During the 1970s and 1980s, the Bengals were a perennial playoff contender and they won AFC championships in and, but lost Super Bowls XVI and XXIII to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Bengals reached the Super Bowl twice during the 1980s, but lost both times to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Saints lost Saturday, January 14, 2012 in the Divisional round in the playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers in Candlestick Park.

Despite those two close triumphs ( 22 – 21 against the Dolphins in the Divisional Round, and 17 – 13 against the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game ), the Chargers lost Super Bowl XXIX to the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 49 – 26, who were led by quarterback Steve Young ( Super Bowl MVP ) and wide receiver Jerry Rice.

Although the Bengals gained 356 yards of total offense to the 49ers ' 275, this marked the first time in Super Bowl history that the team which compiled the most yards and touchdowns lost.

But after catching a 19-yard pass from Anderson at the 5-yard line, wide receiver Cris Collinsworth lost a fumble while being tackled by 49ers defensive back Eric Wright.

McIntyre lost a fumble while being leveled by rookie Joe Carter, and Jim Jensen recovered the ball for Miami at the 49ers 12-yard line.

They had previously won Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII but their chance of a " three-peat " ( winning three consecutive championships ) was thwarted when they lost the NFC Championship Game to the San Francisco 49ers, the eventual Super Bowl XXIX winners.

But they lost each one, including a 55-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV.

However, they lost in the Divisional Playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers, 24 – 20.

The Redskins returned to the playoffs in 1990 as a wild card team, but lost in the Divisional playoffs to the 49ers, 28 – 10.

The Redskins success in 1992 culminated in a trip to the playoffs as a wild card team, but they lost in the Divisional playoffs to the 49ers, 20 – 13.

Aided in part by Montana's performance at quarterback, the 49ers advanced to the NFL Playoffs again in 1985 ; however, they lost in the NFC Wild card game to the New York Giants.

Though the 49ers finished with the best record in the NFL, they lost in the NFC semi-finals to the Minnesota Vikings.

The 49ers lost the game 13-10.

The Rams had lost their last 17 meetings with the 49ers, but Warner proceeded to throw a touchdown pass on each of the Rams ' first three possessions of the game, and four TDs in the first half alone, to propel the Rams to a 28 – 10 halftime lead on the way to a 42 – 20 victory.

The Colts briefly rebounded, winning two games, but then lost 7 of their last 9, including a 40 – 21 home loss to the 49ers.

In 1994, he enjoyed another stellar campaign with his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl season, but that year the Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

In 1998, the 49ers posted a 12 – 4 record and returned to the playoffs as a wild card team, but lost 20 – 18 in the divisional round to the eventual NFC champion Atlanta Falcons.

On January 15, 2003, the 49ers fired Mariucci, reportedly after the coach lost a power struggle with general manager Terry Donahue.

:* The 1988 NFC Championship Game took place here, where the Bears lost to eventual Super Bowl XXIII champions San Francisco 49ers 28 – 3.

Perhaps the most notable example of this was when the San Francisco 49ers, who had clinched a playoff berth, lost their regular-season finale in 1988 to the Los Angeles Rams, thereby keeping the New York Giants ( who had defeated the 49ers in the playoffs in both 1985 and 1986, also injuring 49er quarterback Joe Montana in the latter year's game ) from qualifying for the postseason ; after the game, Giants quarterback Phil Simms angrily accused the 49ers of " laying down like dogs.

Walsh went 102 – 63 – 1 with the 49ers, winning ten of his 14 postseason games along with six division titles, three NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowls.

The 49ers faced the Cowboys again that same season in the NFC title game.

The Cowboys finished 12 – 4 in 1994, but missed the Super Bowl by losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, 38 – 28.

Nine years later the two teams met at The Stick again in the NFC Championship Game ; in their third season together 49ers coach Bill Walsh and quarterback Joe Montana authored a history-making moment on Montana's last-minute touchdown to Dwight Clark and a 28-27 San Francisco win.

In 1992 under fourth-year coach Jimmy Johnson the Cowboys met the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game again, this time against Steve Young ; the Cowboys pulled out a 30-20 win en route to Super Bowl XXVII.

The San Francisco 49ers were division rivals with the Saints up until realignment in 2002 when the Saints moved to the NFC South.

The 49ers dominated the rivalry when the Saints played in the NFC West, but the Saints have held the upper hand since realignment winning the first six game since moving to the NFC South.

The Giants defeated the 49ers 49 – 3 in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs and the Redskins 17 – 0 in the NFC championship game, advancing to their first Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXI, against the Denver Broncos at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

This earned the Giants a spot in the NFC Championship Game on January 22, 2012, against the San Francisco 49ers.

Dean would win UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year ( while playing in only 11 games ) that same year en route to a Super Bowl victory and help the 49ers to another Super Bowl title two years later.

Then the Cowboys overcame the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game, 17-10, aided by Thomas ' 143 rushing yards, along with interceptions by Renfro and Jordan late in the third quarter that were both converted into touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys marched to the Super Bowl with playoff wins over the Minnesota Vikings, 20 – 12 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, and the San Francisco 49ers, 14 – 3 in the NFC Championship Game, only giving up one touchdown in the two games.

Super Bowl XVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference ( NFC ) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference ( AFC ) champion Cincinnati Bengals to decide the National Football League ( NFL ) champion for the 1981 season.

Super Bowl XIX was an American football game between the American Football Conference ( AFC ) champion Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference ( NFC ) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League ( NFL ) champion for the 1984 season.

The Vikings barely made the playoffs with an 8-7 record during the strike-shortened regular season, but advanced to the NFC championship by winning on the road against the teams with the best records in the NFL, defeating the 12-3 New Orleans Saints, 44-10, and the 13-2 San Francisco 49ers, 36-24.

Super Bowl XXIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference ( NFC ) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference ( AFC ) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League ( NFL ) champion for the 1989 season.

The 49ers then entered the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, who had defeated San Francisco in one of their two regular season games against them and were coming off postseason wins against two of the NFC's toughest teams, the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The following Sunday, the Giants upset the San Francisco 49ers, 15 – 13, in the NFC Championship Game.

Dallas then defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 30 – 20, in the NFC Championship Game.

This was the first time that the two teams met in the NFC Championship since the 49ers narrowly beat the Cowboys during the 1981 season on a late touchdown pass known as " The Catch ".

One week later, Dallas faced the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game for the second year in a row in what was at the time the last NFL game to air on CBS.

Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game between the American Football Conference ( AFC ) champion San Diego Chargers and the National Football Conference ( NFC ) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League ( NFL ) champion for the 1994 season.