Championships: The dynasty began in 1982 with ‘The Catch.’ The desperate Joe Montana-to-Dwight Clark connection in the back of the end zone that gave the 49ers an electrifying 28-27 NFC championship game victory over the Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco went on to win its first Super Bowl two weeks later. The 49ers and their exciting West Coast offense also won Super Bowls following the 1984, ’88 and ’89 seasons.

Star: Montana’s performance in the 1982 NFC title game provided foreshadowing to his distinguished, Hall of Fame career. He became perhaps the greatest big-game, clutch quarterback in league history and the master choreographer of the complex West Coast offense. He is the only three-time Super Bowl MVP and was selected for the Pro Bowl eight times.

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Supporting cast: Montana had help on offense, especially in his later championships with running back Roger Craig and peerless wide receivers Jerry Rice and John Taylor. On the offensive line, center Randy Cross was a perennial All-Pro. The defense was stellar and led by future Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs ever. In 1984, Lott and his three secondary mates – Eric Wright, Carlton Williamson and Dwight Hicks – all were selected to the Pro Bowl. LB Keena Turner and DE Charles Haley were among the other defensive standouts for San Francisco during the ‘80s.

Coach: Bill Walsh, the self-proclaimed “genius,” guided the 49ers to their first three Super Bowl titles and George Seifert won the last won. Walsh became legendary for his scripted game plans and trailblazing West Coast offense that utilized the passing game to set up the run, going against long-standing coaching tradition that said the reverse was true. In Montana, resourceful and clutch but without a truly strong arm, Walsh had the perfect man for his system.

Peak of power: San Francisco was at its best at the end of the decade, going 14-2 in the regular season in 1989. Then came the real dominance. In the playoffs following that season, the 49ers beat the Vikings, 41-13 and the Rams, 30-3. Against the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, they were flawless in a 55-10 romp that featured a 5-touchdown, 297-yard performance by Montana and a 7-catch, 148-yard day by Rice.

How it ended: Rather abruptly. The 49ers went 14-2 in 1990, trying for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat. But Lott and Craig suffered key injuries and the team was aging despite the victories. They might have achieved that three-peat, however, if not for a heroic effort by the Giants in a thrilling 15-13 NFC championship game victory. New York knocked Montana out of the game and rallied for the game-winning field goal after Lawrence Taylor recovered a fumble by Craig with 2:36 left. A year later, Steve Young was the quarterback and an era had ended.

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