A Fourth-Quarter Masterpiece
On September 24, 1989, the San Francisco 49ers traveled to Veterans Stadium to face the formidable Philadelphia Eagles and their brash coach, Buddy Ryan. Known for his aggressive “Gang Green” defense, Ryan was confident his unit would shut down Joe Montana and the high-powered 49ers offense. For much of the game, it looked like he was right.
Montana avoids Eagles Rush 25 Sep 1989, Mon Lancaster New Era (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com
Entering the fourth quarter, the Eagles led 21-10. But with a mere seven minutes remaining, “Joe Cool” took over. Trailing 28-17, Montana began a legendary comeback. He found John Taylor for a stunning 70-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit. After the defense forced a turnover, Montana connected with fullback Tom Rathman for another score, bringing the Niners within four.
The game-winning drive was capped off with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Brent Jones, putting the 49ers ahead for good. For good measure, Montana added a final 33-yard touchdown to Jerry Rice. In the final seven minutes, Montana led the 49ers to an astonishing 28-10 comeback victory, finishing with 428 passing yards and five touchdowns.
This game, a testament to Montana’s clutch performance and the 49ers’ championship pedigree, is remembered as one of the most iconic comebacks in NFL history. It proved that no matter the deficit, a team with Joe Montana at the helm was never out of the fight.
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