youngxxix.png
USATSI

The first team to win five Super Bowls, the 49ers can reclaim their place atop the NFL's postseason food chain over the next three weeks. 

If they can defeat the Eagles in Sunday's NFC title game, the 49ers will match the Patriots for the most postseason wins in NFL history. New England currently leads with 37 victories, with San Francisco, Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Dallas all one behind. No other franchise has more than 30 playoff wins.

If the 49ers win the Super Bowl, they'll stand alone as the league leader in postseason victories.

San Francisco won a host of playoff games during its 1980s dynasty. The 49ers won four Super Bowls during the decade that included back-to-back titles to close out the decade. Jerry Rice was among the team's biggest stars on the 49ers' back-to-back title teams, but San Francisco's best team during that era didn't include arguably the greatest receiver in league history. The 49ers' 1984 team, which won the team's second title of the decade, went 15-1 during the regular season before dominating the Bears and Giants -- the two teams that would win the next two Super Bowls -- in the playoffs. 

The '84 49ers capped off their historic season by dismantling Dan Marino's Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX. In one of the best performances in Super Bowl history, Joe Montana took home MVP honors after amassing 400 total yards and four touchdowns. 

San Francisco won its fifth title after avenging its previous two NFC title game losses to the Cowboys. The 49ers defeated the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX behind the brilliant play of quarterback Steve Young, who threw a still-standing Super Bowl record six touchdown passes. 

The 49ers, despite reaching the Super Bowl in 2012 and in 2019, are still sitting on five Super Bowl wins. Should they win the Super Bowl this season, the 49ers will do so by defeating a team they have previously faced in the Super Bowl. The 49ers defeated the Bengals in Super Bowls XVI and XXIII. They fell to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV despite leading by 10 points late in the fourth quarter. 

Kyle Shanahan, who coached the 49ers to their last Super Bowl berth, has continued to have success this season despite injuries to quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance. Shanahan has benefitted from the play of the 49ers' formidable defense that on Sunday will look to contain Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' third-ranked scoring offense.