Games between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys were often meaningful. From the 70s to the 90s both teams often crossed paths en route to the Super Bowl and a rivalry was born. Since then the 49ers and the Cowboys have been far less successful. Some say a true rivalry doesn’t exist anymore because of this. I beg to differ. The players are fired up and for the fans a win over the Cowboys is sweeter than against any other team. Let’s delve into the history as this matchup has often provided highlights.

The 70s

The Dallas Cowboys were an NFL powerhouse back in the 70s and went on to win two of the five Super Bowls they took part in. The Cowboys beat the 49ers in the first two NFC Championship Games ever played. In the 1970/71 season, the game was tied at 3 at half time but two third quarter interceptions by John Brodie gave the Cowboys a 17-3 lead, from which the 49ers never recovered. One year later the 49ers were defeated 14-3 in the NFC Championship Game.

The 80s

This decade could probably be described as the birth of the rivalry. Wide receiver Dwight Clark expressed it best: “The America’s Team thing rubs the other 31 teams a little raw. They were just so arrogant back in the 80s, like they were sitting on their high horse. When you lost to the Cowboys, it hurt bad. It was nice to knock them off.”

And boy did Dwight Clark knock them off! In the 1981/82 NFC Championship Game the 49ers were down by 27-21 in the fourth quarter, when 51 seconds from time Dwight Clark caught a seemingly uncatchable pass from Joe Montana for the final score of 28-27. This play is referred to as “The Catch”. A dynasty was born, two players became immortal.

The 90s

There is no doubt about it, the 49ers and the Cowboys were the two best NFL franchises in the 90s. Their three consecutive meetings in the NFC Championship Game were considered to be the real Super Bowl.

In 1993/94 Dallas’ head coach Jimmy Johnson promised a win and his team delivered. The Cowboys scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter for a 28-7 lead, and went on to win 38-21.

One year later Steve Young proved that he can win big games. In the first quarter the 49ers converted three turnovers into three touchdowns and won comfortably. The final score was 38-28.

The 2000s

Both franchises failed to repeat the success of past decades. In fact, the 49ers haven’t even reached the playoffs since 2002. But one encounter during a regular season game stands out. In 2000, Terrell Owens runs midfield to celebrate a touchdown on the Dallas star logo. When he scored a second touchdown, T.O. was on his way to repeat this act but Dallas’ safety George Teague tackled him before he could reach the logo.

The glory days are way in the past for both franchises. They now have problems of their own. The Cowboys are trying to return to where they think they belong, atop of the NFL. The 49ers are trying to build a team that brings the better days back to San Francisco. But believe me, a rivalry is still going on between them. Look out for a lot of showboating and trash talk on Sunday.