The top-seeded San Francisco 49ers opened our Fantasy Super Bowl Tournament with a solid victory over the eighth-seeded Broncos.
Like the matchup between these two clubs in Super Bowl XXIV at New Orleans in 1990 -- a 55-10 rout -- the results were decidedly one-sided in favor of San Francisco.
For all the sentiment supporting John Elway, history held true to form as Joe Montana maintained his perfect record with the 49ers in Super Bowl tournament play.
Here's a look at each team's credentials and the lineups we selected for this all-time matchup:
|
| SEED: 1 |
| SUPER BOWL RECORD: 5-0 |
| RESULTS: Defeated Bengals 26-21 in 1982; defeated Dolphins 38-16 in 1985; defeated Bengals 20-16 in 1989; defeated Broncos 55-10 in 1990; defeated Chargers 49-26 in 1995. |
| COACH: Bill Walsh, who never lost in three Super Bowl appearances. |
| Offense |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| QB |
Joe Montana |
In 122 passes in four Super Bowls, Joe Cool was never intercepted. |
| RB |
Roger Craig |
In three games, Craig had 410 yards from scrimmage and four TDs. |
| FB |
Tom Rathman |
Punishing blocker led the way for two title teams. |
| WR |
Jerry Rice |
All-time leader in Super Bowl points (42), TDs (7), catches (28) and receiving yards (512). |
| WR |
John Taylor |
His TD catch capped the dramatic drive to beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. |
| TE |
Brent Jones |
Won three rings and caught a TD pass in 1990 rout of the Broncos. |
| T |
Bubba Paris |
Played at 300 pounds before that was the norm for offensive tackles. |
| G |
Randy Cross |
Versatile lineman also could play center. Leader on unlikely '82 title team. |
| C |
Jesse Sapolu |
The 11th-round pick anchored the Niners line in three title runs. |
| G |
Guy McIntyre |
He once lined up at running back, giving Mike Ditka the idea for "Refrigerator" Perry. |
| T |
Harris Barton |
Protected both Montana and Steve Young and won three rings. |
| Defense |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| DE/OLB |
Charles Haley |
First two of his record five rings came with the Niners. As a pass-rush specialist, he's one of best ever. |
| DT |
Michael Carter |
Olympic-caliber shot putter played on three title teams. |
| DT |
Bryant Young |
Started in Super Bowl as a rookie. Fifth-year player has plenty of Pro Bowl seasons ahead of him. |
| DE |
Dwaine Board |
Had two sacks of Dan Marino in the '85 victory over the Dolphins. |
| LB |
Jack Reynolds |
The intense "Hacksaw" was a defensive leader for the 49ers' first two title teams. |
| LB |
Keena Turner |
Started as a second-year player in the first Super Bowl win and went on to win three more rings. |
| LB |
Riki Ellison |
Solid and steady linebacker for two title teams. |
| CB |
Eric Wright |
One of three rookie starters in the secondary for '81 game, Wright had two interceptions in his four appearances. |
| CB |
Deion Sanders |
Only a Niner for one season, Sanders was Defensive Player of the Year in 1994. |
| S |
Ronnie Lott |
Perhaps the best safety in NFL history, Lott played corner in the Niners' first two Super Bowls. |
| S |
Merton Hanks |
Five-time Pro Bowler gets the nod over Carlton Williamson. |
| Specialists |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| K |
Ray Wersching |
Didn't miss a kick in his two Super Bowls, converting all five field goals and seven extra points. |
| P |
Max Runager |
Averaged 41.8 yards per kick for the team that won Super Bowl XIX. |
|
| SEED: 8 |
| SUPER BOWL RECORD: 1-4; play Falcons in sixth appearance next Sunday. |
| RESULTS: Lost to Cowboys 27-10 in 1978; lost to Giants 39-20 in 1987; lost to Redskins 42-10 in 1988; lost to 49ers 55-10 in 1990; defeated Packers 31-24 in 1998. |
| COACH: Mike Shanahan, who has a chance to become only the fifth coach in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls next Sunday. |
| Offense |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| QB |
John Elway |
Will lead all QBs with five Super Bowl starts when he takes the field against Atlanta. |
| RB |
Terrell Davis |
MVP of Super Bowl XXXII was biggest reason Denver ended its 0-4 Super Bowl skid. |
| FB |
Howard Griffith |
One of the best lead blockers in the business, Griffith often paves the way for Davis. |
| WR |
Haven Moses |
Big-play receiver averaged 18 yards per catch in his career. Huge day in the AFC title game helped get Denver to its first Super Bowl. |
| WR |
Shannon Sharpe |
OK, we're cheating a bit here, but Sharpe's a TE who plays like a WR. He's also a six-time Pro Bowler. |
| TE |
Riley Odoms |
An outstanding blocker, the four-time Pro Bowler also had good receiving numbers in a time when TEs weren't utilized like they are now. |
| T |
Gary Zimmerman |
Feisty seven-time Pro Bowler was the leader of a line that dominated the Packers in 1998. |
| G |
Keith Bishop |
Two-time Pro Bowler played on all three Super Bowl teams in the 1980s, anchoring the left side with Studdard. |
| C |
Billy Bryan |
Long-time Bronco played in 1987 Super Bowl, but was injured during the '88 game. |
| G |
Mark Schlereth |
One of the Redskins' "Hogs" in 1992, Schlereth has brought the nasty streak to Denver. |
| T |
Dave Studdard |
Big left tackle protected Elway's blindside during two Super Bowls. |
| Defense |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| DE |
Lyle Alzado |
His intensity helped fuel the "Orange Crush" defense. Led the club with eight sacks in 1977. |
| NT |
Rubin Carter |
Solid run-stopper dominated the line of scrimmage in the late '70s and early '80s. |
| DE |
Rulon Jones |
Set a then-team record with 13½ sacks in 1986. |
| DE/LOLB |
Simon Fletcher |
Denver's all-time leader with 97½ sacks, Fletcher terrorized QBs for 11 seasons. |
| LB |
Randy Gradishar |
Made the Pro Bowl seven times in his 10 seasons in Denver, including during the first Super Bowl season in 1977. |
| LB |
Tom Jackson |
Three-time Pro Bowler has played in more games with the Broncos than anyone other than Elway. |
| LB |
Karl Mecklenburg |
Leader of the defense during three Super Bowl appearances in the late 1980s, he was voted to six Pro Bowls. |
| CB |
Louis Wright |
The five-time Pro Bowler had 26 interceptions during his stellar 12-year career. He played in Denver's first two Super Bowls. |
| CB |
Steve Foley |
Teamed with Wright to give the "Orange Crush" a very solid secondary. |
| S |
Steve Atwater |
Hard-hitting safety will play in his third Super Bowl on Sunday. |
| S |
Dennis Smith |
Another fierce hitter, Smith set the tone for the Denver secondary during the 1980s. |
| Specialists |
| Pos. |
Player |
Comment |
| K |
Jason Elam |
Strong-legged kicker tied Tom Dempsey's 28-year-old record with a 63-yard field goal in 1998. |
| P |
Mike Horan |
Averaged 42.5 yards per kick and played for three Super Bowl teams. |
