Dwight Clark and 'The Catch'
The Moment That Defined the 1980s for the San Francisco 49ers
It was the play that ended one dynasty and started another.
In the 1981 NFC Championship Game, the torch was passed by way of a moment that has forever been known — and only needs to be known — as “The Catch.” Ask a football fan what The Catch is and they’ll know right away.
The Makings of an All-Time Moment
The Dallas Cowboys had been the class of the NFC since it began in 1970, finishing first or second in their division eleven times and winning two Super Bowls. The San Francisco 49ers were the upstart, led by 25-year-old quarterback Joe Montana, who was soon to embark on his own run of Hall-of-Fame dominance.
Before that era could begin, Montana and the Niners had work to do.
Down 27-21 at home with 58 seconds left. Six yards away. Third and three. It would end up being the final play of a 14-play, 83-yard drive that cemented legacies and etched new names in football’s history books.
The 49ers were in a split backs formation, with the play intended for wide receiver Freddie Solomon, lined up in the right slot. Dwight Clark was wide of Solomon, intended to be the rub on the play.
Immediately, the play fell apart.
As Montana dropped back and rolled to the right, the 49ers’ offensive line collapsed and he was besieged by three Cowboys defenders. Backpedaling, inching ever closer to the sideline, Montana finally threw the ball off his back foot.
You’d be forgiven for thinking Montana was trying to throw the ball away — everybody else on the field did. San Francisco coach Bill Walsh had already started drawing up the next fourth-down play.
But Montana knew exactly what he was doing, and who he was throwing to.
A Throw Into the Abyss
From the back of the end zone, it certainly appeared Montana was throwing the ball away. It was high, into the abyss where no one could seemingly get it — except maybe the three Cowboys defenders nearby. On a busted play like that, the 49ers still had a fourth down in their pocket.
But Dwight Clark appeared, arms outstretched, destined for the ball. Montana threw it where no one else but Clark could get it.
Clark, at 6-foot-4-inches, grabbed the ball by the fingertips and held on. The ball sailed through chaos, right on target. Clark made the catch in the corner of the end zone and spiked the ball in stride.
Touchdown, Niners.
It was the sixth lead change of the game, and this one stuck. San Francisco held on for a 28-27 victory.
Cowboys defender Ed “Too Tall” Jones told Montana, “You just beat America’s team,” to which Montana replied, “Well, you can sit at home with the rest of America and watch the Super Bowl.”
The Birth of a Dynasty
The 49ers went on to beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Silverdome, the first in franchise history. It might never have happened had Dwight Clark not appeared out of nowhere to grab a ball from the heavens. Clark and Montana maintained that it was all part of the designed play — a magical moment made to feel natural.
That weekend, football fans witnessed one of the best NFL championship Sundays of all time. Earlier, the Freezer Bowl AFC Championship in Cincinnati saw the Bengals pummel the San Diego Chargers.
Vin Scully called this game on TV, while Jack Buck and Pat Summerall handled the radio broadcast. Legendary names calling a legendary game, everyone witnessing the birth of the 1980s’ greatest franchise and the first of four Super Bowls that decade.
And it all started with what will always be known simply as The Catch. Pay homage.
