Faithful Flashbacks #3: Montana vs. Marino

Faithful Flashbacks revisits Super Bowl XIX, when Joe Montana outdueled Dan Marino and the 49ers won their second championship.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Sep 8, 2026, 8:00 AM Updated: 1:35 pm

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Joe Montana #16, back up Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers during the National Football Conference West Divisional Championship game against the Washington Redskins on 9 January 1993 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, United States. The 49ers won the game 20 - 13. (Photo by Otto Gruele Jr/Allsport/Getty Images)

(Photo by Otto Gruele Jr/Allsport/Getty Images)

In honor of the San Francisco 49ers celebrating their 80th anniversary, Sactown Sports is kicking off a countdown of the 80 greatest moments in the franchise’s illustrious history in reverse order called Faithful Flashbacks.

From Super Bowl-winning plays to overperforming teams that had minimal expectations, there’s plenty to choose from on the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of Sactown Sports staffers before the results were compiled into a full list that will count down to the 49ers’ 2026 NFL regular-season debut against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th.

Faithful Flashbacks -- San Francisco 49ers 80 Best Moments

Coming in at No. 3 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is the 49ers’ Super Bowl XIX win over the Miami Dolphins.

The matchup is still one of the more well-known matchups in Super Bowl history. Joe Montana had already won one championship with the 49ers and was building a resume that would eventually make him the standard for the position. Meanwhile, Dan Marino was coming off one of the best passing seasons the league had ever seen, throwing for more than 5,000 yards in 1984.

Up to this point, Montana had the ring and Marino had the numbers. The Super Bowl gave them the biggest possible stage to battle it out for that season.

Super Bowl XIX was played at Stanford Stadium, giving the 49ers a championship game in the Bay Area. San Francisco had already gone 15-1 during the regular season, one loss denying the potential perfect season. By the time the 49ers reached the Super Bowl, they were simply looking for their cherry on top of a historic year.

Marino was capable of making the game uncomfortable, but San Francisco ended up controlling the game. Montana threw for 331 yards, ran for another touchdown and was named Super Bowl MVP. The 49ers’ offense moved the ball with ease and the defense did enough against Marino to keep Miami from turning it into the shootout many expected.

The final score was 38-16, giving the 49ers their second Super Bowl title in four seasons. It also helped push Montana’s legacy into another level. He was the young quarterback who helped deliver the franchise’s first championship and he had now beaten Marino on the biggest stage.

For the 49ers, Super Bowl XIX was the peak of the 1984 season and one of the clearest examples of what Bill Walsh’s team had become. The offense had Montana, Roger Craig, Dwight Clark, and enough threats that they could be flexible. The defense did their jobs, and San Francisco finished the year 18-1.

The 49ers won more Super Bowls after, and Montana had more standout late-game moments. But as a full-team statement, beating Marino and the Dolphins by three touchdowns to close out a nearly perfect season ranks high on the list and deserved the No. 3 spot on our countdown of the 80 best moments in 49ers’ franchise history.

More Faithful Flashbacks from Sactown Sports

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule

Regular Season

Thursday, September 10th – vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Season Opener) – 5:35 pm PT
Sunday, September 20th – vs. Miami Dolphins – 1:25 pm PT
Sunday, September 27th – vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 pm PT
Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT

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