SB 29 Champion San Francisco 49ers - Super Bowl XXIX - Superbowl XXIX- Super Bowl 29 - San Diego Chargers - San Francisco 49ers

Rookie defensive tackle Bryant Young was also a big threat to opposing quarterbacks and rushers, recording 42 tackles, 6 sacks, and a fumble recovery. Behind them, Norton played very effectively at the middle linebacker position, leading the team with 77 tackles and recording an interception. Pro Bowl safety Merton Hanks led the team with 7 interceptions for 93 return yards, while Sanders had 6 interceptions for 303 return yards and 3 touchdowns, earning him the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. Pro Bowl safety Tim McDonald was also a big contributor, recording 2 interceptions for 79 yards and 1 touchdown.

From the 1988 to the 1993 seasons, the 49ers played in 5 out of 6 NFC Championship Games, winning Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. But after coach George Seifert's team lost 2 consecutive NFC Championship Games to the Dallas Cowboys in 1992 and 1993, San Francisco brought in several veteran free agents to strengthen their suspect defense. Among the players signed were defensive lineman Richard Dent, Charles Mann, and Rickey Jackson, linebackers Ken Norton Jr. and Gary Plummer, and cornerback Deion Sanders.

Many critics and other NFL teams were angered at San Francisco's liberal use of the free agent rules to "buy a championship". In order to pay everyone, the team asked a number of players to renegotiate their contracts to free up money. And some free agents like Jackson and Sanders accepted one-year salaries far below their actual worth.

Still, the free agents enabled the 49ers to jump from the 18th ranked defense in the league to the 8th, and to jump from the league's 16th best defense against the run to the 2nd. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield led the team with 8.5 sacks.

The 49ers offense was led by quarterback Steve Young, who replaced future hall of famer Joe Montana as the starter in 1991 and 1992 due to injuries. But after Young led the league in passing in both 1991 and 1992, Montana left the team to join the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving Young as the undisputed starter in 1993. But even with his impressive passing statistics, Young was criticized as "not being able to win the big games" as Montana had done in leading the 49ers to Super Bowl victories in XVI and XIX, XXIII, and XXIV.

Steve Young passed for a record six touchdowns, and the 49ers became the first team to win five Super Bowls when they routed the Chargers.

Young, the game's most valuable player, directed an explosive offense that generated seven touchdowns, 28 first downs, and 455 total yards. He completed 24 of 36 passes for 325 yards, and broke the record of five touchdown passes set by former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana in Super Bowl XXIV.

San Francisco wasted little time scoring, taking the lead for good on Young's 44-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Rice only three plays and 1:24 into the game. The next time they had the ball, the 49ers marched 79 yards in four plays, taking a 14-0 lead when Young teamed with running back Ricky Watters on a 51-yard touchdown pass with 10:05 still to play in the opening period.

San Diego then put together its most impressive possession of the game, a 13-play, 78-yard drive that consumed more than seven minutes and was capped by Natrone Means' 1-yard touchdown run, to cut its deficit to 14-7 late in the quarter.

But San Francisco countered with a 70-yard drive of its own, and Young's 5-yard touchdown pass to fullback William Floyd made it 21-7. Young's fourth touchdown pass of the half, eight yards to Watters 4:44 before halftime, increased the advantage to 28-7, and the Chargers could get no closer than 18 points after that.

Watters, who ran nine yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, equaled the Super Bowl record with three touchdowns. Rice also scored three touchdowns (the second time in his career he'd done that in a Super Bowl) while catching 10 passes for 149 yards. He established career records for receptions, yards, and touchdowns in a Super Bowl.

Young, who scrambled 21 yards and 15 yards to set up touchdowns in the first half, was the game's leading rusher with 49 yards on five carries. San Diego's Means, who rushed for 1,350 yards during the regular season, was limited to 33 yards on 13 attempts.

Chargers quarterback Stan Humphries completed 24 of 49 passes for 275 yards. Rookie Andre Coleman became only the third player in Super Bowl history to return a kickoff for a touchdown, going 98 yards in the third quarter.

The 75 points scored by the two teams established another record, breaking the previous mark of 69 set in Dallas's 52-17 victory over Buffalo in XXVII.

The 49ers' victory was the eleventh straight for NFC teams over AFC teams in the Super Bowl.

Date January 29, 1995
Stadium Joe Robbie Stadium
City Miami, Florida
MVP Steve Young, Quarterback
Favorite 49ers by 18�
National anthem Kathie Lee Gifford
Coin toss Otto Graham, Joe Greene, Ray Nitschke, and Gale Sayers
Referee Jerry Markbreit
Halftime show Tony Bennett, Patti LaBelle, Arturo Sandoval, Miami Sound Machine
Attendance 74,107
TV in the United States
Network ABC
Announcers Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf, and Frank Gifford
Nielsen Ratings 41.3
Market share 63
Cost of 30-second commercial US$1.15 million

Still, Young again led the league in passing during the 1994 regular season with a passer rating of 112.8, breaking Montana's record for the highest regular season rating in NFL history. Young recorded 324 out of 461 completions for 3,969 yards, 35 touchdowns, with just 10 interceptions. He also had 58 rushes for 293 yards and 7 touchdowns, and earned the NFL Most Valuable Player Award.

With Young at the helm, the 49ers led the league in total points scored (505) and helped them earn a league best 13-3 regular season record. Pro Bowl running back Ricky Watters was the team's leading rusher with 877 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also recording 66 receptions for 719 yards and 5 touchdowns. Rookie fullback William Floyd was the team's second leading rusher with 305 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also having 19 receptions for 145 yards. The team's leading receiver was Pro Bowl wide receiver Jerry Rice who had 112 catches for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns. Receiver John Taylor was also a reliable target, catching 41 passes for 531 yards and 5 touchdowns. Pro Bowl tight end Brent Jones added 49 receptions for 670 yards and 9 touchdowns. The offensive line was led by Pro Bowlers Bart Oates and Jesse Sapolu.

Meanwhile, running back Dexter Carter was a superb returner on special teams, gaining a combined total of 1,426 yards and a touchdown returning both punts and kickoffs.

But despite the team's success in 1994, Young continued to be viewed as not being able to step out of Montana's shadow. That criticism intensified after Young's 49ers lost to Montana's Chiefs, 24-17 at Kansas City, in the second game of the regular season. A sign in the crowd proclaimed "This is Montana Country, Where the Young do not Survive". In the eyes of many 49ers fans, Young would never be able to gain respect until he won a Super Bowl.