Super Bowl XIX

[spiral]

Every time these two teams get together, I can't help but to think back to the last time we were in the Super Bowl. For those of you too young to remember, that was in 1985. We were good. Really good. I was in 5th grade at the time and remember being crushed at half-time, even though the score wasn't more than a 7 point deficit. They just dominated us. Our defense was helpless against that Joe Montana/Rodger Craig led offense. I still don't know how they got so much pressure on Marino. I thought we'd be back the next year, but the defense got old and was replaced with the Jackie Shipps and Eric Kumerows and Jay Brophys of the world. Has it really been 27 years?!

 

[Pinkboy]

no defense (and a very undersized defense), and no running game. And an O-line that was undersized and couldn't run block

That 49ers team was complete all the way around.. Great secondary, D-line, LB's (#1 defense in the NFL), great o-line, running game and of course QB and receivers.. then you add in a great TE in Clark

They absolutely tore the dolphins apart. They just toyed with the dolphins.

I don't care what anyone says, that 49ers team was better and more complete than the 85 Bears.. Probably the most underrated team in NFL history. Though if miami had a rematch with the Bears in 85 in the SB, and miami didn't get pounded physically by the Pats in the AFCCG, the Bears would have walloped the Dolphins too in the 85 SB

 

[Shaman]

Actually, we were down 28-16 at half. The pressure they got on Marino was surprising, but the Dolphin defense had been gradually going downhill since about halfway through the 1984 season, much of it due to having to start guys like Jay Brophy.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

I remember thinking it was only the beginning as well. We had so many shots after that even with a bad defense, 1986, 1992 and 1994. I believe that 1984 team would have beaten a lot of super bowl teams, but that 49er team really matched up well against us. In 1986, I kept thinking the Dolphins and Bears would get a rematch. Not sure if we would have beat them for a second time, but I'm sure it would have been a much better matchup than the Patriots.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Actually, we were down 28-16 at half. The pressure they got on Marino was surprising, but the Dolphin defense had been gradually going downhill since about halfway through the 1984 season, much of it due to having to start guys like Jay Brophy.

If I remember correctly AJ Duhe and Bob Baumhauer were injured around game 10 and the defense never really recovered after that.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

no defense (and a very undersized defense), and no running game. And an O-line that was undersized and couldn't run block

That 49ers team was complete all the way around.. Great secondary, D-line, LB's (#1 defense in the NFL), great o-line, running game and of course QB and receivers.. then you add in a great TE in Clark

They absolutely tore the dolphins apart. They just toyed with the dolphins.

I don't care what anyone says, that 49ers team was better and more complete than the 85 Bears.. Probably the most underrated team in NFL history. Though if miami had a rematch with the Bears in 85 in the SB, and miami didn't get pounded physically by the Pats in the AFCCG, the Bears would have walloped the Dolphins too in the 85 SB

Great post. The 49ers opened as only a 1.5 point favorite. I was in disbelief, along with my friends. A guy named Donny literally ran to the window, not caring who he knocked over.

The line jumped but not as much as we expected. It settled in the -3 range.

Most ridiculous of all, the Dolphins were favored at halftime. I took San Francisco +4 for the second half. I remember a guy we nicknamed Super Dave who was running around throughout the sportsbook at halftime showing off his big tickets on the 49ers +4. "If you can't watch that first half and bet everything in your pocket on San Francisco +4, I don't want to know what's in your brain."

I thought the 49ers and particularly Bill Walsh were very generous in the 4th quarter. They settled into defensive mode and didn't run it up, which was available.

Yeah, the Bears would have crushed Miami in the following Super Bowl. That line would have been very low, in the -5 range. Marino would have been more competitive than Eason but Miami's defense would have been exposed, and no chance we run the ball as well, or get the breaks in the passing game, similar to the Monday Night game.