR, 0 YDS
* Punt Returns: Hicks – 2 PR, 46 YDS; Solomon – 2 PR, 16 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 3 PUNTS, 101 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 2/2 PAT, 1/2 FG
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Reynolds – 1 INT, 0 YDS
* 49ers Missed Field Goals: Wersching 32

### Week 2 (Sunday, September 13, 1981): vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears (0–2) | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| 49ers (1–1) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: September 13, 1981
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C); wind 12
* Game attendance: 49,520
* Referee: Bob Frederic
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom Brookshier (play-by-play) and Johnny Morris (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| CHI | Passing | Vince Evans | 19/33, 216 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| CHI | Rushing | Walter Payton | 27 CAR, 97 YDS, 1 TD |
| CHI | Receiving | Rickey Watts | 5 REC, 74 YDS |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 20/32, 287 YDS, 3 TDs |
| SF | Rushing | Ricky Patton | 14 CAR, 67 YDS, 1 TD |
| SF | Receiving | Dwight Clark | 6 REC, 81 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | CHI | SF |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | Patton 31-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Bahr kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | Solomon 46-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Bahr kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | Bears | Payton 2-yard touchdown run, Thomas kick good | 7 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | Bears | 37-yard field goal by Thomas | 10 | 14 |
| 3 | | | | | Bears | Earl 12-yard touchdown reception from Evans, Thomas kick good | 17 | 14 |
| 3 | | | | | 49ers | Young 5-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Bahr kick good | 17 | 21 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Patton 12-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good | 17 | 28 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17 | 28 |
* Point spread: 49ers Pick
* Over/Under: 41.0 (over)
* Time of Game:
| Bears | Game Statistics | 49ers |
| 18 | First downs | 20 |
| 36–123 | Rushes–yards | 32–125 |
| 216 | Passing yards | 287 |
| 19–33–1 | Passes | 20–32–0 |
| 1–0 | Sacked–yards | 0–0 |
| 216 | Net passing yards | 287 |
| 339 | Total yards | 412 |
| 106 | Return yards | 110 |
| 6–41.5 | Punts | 5–38.0 |
| 2–2 | Fumbles–lost | 2–2 |
| 4–16 | Penalties–yards | 3–25 |
| 25:16 | Time of possession | 34:44 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 20/32, 287 YDS, 3 TDs
* Rushing: Patton – 14 CAR, 67 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 14 CAR, 67 YDS; Easley – 3 CAR, 5 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, –3 YDS
* Receiving: Clark – 6 REC, 81 YDS; Solomon – 5 REC, 113 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 4 REC, 28 YDS; Patton – 2 REC, 34 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 2 REC, 19 YDS, 1 TD; Elliott – 1 REC, 12 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lott – 3 KR, 55 YDS; Davis – 1 KR, 0 YDS
* Punt Returns: Solomon – 4 PR, 40 YDS; Hicks – 1 PR, 7 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 5 PUNTS, 190 YDS
* Kicking: Bahr – 4/4 PAT, 0/2 FG
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Hicks – 1 INT, 8 YDS
* 49ers Missed Field Goals: Bahr 39, 48

### Week 3 (Sunday, September 20, 1981): at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (1–2) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Falcons (3–0) | 17 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: September 20, 1981
* Game time: 10:00 a.m. PDT
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); wind 8
* Game attendance: 56,653
* Referee: Gene Barth
* TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson (play-by-play) and George Allen (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 24/34, 274 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
| SF | Rushing | Earl Cooper | 9 CAR, 40 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Dwight Clark | 9 REC, 77 YDS |
| ATL | Passing | Steve Bartkowski | 13/22, 208 YDS, 3 TDs |
| ATL | Rushing | William Andrews | 12 CAR, 85 YDS |
| ATL | Receiving | William Andrews | 4 REC, 37 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | ATL |
| 1 | | | | | Falcons | Jackson 29-yard touchdown reception from Bartkowski, Luckhurst kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | | | | | Falcons | 47-yard field goal by Luckhurst | 0 | 10 |
| 1 | | | | | Falcons | Cain 17-yard touchdown reception from Bartkowski, Luckhurst kick good | 0 | 17 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | Young 11-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Bahr kick good | 7 | 17 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 47-yard field goal by Bahr | 10 | 17 |
| 2 | | | | | Falcons | Jenkins 15-yard touchdown reception from Bartkowski, Luckhurst kick good | 10 | 24 |
| 3 | | — | — | — | Falcons | Interception returned 101 yards for touchdown by Pridemore, Luckhurst kick good | 10 | 31 |
| 3 | | | | | Falcons | 18-yard field goal by Luckhurst | 10 | 34 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Solomon 12-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Bahr kick good | 17 | 34 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17 | 34 |
* Point spread: 49ers +9
* Over/Under: 41.0 (over)
* Time of Game:
| 49ers | Game Statistics | Falcons |
| 23 | First downs | 18 |
| 30–113 | Rushes–yards | 34–163 |
| 274 | Passing yards | 222 |
| 24–34–2 | Passes | 14–23–0 |
| 1–1 | Sacked–yards | 2–22 |
| 273 | Net passing yards | 200 |
| 386 | Total yards | 363 |
| 110 | Return yards | 199 |
| 3–35.3 | Punts | 3–36.7 |
| 1–1 | Fumbles–lost | 2–0 |
| 3–25 | Penalties–yards | 4v50 |
| 32:08 | Time of possession | 27:52 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 24/34, 274 YDS, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
* Rushing: Cooper – 9 CAR, 40 YDS; Patton – 12 CAR, 30 YDS; Easley – 4 CAR, 18 YDS; Elliott – 4 CAR, 17 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, 0 YDS
* Receiving: Clark – 9 REC, 77 YDS; Young – 3 REC, 55 YDS, 1 TD; Solomon – 3 REC, 36 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 3 REC, 29 YDS; Wilson – 2 REC, 34 YDS; Patton – 2 REC, 16 YDS; Hofer – 1 REC, 22 YDS; Peets – 1 REC, 5 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lott – 3 KR, 56 YDS; Ring – 1 KR, 23 YDS; Wilson – 1 KR, 22 YDS
* Punt Returns: Solomon – 2 PR, 9 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 3 PUNTS, 160 YDS
* Kicking: Bahr – 2/2 PAT, 1/2 FG
* Sacks:
* 49ers Missed Field Goals: Bahr 24 (Blocked)
Joe Montana was intercepted twice in 34 passes (24 completed) as the Niners fell to the Falcons for the eleventh time in the last eight seasons.

### Week 4 (Sunday, September 27, 1981): vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints (1–3) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| 49ers (2–2) | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: September 27, 1981
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C); wind 12
* Game attendance: 44,433
* Referee: Fred Silva
* TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson (play-by-play) and George Allen (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| NO | Passing | Dave Wilson | 11/22, 180 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| NO | Rushing | George Rogers | 25 CAR, 115 YDS |
| NO | Receiving | Wes Chandler | 4 REC, 72 YDS |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 16/22, 175 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| SF | Rushing | Johnny Davis | 11 CAR, 48 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Charle Young | 3 REC, 41 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NO | SF |
| 1 | | | | | Saints | Groth 24-yard touchdown reception from Wilson, Ricardo kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | Davis 6-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good | 7 | 7 |
| 3 | | | | | 49ers | Solomon 60-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Bahr kick good | 7 | 14 |
| 4 | | — | — | — | 49ers | Interception returned 26 yards for touchdown by Lott, Bahr kick good | 7 | 21 |
| 4 | | | | | Saints | Wilson 9-yard touchdown reception from Manning, Ricardo kick good | 14 | 21 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 14 | 21 |
* Point spread: 49ers –6
* Over/Under: 43.0 (under)
* Time of Game:
| Saints | Game Statistics | 49ers |
| 18 | First downs | 15 |
| 37–163 | Rushes–yards | 39–146 |
| 250 | Passing yards | 175 |
| 21–38–2 | Passes | 16–22–1 |
| 0–0 | Sacked–yards | 1–7 |
| 250 | Net passing yards | 168 |
| 413 | Total yards | 314 |
| 192 | Return yards | 102 |
| 6–40.2 | Punts | 9–45.1 |
| 3–2 | Fumbles–lost | 1–1 |
| 11–106 | Penalties–yards | 8–79 |
| 30:44 | Time of possession | 29:16 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 16/22, 175 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
* Rushing: Davis – 11 CAR, 48 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 14 CAR, 42 YDS; Hofer – 4 CAR, 19 YDS; Montana – 3 CAR, 17 YDS; Cooper – 5 CAR, 10 YDS; Easley – 1 CAR, 5 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, 5 YDS
* Receiving: Young – 3 REC, 41 YDS; Clark – 3 REC, 30 YDS; Cooper – 3 REC, 6 YDS; Solomon – 2 REC, 80 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 2 REC, 8 YDS; Hofer – 2 REC, 7 YDS; Lawrence – 1 REC, 3 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lawrence – 1 KR, 26 YDS; Lott – 1 KR, 0 YDS
* Punt Returns: Solomon – 3 PR, 14 YDS; Hicks – 1 PR, 10 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 9 PUNTS, 406 YDS
* Kicking: Bahr – 3/3 PAT
* Interceptions: Lott – 1 INT, 26 YDS, 1 TD; Wright – 1 INT, 26 YDS

### Week 5 (Sunday, October 4, 1981): at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (3–2) | 14 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| Redskins (0–5) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
at RFK Stadium • Washington, D.C.
* Date: October 4, 1981
* Game time: 10:00 a.m. PDT
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 10
* Game attendance: 51,843
* Referee: Gordon McCarter
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom Brookshier (play-by-play) and Roger Staubach (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 15/28, 193 YDS, 1 INT |
| SF | Rushing | Ricky Patton | 9 CAR, 43 YDS, 1 TD |
| SF | Receiving | Lenvil Elliott | 6 REC, 69 YDS |
| WSH | Passing | Joe Theismann | 10/22, 123 YDS, 2 INTs |
| WSH | Rushing | John Riggins | 13 CAR, 47 YDS |
| WSH | Receiving | Joe Washington | 8 REC, 49 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | WSH |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | Patton 16-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 1 | | — | — | — | 49ers | Fumble recovery returned 80 yards for touchdown by Hicks, Bahr kick good | 14 | 0 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 43-yard field goal by Bahr | 17 | 0 |
| 2 | | | | | Redskins | 34-yard field goal by Moseley | 17 | 3 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | Davis 1-yard touchdown run, Bahr kick good | 24 | 3 |
| 2 | | — | — | — | 49ers | Interception returned 32 yards for touchdown by Hicks, Bahr kick no good | 30 | 3 |
| 4 | | – | – | – | Redskins | Nelms 58-yard punt return for a touchdown, Moseley kick good | 30 | 10 |
| 4 | | | | | Redskins | Washington 5-yard touchdown run, Moseley kick good | 30 | 17 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 30 | 17 |
* Point spread: 49ers +2
* Over/Under: 43.0 (over)
* Time of Game:
| 49ers | Game Statistics | Redskins |
| 16 | First downs | 19 |
| 35–128 | Rushes–yards | 23–83 |
| 193 | Passing yards | 241 |
| 15–28–1 | Passes | 22–46–4 |
| 2–25 | Sacked–yards | 2–20 |
| 168 | Net passing yards | 221 |
| 296 | Total yards | 304 |
| 176 | Return yards | 224 |
| 5–40.0 | Punts | 5–40.4 |
| 1–1 | Fumbles–lost | 4–2 |
| 3–27 | Penalties–yards | 7–50 |
| 29:17 | Time of possession | 30:43 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 15/28, 193 YDS, 1 INT
* Rushing: Patton – 9 CAR, 43 YDS, 1 TD; Davis – 13 CAR, 37 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 6 CAR, 21 YDS; Lawrence – 2 CAR, 14 YDS; Elliott – 3 CAR, 12 YDS; Easley – 2 CAR, 1 YD
* Receiving: Elliott – 6 REC, 69 YDS; Solomon – 5 REC, 77 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 24 YDS; Clark – 1 REC, 21 YDS; Cooper – 1 CAR, 2 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lawrence – 2 KR, 41 YDS
* Punt Returns: Solomon – 2 PR, 9 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 5 PUNTS, 200 YDS
* Kicking: Bahr – 3/3 PAT, 1/2 FG
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Hicks – 2 INTs, 104 YDS, 1 TD; McColl – 1 INT, 22 YDS; Lott – 1 INT, 0 YDS
* 49ers Missed Field Goals: Bahr 25

### Week 6 (Sunday, October 11, 1981): vs. Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys (4–2) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| 49ers (4–2) | 21 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: October 11, 1981
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 18
* Game attendance: 57,574
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| DAL | Passing | Danny White | 8/16, 60 YDS, 2 INTs |
| DAL | Rushing | Tony Dorsett | 9 CAR, 21 YDS |
| DAL | Receiving | Ron Springs | 3 REC, 9 YDS |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 19/29, 279 YDS, 2 TDs |
| SF | Rushing | Paul Hofer | 11 CAR, 40 YDS, 1 TD |
| SF | Receiving | Freddie Solomon | 5 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | DAL | SF |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | Solomon 1-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | Hofer 4-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | Davis 1-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 0 | 21 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 18-yard field goal by Wersching | 0 | 24 |
| 2 | | | | | Cowboys | Hill 22-yard touchdown reception from Pearson, Septién kick good | 7 | 24 |
| 3 | | | | | 49ers | Clark 78-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 7 | 31 |
| 3 | | — | — | — | 49ers | Interception returned 41 yards for touchdown by Lott, Wersching kick good | 7 | 38 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Lawrence 1-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 7 | 45 |
| 4 | | — | — | — | Cowboys | Fumble recovery returned 72 yards for touchdown by Barnes, Septién kick good | 14 | 45 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 14 | 45 |
* Point spread: 49ers +5
* Over/Under: 45.0 (over)
* Time of Game:
| Cowboys | Game Statistics | 49ers |
| 10 | First downs | 23 |
| 21–83 | Rushes–yards | 46–150 |
| 135 | Passing yards | 304 |
| 12–29–2 | Passes | 20–33–0 |
| 3–26 | Sacked–yards | 1–14 |
| 109 | Net passing yards | 290 |
| 192 | Total yards | 440 |
| 138 | Return yards | 110 |
| 8–39.5 | Punts | 6–46.2 |
| 3–2 | Fumbles–lost | 4–1 |
| 5–40 | Penalties–yards | 4–28 |
| 25:53 | Time of possession | 34:07 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 19/29, 279 YDS, 2 TDs; Solomon – 1/1, 25 YDS; Benjamin – 0/3, 0 YDS
* Rushing: Hofer – 11 CAR, 40 YDS, 1 TD; Davis – 8 CAR, 28 YDS, 1 TD; Easley – 8 CAR, 28 YDS; Lawrence – 6 CAR, 27 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 7 CAR, 16 YDS; Cooper – 5 CAR, 9 YDS; Montana – 1 CAR, 2 YDS
* Receiving: Solomon – 5 REC, 74 YDS, 1 TD; Clark – 4 REC, 135 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 3 REC, 35 YDS; Hofer – 3 REC, 22 YDS; Wilson – 2 REC, 22 YDS; Cooper – 2 REC, 12 YDS; Patton – 1 REC, 4 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lawrence – 2 KR, 49 YDS
* Punt Returns: Solomon – 2 PR, 5 YDS; Hicks – 1 PR, 3 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 6 PUNTS, 277 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 6/6 PAT, 1/2 FG
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Lott – 2 INT, 53 YDS, 1 TD
* 49ers Missed Field Goals: Wersching 40

### Week 7 (Sunday, October 18, 1981) at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (5–2) | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| Packers (2–5) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Milwaukee County Stadium • Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* Date: October 18, 1981
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. PDT
* Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C); wind 21
* Game attendance: 50,171
* Referee: Ben Dreith
* TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan (play-by-play) and Johnny Morris (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 23/32, 220 YDS |
| SF | Rushing | Johnny Davis | 16 CAR, 65 YDS, 1 TD |
| SF | Receiving | Dwight Clark | 6 REC, 55 YDS |
| GB | Passing | Lynn Dickey | 11/18, 156 YDS |
| GB | Rushing | Gerry Ellis | 7 CAR, 50 YDS |
| GB | Receiving | Gerry Ellis | 5 REC, 65 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | GB |
| 2 | | | | | Packers | 18-yard field goal by Stenerud | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 26-yard field goal by Wersching | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | | | | | 49ers | Davis 1-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 10 | 3 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | 32-yard field goal by Wersching | 13 | 3 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 13 | 3 |
* Point spread: 49ers –1
* Over/Under: 44.0 (under)
* Time of Game:
| 49ers | Game Statistics | Packers |
| 21 | First downs | 13 |
| 47–126 | Rushes–yards | 19–78 |
| 220 | Passing yards | 193 |
| 23–32–0 | Passes | 14–24–1 |
| 1–9 | Sacked–yards | 4–30 |
| 211 | Net passing yards | 163 |
| 337 | Total yards | 241 |
| 85 | Return yards | 101 |
| 7–35.9 | Punts | 7–40.0 |
| 2–1 | Fumbles–lost | 1–0 |
| 7–35 | Penalties–yards | 4–35 |
| 37:41 | Time of possession | 22:19 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 23/32, 220 YDS
* Rushing: Davis – 16, CAR, 65 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 12 CAR, 38 YDS; Patton – 7 CAR, 15 YDS; Easley – 3 CAR, 3 YDS; Hofer – 8 CAR, 3 YDS; Montana – 1 CAR, 2 YDS
* Receiving: Clark – 6 REC, 55 YDS; Hofer – 5 REC, 44 YDS; Solomon – 4 REC, 49 YDS; Patton – 3 REC, 41 YDS; Cooper – 2 REC, 19 YDS; Lawrence – 1 REC, 5 YDS; Young – 1 REC, 4 YDS; Davis – 1 REC, 3 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lawrence – 2 KR, 21 YDS
* Punt Returns: Solomon – 3 PR, 24 YDS; Hicks – 1 PR, 14 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 7 PUNTS, 251 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 1/1 PAT, 2/2 FG
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Hicks – 1 INT, 26 YDS

### Week 8 (Sunday, October 25, 1981): vs. Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams (4–4) | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| 49ers (6–2) | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: October 25, 1981
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 11
* Game attendance: 59,190
* Referee: Pat Haggerty
* TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender (play-by-play) and Roger Staubach (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| LA | Passing | Pat Haden | 20/39, 310 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| LA | Rushing | Wendell Tyler | 22 CAR, 90 YDS |
| LA | Receiving | Preston Dennard | 6 REC, 119 YDS |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 18/32, 287 YDS, 2 TDs |
| SF | Rushing | Paul Hofer | 8 CAR, 23 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Dwight Clark | 8 REC, 109 YDS, 1 TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | LA | SF |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | Solomon 14-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | Clark 41-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | Rams | 25-yard field goal by Corral | 3 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | Rams | Guman 2-yard touchdown run, Corral kick good | 10 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 42-yard field goal by Wersching | 10 | 17 |
| 3 | | | | | 49ers | 18-yard field goal by Wersching | 10 | 20 |
| 3 | | | | | Rams | Tyler 16-yard touchdown reception from Haden, Corral kick good | 17 | 20 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17 | 20 |
* Point spread: 49ers –1
* Over/Under: 46.0 (under)
* Time of Game:
| Rams | Game Statistics | 49ers |
| 25 | First downs | 14 |
| 37–145 | Rushes–yards | 28–60 |
| 310 | Passing yards | 287 |
| 20–39–1 | Passes | 18–32–0 |
| 6–54 | Sacked–yards | 3–22 |
| 256 | Net passing yards | 265 |
| 401 | Total yards | 325 |
| 267 | Return yards | 90 |
| 5–43.0 | Punts | 10–43.3 |
| 0–0 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 7–39 | Penalties–yards | 5–45 |
| 33:18 | Time of possession | 26:42 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 18/32, 287 YDS, 2 TDs
* Rushing: Hofer – 8 CAR, 23 YDS; Davis – 6 CAR, 14 YDS; Patton – 6 CAR, 13 YDS; Cooper – 5 CAR, 7 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 3 YDS; Easley – 1 CAR, 0 YDS
* Receiving: Clark – 8 REC, 109 YDS, 1 TD; Solomon – 5 REC, 79 YDS, 1 TD; Cooper – 2 REC, 57 YDS; Young – 1 REC, 29 YDS; Patton – 1 REC, 8 YDS; Wilson – 1 REC, 5 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lawrence – 2 KR, 61 YDS; Ramson – 1 KR, 12 YDS; Wilson – 1 KR,8 YDS
* Punt Returns: Solomon – 2 PR, 9 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 10 PUNTS, 433 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 2/2 PAT, 2/2 FG
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Lott – 1 INT, 0 YDS

### Week 9 (Sunday, November 1, 1981): at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (7–2) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Steelers (5–4) | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
at Three Rivers Stadium • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 1, 1981
* Game time: 10:00 a.m. PST
* Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C); wind 8
* Game attendance: 52,878
* Referee: Bob Frederic
* TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully (play-by-play) and Hank Stram (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 22/37, 205 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
| SF | Rushing | Walt Easley | 14 CAR, 47 YDS, 1 TD |
| SF | Receiving | Dwight Clark | 7 REC, 80 YDS |
| PIT | Passing | Terry Bradshaw | 12/23, 125 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs |
| PIT | Rushing | Franco Harris | 17 CAR, 104 YDS |
| PIT | Receiving | Frank Pollard | 3 REC, 42 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | PIT |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | Young 5-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 45-yard field goal by Wersching | 10 | 0 |
| 3 | | — | — | — | Steelers | Interception returned 50 yards for touchdown by Blount, Trout kick good | 10 | 7 |
| 3 | | | | | Steelers | Smith 22-yard touchdown reception from Bradshaw, Trout kick good | 10 | 14 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Easley 1-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 17 | 14 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17 | 14 |
* Point spread: 49ers +5
* Over/Under: 45.0 (under)
* Time of Game:
| 49ers | Game Statistics | Steelers |
| 25 | First downs | 16 |
| 39–130 | Rushes–yards | 28–144 |
| 210 | Passing yards | 125 |
| 23–38–2 | Passes | 12–23–3 |
| 1–10 | Sacked–yards | 0–0 |
| 200 | Net passing yards | 125 |
| 330 | Total yards | 269 |
| 86 | Return yards | 192 |
| 5–45.8 | Punts | 2–48.5 |
| 0–0 | Fumbles–lost | 3–3 |
| 6–55 | Penalties–yards | 8–45 |
| 34:16 | Time of possession | 25:34 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 22/37, 205 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INTs; Easley – 1/1, 5 YDS
* Rushing: Easley – 14 CAR, 47 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 13 CAR, 35 YDS; Hofer – 5 CAR, 26 YDS; Montana – 4 CAR, 12 YDS; Cooper – 3 CAR, 10 YDS
* Receiving: Clark – 7 REC, 80 YDS; Cooper – 5 REC, 53 YDS; Young – 3 REC, 13 YDS, 1 TD; Easley – 3 REC, 12 YDS; Solomon – 2 REC, 33 YDS; Patton – 2 REC, 17 YDS; Hofer – 1 REC,2 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Wilson – 2 KR, 37 YDS; Ring – 1 KR, 21 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 5 PUNTS, 229 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 2/2 PAT, 1/2 FG
* Interceptions: Williamson – 1 INT, 28 YDS; Hicks – 1 INT, 0 YDS; Wright – 1 INT, 0 YDS
* 49ers Missed Field Goals: Wersching 37 (Blocked)

### Week 10 (Sunday, November 8, 1981): vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons (5–5) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 49ers (8–2) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: November 8, 1981
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); wind 11
* Game attendance: 59,127
* Referee: Fred Wyant
* TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson (play-by-play) and George Allen (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| ATL | Passing | Steve Bartkowski | 20/42, 236 YDS, 1 TD, 3 INTs |
| ATL | Rushing | William Andrews | 18 CAR, 61 YDS, 1 TD |
| ATL | Receiving | Alfred Jenkins | 7 REC, 134 YDS |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 16/30, 223 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| SF | Rushing | Walt Easley | 15 CAR, 31 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Dwight Clark | 7 REC, 128 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | ATL | SF |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | Solomon 14-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 45-yard field goal by Wersching | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | | | | | Falcons | Andrews 1-yard touchdown run, Luckhurst kick good | 7 | 10 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Young 3-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 7 | 17 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Jackson 25-yard touchdown reception from Bartkowski, Luckhurst kick good | 14 | 17 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 14 | 17 |
* Point spread: 49ers +2½
* Over/Under: 44.0 (under)
* Time of Game:
| Falcons | Game Statistics | 49ers |
| 19 | First downs | 17 |
| 26–76 | Rushes–yards | 34–82 |
| 236 | Passing yards | 223 |
| 20–42–3 | Passes | 16–30–1 |
| 3–20 | Sacked–yards | 2–18 |
| 216 | Net passing yards | 205 |
| 292 | Total yards | 287 |
| 126 | Return yards | 162 |
| 8–44.9 | Punts | 10–42.0 |
| 2–0 | Fumbles–lost | 4–0 |
| 8–82 | Penalties–yards | 11–74 |
| 29:29 | Time of possession | 30:31 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 16/30, 223 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT
* Rushing: Easley – 15 CAR, 31 YDS; Patton – 9 CAR, 26 YDS; Solomon – 3 CAR, 11 YDS; Clark – 1 CAR, 9 YDS; Cooper – 3 CAR, 4 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 1 YD; Hofer – 1 CAR, 0 YDS
* Receiving: Clark – 7 REC, 128 YDS; Solomon – 3 REC, 56 YDS, 1 TD; Easley – 2 REC, 9 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 9 YDS, 1 TD; Hofer – 1 REC, 21 YDS; Cooper – 1 REC, 0 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Ring – 1 KR, 29 YDS; Hicks – 1 KR, 22 YDS
* Punt Returns: Hicks – 4 PR, 36 YDS; Solomon – 3 PR, 15 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 10 PUNTS, 420 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 2/2 PAT, 1/1 FG
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Hicks – 2 INT, 37 YDS; Martin – 1 INT, 0 YDS

### Week 11 (Sunday, November 15, 1981): vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns (5–6) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 15 |
| 49ers (8–3) | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: November 15, 1981
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); wind 15
* Game attendance: 52,455
* Referee: Chuck Heberling
* TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui (play-by-play) and John Brodie (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| CLE | Passing | Brian Sipe | 16/33, 180 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| CLE | Rushing | Mike Pruitt | 18 CAR, 76 YDS |
| CLE | Receiving | Greg Pruitt | 4 REC, 33 YDS |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 24/42, 213 YDS, 2 INTs |
| SF | Rushing | Walt Easley | 16 CAR, 59 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Paul Hofer | 7 REC, 64 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | CLE | SF |
| 1 | | – | – | – | Browns | Intentional grounding by Montana in end zone for a safety | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 28-yard field goal by Wersching | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | | | | | Browns | 28-yard field goal by Bahr | 5 | 3 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | 29-yard field goal by Wersching | 5 | 6 |
| 3 | | | | | 49ers | 28-yard field goal by Wersching | 5 | 9 |
| 3 | | | | | 49ers | 28-yard field goal by Wersching | 5 | 12 |
| 4 | | | | | Browns | Rucker 21-yard touchdown reception from Sipe, Bahr kick good | 12 | 12 |
| 4 | | | | | Browns | 24-yard field goal by Bahr | 15 | 12 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 15 | 12 |
* Point spread: 49ers –3
* Over/Under: 43.0 (under)
* Time of Game:
| Browns | Game Statistics | 49ers |
| 14 | First downs | 21 |
| 26–106 | Rushes–yards | 35–118 |
| 180 | Passing yards | 213 |
| 16–33–1 | Passes | 24–42–2 |
| 2–19 | Sacked–yards | 3–26 |
| 161 | Net passing yards | 187 |
| 267 | Total yards | 305 |
| 165 | Return yards | 84 |
| 5–42.4 | Punts | 4–36.0 |
| 1–1 | Fumbles–lost | 1–0 |
| 7–55 | Penalties–yards | 4–29 |
| 24:48 | Time of possession | 35:12 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 24/42, 213 YDS, 2 INTs
* Rushing: Easley – 16 CAR, 59 YDS; Hofer – 10 CAR, 33 YDS; Patton – 4 CAR, 15 YDS; Davis – 2 CAR, 6 YDS; Montana – 2 CAR, 5 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, 0 YDS
* Receiving: Hofer – 7 REC, 64 YDS; Clark – 6 REC, 52 YDS; Solomon – 3 REC, 35 YDS; Cooper – 3 REC, 21 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 16 YDS; Patton – 1 REC, 11 YDS; Shumann – 1 REC, 8 YDS; Easley – 1 REC, 6 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lawrence – 2 KR, 52 YDS
* Punt Returns: Solomon – 2 PR, 22 YDS
* Punting: Jim Miller – 4 PUNTS, 144 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 4/5 FG
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Hicks – 1 INT, 10 YDS
* 49ers Missed Field Goals: Wersching 40
The Niners’ winning streak ended in a battle of six combined field goals. Opposing quarterbacks Brian Sipe and Montana combined for 393 yards, three interceptions, and an average passer rating of 56.

### Week 12 (Sunday, November 22, 1981): at Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (9–3) | 3 | 7 | 17 | 6 | 33 |
| Rams (5–7) | 0 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at Anaheim Stadium • Anaheim, California
* Date: November 22, 1981
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); wind 8
* Game attendance: 63,456
* Referee: Red Cashion
* TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully (play-by-play) and Hank Stram (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 19/30, 283 YDS ,1 INT |
| SF | Rushing | Johnny Davis | 8 CAR, 23 YDS, 1 TD |
| SF | Receiving | Freddie Solomon | 5 REC, 124 YDS |
| LA | Passing | Pat Haden | 9/13, 122 YDS, 1 TD |
| LA | Rushing | Wendell Tyler | 23 CAR, 97 YDS, 1 TD |
| LA | Receiving | Preston Dennard | 5 REC, 56 YDS, 1 TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | LA |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | 47-yard field goal by Wersching | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | | | | | Rams | 44-yard field goal by Corral | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | | | | | Rams | Tyler 16-yard touchdown reception from Pastorini, Corral kick good | 3 | 10 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | Davis 1-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 10 | 10 |
| 2 | | | | | Rams | Dennard 7-yard touchdown reception from Guman, Corral kick good | 10 | 17 |
| 3 | | — | — | — | 49ers | Lawrence 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Wersching kick good | 17 | 17 |
| 3 | | | | | 49ers | 34-yard field goal by Wersching | 20 | 17 |
| 3 | | — | — | — | 49ers | Interception returned 25 yards for touchdown by Lott, Wersching kick good | 27 | 17 |
| 3 | | | | | Rams | Arnold 2-yard touchdown reception from Haden, Corral kick good | 27 | 24 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | 32-yard field goal by Wersching | 30 | 24 |
| 4 | | | | | Rams | Tyler 22-yard touchdown run, Corral kick good | 30 | 31 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | 37-yard field goal by Wersching | 33 | 31 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 33 | 31 |
* Point spread: 49ers +3
* Over/Under: 42.0 (over)
* Time of Game:
| 49ers | Game Statistics | Rams |
| 19 | First downs | 27 |
| 28–71 | Rushes–yards | 47–203 |
| 283 | Passing yards | 208 |
| 19–30–1 | Passes | 18–32–1 |
| 3–24 | Sacked–yards | 1–0 |
| 259 | Net passing yards | 208 |
| 330 | Total yards | 411 |
| 220 | Return yards | 91 |
| 2–44.0 | Punts | 4–44.8 |
| 1–1 | Fumbles–lost | 4–1 |
| 5–51 | Penalties–yards | 7–71 |
| 25:00 | Time of possession | 35:00 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 19/30, 283 YDS, 1 INT
* Rushing: Davis – 8 CAR, 23 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 8 CAR, 20 YDS; Hofer – 5 CAR, 16 YDS; Lawrence – 2 CAR, 9 YDS; Cooper – 4 CAR, 4 YDS; Montana – 1 CAR, –1 YDS
* Receiving: Solomon – 5 REC, 124 YDS; Cooper – 5 REC, 55 YDS; Clark – 4 REC, 59 YDS; Hofer – 2 REC, 20 YDS; Young – 2 REC, 18 YDS; Shumann – 1 REC, 7 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lawrence – 3 KR, 138 YDS, 1 TD; Ring – 2 KR, 45 YDS
* Punt Returns: Hicks – 2 PR, 12 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 2 PUNTS, 88 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 3/3 PAT, 4/4 FG
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Lott – 1 INT, 25 YDS, 1 TD
The game lead tied or changed eight times as the Rams wound up using quarterbacks Dan Pastorini and Pat Haden while running back Mike Guman threw a seven-yard touchdown to Preston Dennard. Amos Lawrence opened the third quarter by scoring on the opening kickoff and Ronnie Lott scored after intercepting Pastorini.

### Week 13 (Sunday, November 29, 1981): vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants (6–7) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 49ers (10–3) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: November 29, 1981
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C); wind 10
* Game attendance: 57,186
* Referee: Jerry Markbreit
* TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan (play-by-play) and Fred Dryer (color commentator)
| Team | Category |
| NYG | Passing |
| NYG | Rushing |
| NYG | Receiving |
| SF | Passing |
| SF | Rushing |
| SF | Receiving |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NYG | SF |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 10 | 17 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* First downs
* Rushes–yards
* Passing yards
* Passes
* Sacked–yards
* Net passing yards
* Total yards
* Return yards
* Punts
* Fumbles–lost
* Penalties–yards
* Time of possession
First quarter
* SF – Johnny Davis 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
Second quarter
* SF – Joe Montana 20-yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–0
* NYG – Joe Danelo 52-yard field goal – 49ers 14–3
Fourth quarter
* NYG – Rob Carpenter 3-yard rush – (Joe Danelo kick) 49ers 14–10
* SF – Ray Wersching 23-yard field goal – 49ers 17–10
|stats= Top passers
* NYG – Scott Brunner, 13/34, 162 Yds, 3 Ints
* SF – Joe Montana, 27/39, 234 Yds
Top rushers
* NYG – Rob Carpenter, 13 Car, 40 Yds, 1 TD
* SF – Paul Hofer, 8 Car, 33 Yds
Top receivers
* NYG – Rob Carpenter, 5 Rec, 55 Yds
* SF – Dwight Clark, 7 Rec, 87 Yds
Top tacklers
* NYG -
* SF -
Turnovers
* NYG – 5
* SF – 0

### Week 14 at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Bengals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
* Date: December 6
* Game time: 10:00 a.m. PST
* Game weather: 28 °F (−2 °C); wind 7, wind chill 21 °F (−6 °C)
* Game attendance: 56,796
* Referee: Jerry Seeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan (play-by-play), Fred Dryer (color commentator)
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Bill Ring 4-yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
Second quarter
CIN – Jim Breech 30-yard field goal – 49ers 7–3
SF – Dwight Clark 15-yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–3
Fourth quarter
SF – Joe Montana 1 yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 21–3
Top passers
SF – Joe Montana, 23/36, 187 Yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int
CIN – Jack Thompson, 10/18, 114 Yds, 1 Int
Top rushers
SF – Earl Cooper, 12 Car, 62 Yds
CIN – Pete Johnson, 12 Car, 86 Yds
Top receivers
SF – Dwight Clark, 6 Rec, 78 Yds, 1 TD
CIN – Dan Ross, 7 Rec, 69 Yds
Top tacklers
SF -
CIN -
Turnovers
SF – 1
CIN – 6 :

### Week 15 vs. Houston Oilers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Oilers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 28 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: December 13
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); wind 7
* Game attendance: 55,707
* Referee: Dick Jorgensen
* TV announcers (NBC): Bob Costas (play-by-play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator)
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
Third quarter
SF – Ricky Patton 3-yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
SF – Earl Cooper 3-yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–0
SF – Dwight Clark 2-yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 21–0
Fourth quarter
SF – Mike Wilson 27-yard pass from Guy Benjamin – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 28–0
HOU – Earl Campbell 1-yard rush – (kick failed) 49ers 28–6
Top passers
HOU – Gifford Nielsen, 21/30, 140 Yds
SF – Joe Montana, 18/26, 204 Yds, 1 TD
Top rushers
HOU – Earl Campbell, 18 Car, 45 Yds, 1 TD
SF – Ricky Patton, 9 Car, 57 Yds, 1 TD
Top receivers
HOU – Adger Armstrong, 9 Rec, 62 Yds
SF – Earl Cooper, 6 Rec, 77 Yds
Top tacklers
HOU -
SF -
Turnovers
HOU – 2
SF – 0 :

### Week 16 (Sunday, December 20, 1981): at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (13–3) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Saints (4–12) | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
at Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 20, 1981
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. PST
* Game weather: indoors
* Game attendance: 43,639
* Referee: Gene Barth
* TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan (play-by-play) and Fred Dryer (color commentator)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 9/11, 106 YDS, 2 TDs |
| SF | Rushing | Bill Ring | 11 CAR, 71 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Freddie Solomon | 5 REC, 38 YDS, 1 TD |
| NO | Passing | Archie Manning | 14/21, 110 YDS, 1 INT |
| NO | Rushing | George Rogers | 30 CAR, 107 YDS, 2 TDs |
| NO | Receiving | Toussaint Tyler | 5 REC, 21 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | NO |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | Young 13-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 1 | | | | | Saints | Rogers 6-yard touchdown run, Ricardo kick good | 7 | 7 |
| 1 | | | | | Saints | Rogers 5-yard touchdown run, Ricardo kick good | 7 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | Solomon 2-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 14 | 14 |
| 3 | | | | | Saints | 27-yard field goal by Ricardo | 14 | 17 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Davis 1-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 21 | 17 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 21 | 17 |
* Point spread: 49ers –7
* Over/Under: 37.0 (over)
* Time of Game:
| 49ers | Game Statistics | Saints |
| 19 | First downs | 15 |
| 31–154 | Rushes–yards | 36–133 |
| 195 | Passing yards | 110 |
| 17–25–1 | Passes | 14–23–1 |
| 0–0 | Sacked–yards | 2–21 |
| 195 | Net passing yards | 89 |
| 349 | Total yards | 222 |
| 74 | Return yards | 118 |
| 4–46.0 | Punts | 4–34.8 |
| 3–2 | Fumbles–lost | 1–0 |
| 5–45 | Penalties–yards | 3–30 |
| 26:03 | Time of possession | 33:57 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 9–11, 106 YDS, 2 TDs; Benjamin – 8/14, 89 YDS, 1 INT
* Rushing: Ring – 11 CAR, 71 TDS; Patton – 8 CAR, 36 YDS; Davis – 6 CAR, 19 YDS, 1 TD; Solomon – 1 CAR, 16 YDS; Montana – 1 CAR, 10 YDS; Easley – 2 CAR, 4 YDS; Benjamin – 1 CAR, 1 YD; Cooper – 1 CAR, –3 YDS
* Receiving: Solomon – 5 REC, 38 YDS, 1 TD; Patton – 4 REC, 25 YDS; Easley – 3 REC, 35 YDS; Ramson – 2 REC, 27 YDS; Cooper – 1 REC, 36 YDS; Clark – 1 REC, 21 YDS; Young – 1 REC, 13 YDS, 1 TD
* Kickoff Returns: Ring – 2 KR, 41 YDS; Lawrence – 2 KR, 24 YDS
* Punt Returns: Solomon – 1 PR, 0 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 4 PUNTS, 184 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 3/3 PAT
* Sacks:
* Interceptions: Williamson – 1 INT, 9 YDS

## Standings

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| San Francisco 49ers$^{(1)}$ | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10-2 | 357 | 250 | W5 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 426 | 355 | L3 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 303 | 351 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | 207 | 378 | L4 |

## Regular Season Stats

Passing
Passing :
| Player | Pos | G | GS | QBrec | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | TD% | Int | Int% | Lng | Y/A | AY/A | Y/C | Y/G | Rate | Sk | Yds | NY/A | ANY/A | Sk% | 4QC | GWD |
| Montana | QB | 16 | 16 | 13–3–0 | 311 | 488 | 63.7 | 3565 | 19 | 3.9 | 12 | 2.5 | 78 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 11.5 | 222.8 | 88.4 | 26 | 193 | 5.1 | 6.56 | 6.25 | 2 | 2 |
| Benjamin | QB | 4 | 0 | | 15 | 26 | 57.7 | 171 | 1 | 3.8 | 1 | 3.8 | 27 | 6.6 | 5.6 | 11.4 | 42.8 | 74.4 | 3 | 30 | 10.3 | 4.86 | 4.00 | 1 | 1 |
| Solomon | WR | 15 | 15 | | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 25 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 25 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 25.0 | 1.7 | 118.7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 25.00 | 25.00 | | |
| Easley | RB | 12 | 1 | | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0.4 | 87.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5.00 | 5.00 | | |
| Clark | WR | 16 | 16 | | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | | 0.4 | 39.6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | | |
| Team Total | | 16 | | 13–3–0 | 328 | 517 | 63.4 | 3766 | 20 | 3.9 | 13 | 2.5 | 78 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 11.5 | 235.4 | 87.7 | 29 | 223 | 5.3 | 6.49 | 6.15 | 3 | 3 |
| Opp Total | | 16 | | | 273 | 514 | 53.1 | 3135 | 16 | 3.1 | 27 | 5.3 | 67 | 6.1 | 4.36 | 11.5 | 195.9 | 60.2 | 36 | 290 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 3.5 | | |
Rushing
Rushing :
| Player | Pos | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G |
| Patton | RB | 16 | 15 | 152 | 543 | 4 | 28 | 3.6 | 33.9 | 9.5 |
| Cooper | FB | 16 | 11 | 98 | 330 | 1 | 23 | 3.4 | 20.6 | 6.1 |
| Davis | RB | 11 | 5 | 94 | 297 | 7 | 14 | 3.2 | 18.6 | 5.9 |
| Easley | RB | 12 | 1 | 76 | 224 | 1 | 9 | 2.9 | 18.7 | 6.3 |
| Hofer | RB | 12 | 0 | 60 | 193 | 1 | 12 | 3.2 | 16.1 | 5.0 |
| Ring | RB | 12 | 0 | 22 | 106 | 0 | 16 | 4.8 | 8.8 | 1.8 |
| Montana | QB | 16 | 16 | 25 | 95 | 2 | 20 | 3.8 | 5.9 | 1.6 |
| Lawrence | RB | 13 | 0 | 13 | 48 | 1 | 14 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 1.0 |
| Solomon | WR | 15 | 15 | 9 | 43 | 0 | 16 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 0.6 |
| Clark | WR | 16 | 16 | 3 | 32 | 0 | 18 | 10.7 | 2.0 | 0.2 |
| Elliott | RB | 4 | 0 | 7 | 29 | 0 | 9 | 4.1 | 7.3 | 1.8 |
| Benjamin | QB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Team Total | | 16 | | 560 | 1941 | 17 | 28 | 3.5 | 121.3 | 35.0 |
| Opp Total | | 16 | | 464 | 1918 | 10 | | 4.1 | 119.9 | 29.0 |

### Statistical comparison

| | San Francisco 49ers | Opponents |
| First downs | 317 | 280 |
| First downs rushing | 110 | 113 |
| First downs passing | 183 | 144 |
| First downs penalty | 24 | 23 |
| Third down efficiency | 114/259 | 87/224 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Net yards rushing | 1941 | 1918 |
| Rushing attempts | 560 | 454 |
| Yards per rush | 3.5 | 4.1 |
| Passing – Completions/attempts | 328/517 | 273/514 |
| Times sacked-total yards | 29–223 | 36–290 |
| Interceptions thrown | 13 | 27 |
| Net yards passing | 3543 | 2845 |
| Total net yards | 5484 | 4763 |
| Punt returns-total yards | 48–344 | 57–664 |
| Kickoff returns-total yards | 45–909 | 67–1389 |
| Interceptions-total return yards | 27–448 | 13–297 |
| Punts-average yardage | 93–41.5 | 83–41.4 |
| Fumbles-lost | 26–12 | 36–21 |
| Penalties-total yards | 92–752 | 108–866 |
| Time of possession | 31:38 | 28:22 |
| Turnovers | 25 | 48 |

### Quarter-by-quarter

49ers Quarter-by-quarter :
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
| 49ers | 80 | 100 | 88 | 89 | 357 |
| Opponents | 40 | 76 | 55 | 79 | 250 |

### Individual leaders

49ers Passing :
| | C/ATT$^1$ | Yds | TD | INT | Rating |
| Montana | 311/488 | 3565 | 19 | 12 | 88.4 |
| Benjamin | 15/26 | 171 | 1 | 1 | 74.4 |
| Solomon | 1/1 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 118.8 |
| Easley | 1/1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 87.5 |
| Clark | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 |
| 49ers Rushing ||||||
| | Car$^2$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ | Yds/Car |
| Patton | 152 | 543 | 4 | 28 | 3.6 |
| Cooper | 98 | 330 | 1 | 23 | 3.4 |
| Davis | 94 | 297 | 7 | 14 | 3.2 |
| Easley | 76 | 224 | 1 | 9 | 2.9 |
| Hofer | 60 | 193 | 1 | 12 | 3.2 |
| Ring | 22 | 106 | 0 | 16 | 4.8 |
| Montana | 25 | 95 | 2 | 20 | 3.8 |
| Lawrence | 13 | 48 | 1 | 14 | 3.7 |
| Solomon | 9 | 43 | 0 | 16 | 4.8 |
| Clark | 3 | 32 | 0 | 18 | 10.7 |
| Elliott | 7 | 29 | 0 | 9 | 4.1 |
| Benjamin | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 |
| 49ers Receiving ||||||
| | Rec$^4$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ | Yds/Rec |
| Clark | 85 | 1105 | 4 | 78 | 13.0 |
| Solomon | 59 | 969 | 8 | 60 | 16.4 |
| Cooper | 51 | 477 | 0 | 50 | 9.4 |
| Young | 37 | 400 | 5 | 29 | 10.8 |
| Hofer | 27 | 244 | 0 | 22 | 9.0 |
| Patton | 27 | 195 | 1 | 31 | 7.2 |
| Wilson | 9 | 125 | 1 | 27 | 13.9 |
| Easley | 9 | 62 | 0 | 21 | 6.9 |
| Elliott | 7 | 81 | 0 | 19 | 11.6 |
| Ramson | 4 | 45 | 0 | 16 | 11.3 |
| Ring | 3 | 28 | 1 | 21 | 9.3 |
| Shumann | 3 | 21 | 0 | 8 | 7.0 |
| Lawrence | 3 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 |
| Davis | 3 | –1 | 0 | 3 | –0.3 |
| Peets | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5.0 |
49ers Interception :
| | Int$^5$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ | Y/Int |
| Hicks | 9 | 239 | 1 | 72 | 26.6 |
| Lott | 7 | 117 | 3 | 41 | 16.7 |
| Williamson | 4 | 44 | 0 | 28 | 11.0 |
| Wright | 3 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 8.7 |
| McColl | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| Martin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reynolds | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turner | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
49ers Punts :
| | Pnt$^6$ | Yds | LG$^3$ | Blck | Y/P |
| Miller | 93 | 3858 | 65 | 0 | 41.5 |
| 49ers Kickoff Returns ||||||
| | Rt$^7$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ | Y/Rt |
| Lawrence | 17 | 437 | 1 | 92 | 25.7 |
| Ring | 10 | 217 | 0 | 29 | 21.7 |
| Lott | 7 | 111 | 0 | 20 | 15.9 |
| Wilson | 4 | 67 | 0 | 22 | 16.8 |
| Jones | 3 | 43 | 0 | 22 | 14.3 |
| Hicks | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 22.0 |
| Ramson | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 |
| Davis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Patton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 49ers Punt Returns ||||||
| | Rt$^8$ | Yds | TD | LG$^3$ | Y/Rt |
| Solomon | 29 | 173 | 0 | 19 | 6.0 |
| Hicks | 19 | 171 | 0 | 39 | 9.0 |
49ers Extra Points :
| | XP | XPA | XP% |
| Wersching | 30 | 30 | 100 |
| Bahr | 12 | 12 | 100 |
49ers Field Goals :
| | 1–19 | 20–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50+ | FG | FGA | FG% |
| Wersching | 2–2 | 7–7 | 4–7 | 4–7 | | 17 | 23 | 73.9 |
| Bahr | | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | | 2 | 6 | 33.9 |
$^1$Completions/attempts $^2$Carries $^3$Long gain $^4$Receptions $^5$Interceptions $^6$Punts $^7$Kickoff Returns $^8$Punt Returns

## Postseason

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Time | TV | Result | Record | Game Site | Attendance | Recap |
| Divisional | January 3, 1982 | New York Giants (5) | 2:00 p.m. PST | CBS | W 38–24 | 1–0 | Candlestick Park | 58,360 | Recap |
| NFC Championship | January 10, 1982 | Dallas Cowboys (2) | 2:00 p.m. PST | CBS | W 28–27 | 2–0 | Candlestick Park | 60,525 | Recap |
| Super Bowl XVI | January 24, 1982 | vs. Cincinnati Bengals (A1) | | | W 26–21 | 3–0 | Pontiac Silverdome | 81,270 | Recap |

### 1981 NFC Divisional Playoffs (Sunday, January 3, 1982): vs. (5) New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants (1–1) | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| 49ers (1–0) | 7 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 38 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: January 3, 1982
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C); wind 11
* Game attendance: 58,360
* Referee: Ben Dreith
* TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator) and Irv Cross (sideline reporter)
| Team | Category |
| NYG | Passing |
| NYG | Rushing |
| NYG | Receiving |
| SF | Passing |
| SF | Rushing |
| SF | Receiving |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NYG | SF |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 24 | 38 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* First downs
* Rushes–yards
* Passing yards
* Passes
* Sacked–yards
* Net passing yards
* Total yards
* Return yards
* Punts
* Fumbles–lost
* Penalties–yards
* Time of possession
First quarter
* SF – Charle Young 8-yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
* NYG – Earnest Gray 72-yard pass from Scott Brunner – (Joe Danelo kick) Tied 7–7
Second quarter
* SF – Ray Wersching 22-yard field goal – 49ers 10–7
* SF – Freddie Solomon 58-yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 17–7
* SF – Ricky Patton 25-yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 24–7
* NYG – Joe Danelo 48-yard field goal – 49ers 24–10
Third quarter
* NYG – Johnny Perkins 59-yard pass from Scott Brunner – (Joe Danelo kick) 49ers 24–17
Fourth quarter
* SF – Bill Ring 3-yard rush – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 31–17
* SF – Ronnie Lott 20-yard interception return – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 38–17
* NYG – Johnny Perkins 17-yard pass from Scott Brunner – (Joe Danelo kick) 49ers 38–24
|stats= Top passers
* NYG – Scott Brunner, 16/37, 290 Yds, 3 TDs, 2 Ints
* SF – Joe Montana, 20/31, 304 Yds, 2 TDs, 1 Int
Top rushers
* NYG – Rob Carpenter, 17 Car, 61 Yds
* SF – Earl Cooper, 7 Car, 52 Yds
Top receivers
* NYG – Johnny Perkins, 7 Rec, 121 Yds, 2 TDs
* SF – Freddie Solomon, 6 Rec, 107 Yds, 1 TD
Top tacklers
* NYG -
* SF -
Turnovers
* NYG – 4
* SF – 1
The Giants were making their first appearance in the postseason since 1963. First-year starting quarterback Joe Montana led the 49ers to victory in his debut playoff game, completing 20 of 31 passes for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. His top target in the game was receiver Dwight Clark, who caught 5 passes for 104 yards.

### 1981 NFC Championship Game (Sunday, January 10, 1982): vs. (2) Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys (1–1) | 10 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
| 49ers (2–0) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: January 10, 1982
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C); wind 4
* Game attendance: 60,525
* Referee: Jim Tunney
* TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully (play-by-play), Hank Stram (color commentator) and Irv Cross (sideline reporter)
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| DAL | Passing | Danny White | 16/24, 173 YDS, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| DAL | Rushing | Tony Dorsett | 22 CAR, 91 YDS, 1 TD |
| DAL | Receiving | Jones | 3 REC, 17 YDS |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 22/35, 286 YDS, 3 TDs, 3 INTs |
| SF | Rushing | Lenvil Elliott | 10 CAR, 48 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Dwight Clark | 8 REC, 120 YDS, 2 TDs |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | DAL | SF |
| 1 | | | | | 49ers | Solomon 8-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | | | | | Cowboys | 44-yard field goal by Septién | 3 | 7 |
| 1 | | | | | Cowboys | Hill 26-yard touchdown reception from White, Septién kick good | 10 | 7 |
| 2 | | | | | 49ers | Clark 20-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 10 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | Cowboys | Dorsett 5-yard touchdown run, Septién kick good | 17 | 14 |
| 3 | | | | | 49ers | Davis 2-yard touchdown run, Wersching kick good | 17 | 21 |
| 4 | | | | | Cowboys | 22-yard field goal by Septién | 20 | 21 |
| 4 | | | | | Cowboys | Cosbie 21-yard touchdown reception from White, Septién kick good | 27 | 21 |
| 4 | | | | | 49ers | Clark 6-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 27 | 28 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 27 | 28 |
* Point spread: 49ers +3
* Over/Under: 42.0 (over)
* Time of Game:
| Cowboys | Game Statistics | 49ers |
| 16 | First downs | 26 |
| 32–115 | Rushes–yards | 31–127 |
| 173 | Passing yards | 286 |
| 16–24–1 | Passes | 22–35–3 |
| 4–38 | Sacked–yards | 3–20 |
| 135 | Net passing yards | 266 |
| 250 | Total yards | 393 |
| 102 | Return yards | 136 |
| 6–39.3 | Punts | 3–35.7 |
| 4–2 | Fumbles–lost | 3–3 |
| 5–39 | Penalties–yards | 7–106 |
| 32:57 | Time of possession | 27:03 |
Individual stats
* Passing: Montana – 22/35, 286 YDS, 3 TDs, 3 INTs
* Rushing: Elliott – 10 CAR, 48 YDS; Cooper – 8 REC, 35 YDS; Ring – 6 CAR, 27 YDS; Solomon – 1 CAR, 14 YDS; Easley – 2 CAR, 6 YDS; Davis – 1 CAR, 2 YDS, 1 TD; Montana – 3 CAR, –5 YDS
* Receiving: Clark – 8 REC, 120 YDS, 2 TDs; Solomon – 6 REC, 75 YDS, 1 TD; Young – 4 REC, 45 YDS; Cooper – 2 REC, 11 YDS; Elliott – 1 REC, 24 YDS; Shumann – 1 REC, 11 YDS
* Kickoff Returns: Lawrence – 3 KR, 60 YDS; Ring – 3 KR, 47 YDS
* Punt Returns: Hicks – 2 PR, 21 YDS; Solomon – 1 PR, 3 YDS
* Punting: Miller – 3 PUNTS, 107 YDS
* Kicking: Wersching – 4/4 PAT
* Sacks: Pillers – 2.0; Board – 1.0; Stuckey – 1.0
* Interceptions: Leopold – 1 INT, 5 YDS
The 49ers were making their third appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Their opponent was their opponent for the two previous NFC Championship Games-the Dallas Cowboys. In both previous matches, the 49ers had lost the game. The game is remembered for "The Catch".
The play, remembered in 49er lore as "Red Right Tight—Sprint Right Option" had called for both the primary receiver, Solomon, and Dwight Clark to line up on the right. Montana was supposed to roll to his right and find Solomon. Clark's pattern called for him to cut left across the end zone, stop, and immediately reverse his path to the right. If Solomon were covered, it would be up to Montana to find Clark. Due to the pressure, Montana's pass was high, but Clark was in position to make his memorable grab. Future New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who grew up in the Bay Area, attended the game as a four-year-old. The 49ers were victorious despite an astonishing six turnovers, including three interceptions by Joe Montana.
A photograph of the catch, with Clark at the height of his leap and Everson Walls reaching out to try to block the ball, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following week.

### Super Bowl XVI

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
* Date: January 24, 1982
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: indoors
* Game attendance: 81,270
* Referee: Pat Haggerty
* TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), Irv Cross (sideline reporter)
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Joe Montana 1 yard run – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 7–0
Second quarter
SF – Earl Cooper 11-yard pass from Joe Montana – (Ray Wersching kick) 49ers 14–0
SF – Ray Wersching 22-yard field goal – 49ers 17–0
SF – Ray Wersching 26-yard field goal – 49ers 20–0
Third quarter
CIN – Ken Anderson 5-yard rush – (Jim Breech kick) 49ers 20–7
Fourth quarter
CIN – Dan Ross 4-yard pass from Ken Anderson – (Jim Breech kick) 49ers 20–14
SF – Ray Wersching 40-yard field goal – 49ers 23–14
SF – Ray Wersching 23-yard field goal – 49ers 26–14
CIN – Dan Ross 3-yard pass from Ken Anderson – (Jim Breech kick) 49ers 26–21
Top passers
SF – Joe Montana, 14/22, 157 Yds, 1 TD
CIN – Ken Anderson, 25/34, 300 Yds, 2 TDs, 2 Ints
Top rushers
SF – Ricky Patton, 17 Car, 55 Yds
CIN – Pete Johnson, 14 Car, 36 Yds
Top receivers
SF – Freddie Solomon, 4 Rec, 52 Yds
CIN – Dan Ross, 11 Rec, 104 Yds, 2 TDs
Top tacklers
SF -
CIN -
Turnovers
SF – 1
CIN – 4 :

## Awards and records

* Joe Montana, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player
* Bill Walsh, National Football League Coach of the Year Award

## 1982 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl

| Number | Player | Position | Conference |
| 87 | Dwight Clark | WR | NFC Pro Bowlers |
| 51 | Randy Cross | RG, Starter | NFC Pro Bowlers |
| 74 | Fred Dean | DE | NFC Pro Bowlers |
| 22 | Dwight Hicks | S | NFC Pro Bowlers |
| 42 | Ronnie Lott | RCB, Starter | NFC Pro Bowlers |
| 16 | Joe Montana | QB, Starter | NFC Pro Bowlers |

## Media

Pre season Local TV
| Channel | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) |
| KPIX-TV 5 | | |
Local Radio
| Flagship station | Play-by-play | Color commentator(s) | Sideline reporter(s) |
| KCBS–AM 740 | Don Klein | Wayne Walker | |