Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Let's say the last great San Fran team of that run of annual 10-win seasons had found a way to use their guile and experience to get by the Dirty Bird Falcons and play the 15-1 Vikings in the NFC-CG at the Metrodome?

San Francisco was arguably the only NFC team that had the firepower to go toe-to-toe with the Vikes (Young actually had more passing yards and TD's than Cunningham).

I've heard that the Vikes probably took the Falcons a bit too lightly- certainly they would've taken the at-the-time still elite (for one last time) 49ers way more seriously given their pedigree.

Could the Niners have maybe outgunned the Vikes and maybe we get SF/DEN Super Bowl that would have been better/closer than the 55-10 debacle in the Superdome?

Maybe a SB appearance would have been a more better way for Young to say goodbye than that MNF concussion Arizona?

Niners give them a good enough game but not as close as the actual Falcons/Vikings contest that was. Vikes probably did take Falcons lightly which is quite ironic in that Falcons were...14-2 (same record as SB-opponent-to-be)! And they were coached by Dan Reeves who knew a thing or two about making it to SBs as well as winning a conference title on the road ("the Drive", '86).