How does this compare to '81?

So Falcon, did the Cowboy game in 81 in any way remind you of the Bucs and Lions games? Man it sure did for me. For You?

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:

So Falcon, did the Cowboy game in 81 in any way remind you of the Bucs and Lions games? Man it sure did for me. For You?

Yep doc, it sure did! But like another poster said, that was a year of discovery for the team and its fans. Pre-internet age.

Originally posted by 190836:

Originally posted by Memphis9er:

Originally posted by 190836:

Lets not compare Alex Smith to Montana please.

Umm...no one did Lowell.

Read the posts kid!

Please see my profile, while you might have some years on me, I am by no measure a kid anymore. I reread the earlier posts and didn't see anyone saying Smith is comparable to Montana. Only that Smith needs to play a little better if we want to make it to the promised land. To me the Smith Montana comparisons end at starting qb for the Niners.

Originally posted by jdean:
Monte Clark coached the NINERS for one season, 1976, and a 8-6 record before he was fired by Joe Thomas.

Right - I'm just saying I remember Monte Clark...that was as far back as I can remember when I first started watching football and pulling for the 49ers. I remember the 2-14 seasons AFTER that.

Too ealry to caompare wexcept in the area that we were surprising people every wee. Just like now, we were not getting any props and many phoo-pooed Walsh's short pass play. They didn't "get-it" that the short passes to RB moved the chains and ket drives alive and tired out opposing defenses. Also, the game plans are simple yet complex to those defending them - JH is following a plan.

Walsh and McVay had to rebuild a decimated team. Joe Thomas really cleaned house and the new regime had to build almost from scratch. A few linemen were carry overs but little else. We could see the WCO being implemented year by year and for two years there was an improved game...but then, wham--everything went right and Walsh was outcoaching his opponents and Montana became Joe Cool.

This year the team had already been rebuilt to some extent with young high draft choice linemen, great LBs, all-pro TE and RB and an odd assortment of WRs. So, even though Harbaugh inherited a talented team it was surprising to see such an immediate turn around.

Common thread--Walsh and Harbaugh, and their assitants, outcoach everyone! I think Schwantz was upset more that he had been handled than by the hand shake.

Originally posted by RollinWith21n52:
For those old enough to remember the '81 season, I'm wondering how this season compares. Of course I can't compare the two, as in '81 we went on to win the Super Bowl (in '82), and this is obviously premature, but I remember hearing how that was a magical season with everything going right, everyone being on board, etc. etc. So through 6 games, does this seem similar? Hope this makes sense

Our running game is stronger than in '81. Gore and Hunter are killing defenses, especially in the 4th quarter. During 81, it was a "tailback by committee" approach. It worked, but not like it's working now.

QB play: About the same. Montana was NOT lighting it up week after week as some would have you believe. People will point to that 45-14 drubbing of the Cowboys, but for every game like that, there were three or four more that we won with average scores of 15-12 or 10-9. The West Coast dink and dunk attack wasn't pretty, but it did keep opposing offenses off the field and limited Montana's mistakes.

The 81' secondary was better. No question. Ronnie Lott was killing people at cornerback. He had not switched to safety yet. But he was an absolute beast in his rookie year. I suppose that Culliver could develop into a similar player, but Lott had already made his mark by Week 6.

I think our current LB corps is stronger than 81, but it's close. We also had Fred Dean and "Tiny" (Dwayne Board) on the defensive line. I'd say it's about even.

What makes 81 magic, however, is what Montana did at the end and in the playoffs. Had the 49ers exited in the 1st round, nobody would point to 81 as a special season.

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
So Falcon, did the Cowboy game in 81 in any way remind you of the Bucs and Lions games? Man it sure did for me. For You?

I know you're not asking me this question Doc, but the Tampa Bay game reminded me of the Dallas game. That was fun. The Niners just destroyed the Cowboys in a shocking fashion. In fact, the whipping was so complete, that people called it a one-game fluke -- and the Niners still didn't get the proper amount of respect.

Fast forward thirty years later and the same thing happened against Tampa. The Bucs didn't have the same reputation as that 81 Cowboys team, but nobody thought the Bucs were stiffs either.

But, yeah, the outcome was similar. The team had some fun in the beatdown and opened some eyes.

Easy 81' we had the greatest QB of all time............ & in 11' we have well you know Alex Smith

nuff said

Originally posted by Tru2RedNGold25:
Easy 81' we had the greatest QB of all time............ & in 11' we have well you know Alex Smith

nuff said

In 81 Joe was not the greatest of all time, by a long shot. You must be young.

1981 stats...

63% completion rate

3565 yards (222 yards/game)

19 td 12 int

88.4 rating.

Those numbers look mighty Alex Smith like to me. Some of the younger fans do not understand why Joe is the greatest, it was only for one stat 4-0. Not because he piled up madden-like stats, but because he was clutch.

Originally posted by Tru2RedNGold25:
Easy 81' we had the greatest QB of all time............ & in 11' we have well you know Alex Smith

nuff said

We didn't know that then. Surprisingly, after seven years we still arn't sure what we have in Smith. I'm certainly not saying he will turn out to be a Montana but he certainly looks different playing for Harbaugh than he has in the past. What might a little time with Harbaugh and this system bring out in him? I think the honest answer is that we do not know yet.

Originally posted by BHulman:

Originally posted by Tru2RedNGold25:
Easy 81' we had the greatest QB of all time............ & in 11' we have well you know Alex Smith

nuff said

We didn't know that then. Surprisingly, after seven years we still arn't sure what we have in Smith. I'm certainly not saying he will turn out to be a Montana but he certainly looks different playing for Harbaugh than he has in the past. What might a little time with Harbaugh and this system bring out in him? I think the honest answer is that we do not know yet.

What a difference a real coach makes. This is concrete proof of the value of good coaching in the NFL.

This team reminds me of the 2001 Patriots and the 1981 49ers - very solid defense, innovative game plans, a QB that manages the games ... just a well-balanced, cohesive team. It's been fun to watch. But damn that bandwagon is getting full.

Originally posted by BobS:
I hope no one would do that. Smith doesn't have to be Montana, the 2011 49ers have a top 5 running back in Frank Gore, the 81 squad (Can't believe that was 30 years ago) had running back by committee and a very poor 3.5 ypc average. While the 81 squad had some very talented players on defense the 2011 defense is coming up big when it needs to. Montana was a major part of the 81 team's success, change him with an average QB and they would look like this year's Colts with out Manning. Do that with Alex Smith and our record doesn't suffer much.

I disagree.

Alex Smith was key to the offense in the first 3 games of the season. It wasn't until the second half of the Eagles game that the running game finally came alive - after Smith played really well in the third quarter to bring the team back into position to win the game.

Smith is not Rodgers or P. Manning, but he has done well this year.

Originally posted by Memphis9er:
In 81 Joe was not the greatest of all time, by a long shot. You must be young.

1981 stats...

63% completion rate

3565 yards (222 yards/game)

19 td 12 int

88.4 rating.

Those numbers look mighty Alex Smith like to me. Some of the younger fans do not understand why Joe is the greatest, it was only for one stat 4-0. Not because he piled up madden-like stats, but because he was clutch.

Joe Montana wasn't "Joe" until 1984. Before that most people outside of the Bay Area dismissed him as lucky to win the '82 SB, never mind the shoot-out against Dan Fouts (which Montana narrowly lost) and the controversial loss to the favored Redskins in the 1983 playoff game. Only the superb 1984 season and the drubbing of the Dolphins confirmed to the fans of football-dom that Joe Montana was truly a great QB.