In the late window on Sunday afternoon, two teams that are barely breathing when it comes to the 2024 postseason field renew acquaintances. The Miami Dolphins host the San Francisco 49ers in a battle of 6-8 clubs. The former can only grab a wild-card berth, while Kyle Shanahan's club is still mathematically alive in terms of winning the NFC West.
For some, Dolphins/49ers means Super Bowl XIX. It may be hard to believe but that game was 40 seasons ago. It was a highly-anticipated clash between Bill Walsh's 15-1 squad, and Don Shula's 14-2 team. It also marks the last time the Dolphins played on Super Sunday.
It proved to be a long day for Don Shula's team
Shula's team was led by second-year quarterback Dan Marino. The team would win its first 11 games, and finished with a 14-2 record. Miami's young signal-caller put on a record-setting show. He threw for 5,084 yards and 48 scores, with 17 interceptions. The Dolphins led the NFL with 513 points. Marino would earn NFL MVP honors, and came up big in the AFC playoffs in convincing wins over the Seahawks (31-10) and Steelers (45-28).
Then again, the Niners had quite the year of their own. The team had won Super Bowl XVI three years earlier, missed the playoffs in 1982, rebounded to reach the NFC title game a season later, and attacked 1984 with a vengeance. San Francisco won their first six games, lost to Pittsburgh at home in Week 7, and ran the table all the way to their second Super Bowl title. They finished 15-1, and handled the Giants, Bears and Dolphins in the postseason.
OTD in Palo Alto, CA it was Joe Cool vs Dan Marino as the #49ers became Super Bowl XIX Champions. pic.twitter.com/7MKgIzDNG9
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 20, 2019
In a dominant 38-16 triumph, Walsh's talented club held these Dolphins to a season-low in points. The Niners rolled up 537 total yards. Quarterback Joe Montana threw for 331 yards and three scores. He also ran five times for 59 yards and one touchdown. Versatile Roger Craig became the first player in the Super Bowl's brief history to score three touchdowns in the game.
Meanwhile, Marino finished with 318 yards through the air and one score. He also served up a pair of interceptions and was sacked four times. It was a humbling lesson for Shula's team. Amazingly, the Dolphins have not been back to the Super Bowl since.