The 1980 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 31st season in the National Football League and their 35th overall. This was the second year with the team for both head coach Bill Walsh and quarterback Joe Montana, who became the starter in week seven,[1] replacing Steve DeBerg.[2]
| 1980 San Francisco 49ers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. |
| General manager | Bill Walsh |
| Head coach | Bill Walsh |
| Defensive coordinator | Chuck Studley |
| Home field | Candlestick Park |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | none |
The 49ers looked to improve on their previous output of 2–14 (both of the two previous seasons); despite succeeding in improving their record, having posted a 6-10 record, they failed to make the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.[3]
On December 7, 1980, the 49ers rallied from down 35–7, scoring 31 unanswered points to defeat the winless New Orleans Saints in overtime.[4][5][6] This was the last full season until 1999 that the 49ers finished with fewer than ten wins.
Offseason
editDraft
edit| 1980 San Francisco 49ers draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Earl Cooper | Fullback | Rice | from N. Y. Jets |
| 1 | 20 | Jim Stuckey | Defensive tackle | Clemson | from Denver |
| 2 | 39 | Keena Turner * | Linebacker | Purdue | from Minnesota |
| 3 | 65 | Jim Miller | Punter | Ole Miss | from Minnesota |
| 3 | 77 | Craig Puki | Linebacker | Tennessee | |
| 4 | 84 | Ricky Churchman | Safety | Texas | |
| 4 | 98 | David Hodge | Linebacker | Houston | |
| 5 | 112 | Kenneth Times | Defensive Tackle | Southern | |
| 6 | 139 | Herb Williams | Safety | Southern | |
| 8 | 210 | Bobby Leopold | Linebacker | Notre Dame | |
| 9 | 237 | Dan Hartwig | Quarterback | Cal Lutheran | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Personnel
editStaff / Coaches
edit|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
edit
Preseason
edit| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 9 | Oakland Raiders | W 33–14 | 1–0 | Candlestick Park | 55,585 |
| 2 | August 16 | at San Diego Chargers | W 17–14 | 2–0 | San Diego Stadium | 48,836 |
| 3 | August 23 | Seattle Seahawks | L 7–10 | 2–1 | Candlestick Park | 41,841 |
| 4 | August 30 | vs. Kansas City Chiefs | W 31–21 | 3–1 | Arizona Stadium | 27,000 |
Schedule
edit| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | at New Orleans Saints | W 26–23 | 1–0 | Louisiana Superdome | 58,621 | |
| 2 | September 14 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 24–21 | 2–0 | Candlestick Park | 49,999 | |
| 3 | September 21 | at New York Jets | W 37–27 | 3–0 | Shea Stadium | 50,608 | |
| 4 | September 28 | Atlanta Falcons | L 17–20 | 3–1 | Candlestick Park | 56,518 | |
| 5 | October 5 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 26–48 | 3–2 | Anaheim Stadium | 62,188 | |
| 6 | October 12 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 14–59 | 3–3 | Texas Stadium | 63,399 | |
| 7 | October 19 | Los Angeles Rams | L 17–31 | 3–4 | Candlestick Park | 55,360 | |
| 8 | October 26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 23–24 | 3–5 | Candlestick Park | 51,925 | |
| 9 | November 2 | at Detroit Lions | L 13–17 | 3–6 | Pontiac Silverdome | 78,845 | |
| 10 | November 9 | at Green Bay Packers | L 16–23 | 3–7 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 54,475 | |
| 11 | November 16 | at Miami Dolphins | L 13–17 | 3–8 | Miami Orange Bowl | 45,135 | |
| 12 | November 23 | New York Giants | W 12–0 | 4–8 | Candlestick Park | 38,574 | |
| 13 | November 30 | New England Patriots | W 21–17 | 5–8 | Candlestick Park | 45,254 | |
| 14 | December 7 | New Orleans Saints | W 38–35 | 6–8 | Candlestick Park | 37,949 | |
| 15 | December 14 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 10–35 | 6–9 | Atlanta Fulton County Stadium | 55,767 | |
| 16 | December 21 | Buffalo Bills | L 13–18 | 6–10 | Candlestick Park | 37,476 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Game summaries
editWeek 14: vs. New Orleans Saints
editWeek 14: New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 14 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 38 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
- Date: Sunday, December 7
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 48 °F or 8.9 °C, wind 12 miles per hour (19 km/h; 10 kn)
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Kelly & Jim Hill
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The 49ers fought back from a 28-point deficit in the second half to win in overtime 38–35. The game was named as #8 on NFL Top 10 on Top Ten Comebacks.[8]
Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills
edit
|
Standings
edit| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Atlanta Falcons(1) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 405 | 272 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams(5) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 424 | 289 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 320 | 415 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 0–6 | 0–12 | 291 | 487 | L1 |
References
edit- ^ "Rams, 31-17". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire service reports. October 20, 1980. p. 4B.
- ^ "Cowboys, 59-14". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire service reports. October 13, 1980. p. 4B.
- ^ 1980 San Francisco 49ers
- ^ "49ers come from 28 behind to win". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 8, 1980. p. 3B.
- ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 260
- ^ New Orleans Saints 35 at San Francisco 49ers 38
- ^ "1980 San Francisco 49ers (NFL)". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Top 10 greatest comebacks in NFL history". National Football League. January 7, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
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