Faithful Flashbacks #18: Bears Weather Game

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 the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of Sactown Sports’ staffers before 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.

Coming in at No. 18 on our Faithful Flashbacks countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is the 49ers’ 1988 NFC Championship Game win over the Bears at Soldier Field.

This is one of those games that are still remembered not only for the postseason stakes but also for the setting. Playing in the cold of Chicago in January at Soldier Field made for a tough night. Dealing with that, the 49ers had Joe Montana, Bill Walsh, and a team trying to get back to the Super Bowl after a regular season that was not always as smooth as the final ending makes it look now.

The weather became the story before the game ever really started. The wind chill was well below zero, and the idea going in was that this was supposed to be Bears weather and work in their favor. If the game turned ugly, physical and uncomfortable, that was expected to be something the Bears could capitalize on.

Yet the 49ers’ talent looked like the more prepared team for the moment, even with the drastic difference between the West Coast weather they’re accustomed to. And they took care of business as necessary.

Montana threw three touchdown passes, and the 49ers controlled the game in a way that made the weather feel less important as the afternoon went on. The final score was 28-3, which still stands out because of how much the buildup centered on the conditions and Chicago’s supposed advantage.

The win sent the 49ers to Super Bowl XXIII, where they beat the Bengals and gave Walsh his third championship. It also became part of the final chapter of his coaching tenure, with San Francisco closing that season as champions before Walsh stepped away.

The Bears Weather Game was not just about surviving the cold. It was about the 49ers walking into one of the toughest settings in the league and making it look like their own kind of football could travel anywhere.

More Faithful Flashbacks from Sactown Sports

• Faithful Flashbacks #19: Young’s Iconic Scramble
• Faithful Flashbacks #21: Ricky Watters’ Record Day
• Faithful Flashbacks #23: Frank Gore’s Rushing Record
• Faithful Flashbacks #24: Trading for Steve Young
• Faithful Flashbacks #25: Kaepernick’s First Start
• Faithful Flashbacks #26: Return of the Faithful

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule

• Late July 2026 – NFL Training Camps open
• 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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