Top NFC Championship Games of All Time

This week we will decide who will be squaring off in the Super Bowl in Indianapolis on the first Sunday in February. It’s always a great weekend of football, with some of the greatest games in history. Often this weekend turns out to be better than Super Sunday, with four teams left to fight for the right to be called “champions”. Before we get there, I’d like to take this chance and look back at the league’s greatest conference championship games. Today, we’ll take a look at the NFC.

1967 Dallas at Green Bay – The “Ice Bowl”. I realize that this game took place before the merger, and so is identified as an “NFL Championship Game”, but for our purposes here it certainly belongs on this list. No discussion on great games could ever be complete without the mention of this classic. With a recorded wind-chill temperature of –23 degrees, the Cowboys and Packers took to the field to decide the 1967 NFL Champion and a spot in Super Bowl II. Being at home and dealing with the frigid temperatures better, the Pack threatened to make the game into a rout as early on in the game they took a two-touchdown lead. In the second quarter the Cowboys finally gained some traction and were able to get back into the game on defensive score, and added a field goal in the third to cut the margin to 14-10 entering the fourth quarter. With momentum on their side, Dallas finally took the lead on a 50-yard half back pass from Dan Reeves to receiver Lance Rentzel and it appeared that the Cowboys would finally end the Packer dynasty. Green Bay was not finished however, and late in the game quarterback Bart Starr led his team down the field on a drive that would stall inside the Dallas 5-yard line. After a timeout, the masterful Packer quarterback plunged over the goal line from the one to give Green Bay it’s third consecutive NFL Title and second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Green Bay 21 – Dallas 17

1981 Dallas at San Francisco – “The Catch”. Some games need only a phrase. Classics such as the “Ice Bowl”, or “The Drive” have cemented themselves in NFL lore, combining great plays and fantastic finishes. This was one of those games. The Cowboys were the dominant NFC team in the 1970’s, reaching the Super Bowl five times and winning it all twice. The 49ers had never played in a Super Bowl, and were recovering from years of mediocrity. 49ers coach Bill Walsh and third year quarterback Joe Montana were about to change the way the franchise would be viewed forever. In one magical afternoon in San Francisco, the 49ers and Cowboys gave the NFL one for the ages. The game went back and forth all day; with Dallas finally taking a six-point lead late in the fourth quarter. With the clock running down Joe Montana lead the San Francisco offense back onto the field for one last drive, and the 49ers managed to move the ball all the way down inside the Dallas 10-yard line with seconds left. From there, Montana took the snap and, eluding Dallas defenders, rolled to his right and lofted a pass deep into the back of the end zone where receiver Dwight Clark stretched out and brought it in. On the ensuing possession, the San Francisco defense stopped a potential game winning catch and run by Dallas and then forced a Danny White fumble to seal the win. San Francisco 28 – Dallas 27

1983 San Francisco at Washington

– San Francisco fans might characterize this one as “the one that got away”. This was one of those games that gets lost sometimes in the fog of history, but to 49er fans it still burns them, as many believe the game was decided on some shaky, or at the very least controversial penalties. Washington was the defending Super Bowl Champions and had been the league’s best team all season, setting offensive records and winning 14 games along the way. They were being viewed by some as one of the best teams of all time. With that history on their side, the Redskins dominated the first three quarters of the game, taking a 21-0 lead into the fourth quarter. San Francisco wasn’t about to go away, though, storming back and tying the game late in the game on Joe Montana’s third touchdown pass. With all the momentum on the side of the 49ers, Joe Thiesmann lead the Redskins down the field and Washington scored the deciding points on a late Mark Moseley field goal and the Redskins went back to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year.

Washington 24 – San Francisco 211990 N.Y. Giants at San Francisco

– The 49ers were going for a “three-peat”. New York was playing with a backup quarterback and relied on a power running game and bruising defense. The two teams couldn’t have been any different, but the Giants were able to force the 49ers into their type of game, slowing the pace and keeping the score low. Late in the fourth quarter San Francisco had the lead, and on one of the most vicious hits the league has ever seen, New York defensive end Leonard Marshall blindsided Joe Montana, forcing a fumble. The 49ers recovered the ball, but Montana was knocked out of the game and suffered injuries that would sideline him for over two years. After the hit, the drive continued, but later New York recovered another fumble. From there, the Giants methodically moved into field goal range where Matt Bahr would connect on his fifth field goal of the game, ending San Francisco’s quest for the “three-peat” and sending the Giants to their second Super Bowl.

N.Y. Giants 15 – San Francisco 13

1998 Atlanta at Minnesota – The Vikings were one of the greatest single-season offenses the league had ever seen, breaking several offensive records while compiling a 15-1 regular season. The Falcons were also very good, going 14-2 while employing a balanced attack that centered on big running back Jamal Anderson. The Vikings took a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, and after an Atlanta field goal cut the lead to 7, again looked to stretch the lead to 10 points. Kicker Gary Anderson missed on his field goal attempt, his first miss of the season, and the Falcons took advantage. Moving quickly downfield, Atlanta quarterback Chris Chandler led his team deep into Viking territory, hitting Terrance Mathis for the tying touchdown. With time still on the clock, however, Minnesota elected to kneel on the ball and take the game into overtime, rather than attempting to win the game. In the overtime, Atlanta showed that they, not the Vikings, were the best in the NFC as they scored on a Morten Andersen 38-yard field goal and headed to the franchise’s first Super Bowl. Atlanta 30 – Minnesota 27 (OT)