The last team we had that had a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl?

Considering our current success (runaway division winners, and that's an absolute minimum), I'm wondering what's the last team we fielded that had a legitimate chance at a Super Bowl ring. I would guess '98, but what do you guys think?

1998, for sure. After we beat the packers, I thought the SB was as good as ours. Then Hearst got hurt...

2011, #1 defense in the NFL

Man, 1998 was such an awesome season. We were on a roll and ready to take it all. Losing to the falcons SUCKED. They were so not ready for the SB too.

I think if we didn't lose Plummer and TO against the Bucs in Tampa following the NFC WildCard game in '02... and somehow pulled that game off... we woulda beaten the Raiders in the first ever Battle of The Bay Bowl...

98- Young hands off to Hearst over left tackle for a minimal gain and Hearst doesn't get up losing to Atlanta

- 98... Need I say more?


- 98

98'. Hearst doesn't go down and I'm fairly confident we beat ATL then go on to beat DEN.
Not sure we were really good enough in 02'.

Edit: forgot we would have had to beat MIN in the 98' NFC Championship game. I still think they could have beaten them though.

1998, 49ers absolutely would have won had Hearst not been hurt, that team was badass as hell.

2001. We had a great, surprising 12-4 season turning around from 6-10 in 2000. It all came to end at Lambeau Field during Wildcard Game. Kicker Jose Cortez proved fragile in the cold and missed a field goal. That was the turning point in Cortez's career that led straight down hill to an eventual NFL exit. It was also the turning point that ended the 49ers potential upset at Lambeua's tundra. That was the end of the 49ers. Favre got hot and iced the game.

If we had won, the next week we would have played St. Louis in the divisional matchup, who we had played tight all year. It is difficult for an NFL team to lose to an in-division opponent three times. The championship game would have been against Philadelphia who we shut down in December advancing the team to the Super Bowl.

2001 was the first year of New England's Super Bowl victories. New England had a good defense but a so-so offense led by Brady. It is conceivable we could have beat New England since the team was not a powerhouse. The 49ers could have been the Cinderella team in 2001.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
1998, 49ers absolutely would have won had Hearst not been hurt, that team was badass as hell.

i dont think we had the secondary to contain the 98 vikings, who would have been our next opponent

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
1998, for sure. After we beat the packers, I thought the SB was as good as ours. Then Hearst got hurt...

this

Originally posted by Chico:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
1998, for sure. After we beat the packers, I thought the SB was as good as ours. Then Hearst got hurt...

this

u guys are sleepin on the vikings, they were the highest scoring team in league history until the 07 pats

1997.Not just because it was the last 49er team to make the NFC Championship game, but...

Despite harboring an ailing Jerry Rice(thanks to Warren Sapp), that was our last 'complete'/focused football team. -We were screwed on a handful of penalties in our own f**king house against the Packers; (then-DC) John Marshall's defensive game-planning would have dominated Elway & the Broncos in the Super Bowl (as it did in that week 17 showdown on MNF).

Don't get me wrong, 1998 was magical year, but that was due to our offense being as good as it was... but also our aging defense decaying into the next 2 seasons (putting the game on Steve's shoulders more than once).

Originally posted by crabman82:

Originally posted by Chico:

Originally posted by blunt_probe:
1998, for sure. After we beat the packers, I thought the SB was as good as ours. Then Hearst got hurt...

this

u guys are sleepin on the vikings, they were the highest scoring team in league history until the 07 pats

seriously...don't think we woulda beaten the vikes