1995 San Francisco 49ers season

1995 San Francisco 49ers season
1995 San Francisco 49ers season
Owner	Edward J. DeBartolo Jr.
General manager	Carmen Policy
Head coach	George Seifert
Offensive coordinator	Marc Trestman
Defensive coordinator	Pete Carroll
Home field	3Com Park
Results
Record	11–5
Division place	1st NFC West
Playoff finish	Lost Divisional Playoffs; (vs. Packers) 17–27
Pro Bowlers	C Bart Oates; TE Brent Jones; WR Jerry Rice; QB Steve Young; DT Dana Stubblefield; OLB Lee Woodall; MLB Ken Norton Jr.; CB Eric Davis; SSTim McDonald; FS Merton Hanks
	← 1994; 49ers seasons; 1996 →;

The 1995 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 50th overall.

Fresh from their victory in the Super Bowl the previous season, the 49ers lost cornerback Deion Sanders to Dallas and running back Ricky Watters to Philadelphia. Despite a mediocre 5–4 start, the 49ers went 11–5 and for the fourth straight time, they repeated as NFC West champions. The 49ers finished the season as the league's top scoring offense, averaging 28.6 points per game. They also finished number one in total defense, surrendering just 275 yards per game, along with being the top rushing defense and finishing second in points allowed.^[1] However, a stunning 27–17 loss to Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs stripped the 49ers of their title defense and ended their season. This would be the first of three consecutive seasons that the Packers beat the 49ers in the playoffs. From 1990 to 2000, the 1995 49ers were the only NFC team to lose a divisional-round playoff game following a first-round bye.

Jerry Rice caught a career-high 122 receptions along with 1,848 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns.

It was also the final season the 49ers wore their Super Bowl era uniforms.

Offseason

NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1995 San Francisco 49ers draft
1	10	J. J. Stokes	Wide receiver	UCLA
4	127	Tim Hanshaw	Guard	BYU	began play in 1996.
6	201	Antonio Armstrong	Linebacker	Texas A&M
7	238	Herb Coleman	Defensive end	Trinity International
Made roster

Personnel

Staff

**1995 San Francisco 49ers staff**
	Front office Owner – Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr. President – Carmen Policy Vice President and Director of Football Operations – Dwight Clark Special Assistant to the President – John McVay Director of Player Personnel – Vinny Cerrato Coaching Administrator – Neal Dahlen Head coaches Head Coach – George Seifert Assistant Head Coach – Bill McPherson Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks – Marc Trestman Running Backs – Carl Jackson Receivers – Larry Kirksey Tight Ends/Offensive Line Assistant – Mike Solari Offensive Line – Bobb McKittrick			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Pete Carroll Defensive Line – Dwaine Board Linebackers – John Marshall Defensive Backs – Tom Holmoe Special teams coaches Special Teams – Alan Lowry Strength and conditioning Physical Development Coordinator – Jerry Attaway Strength Development Coordinator – Michael Barnes

Roster

**1995 San Francisco 49ers roster**

	Quarterbacks 11 Jeff Brohm 6 Cary Conklin 18 Elvis Grbac 8 Steve Young Running backs 21 Randy Baldwin 35 Dexter Carter 32 Ricky Ervins 20 Derek Loville 26 Brian O'Neal FB 27 Adam Walker Wide receivers 80 Jerry Rice 88 Nate Singleton 83 J. J. Stokes 82 John Taylor 89 Chris Thomas Tight ends 86 Brett Carolan 84 Brent Jones 85 Ted Popson		Offensive linemen 79 Harris Barton T 67 Chris Dalman C 63 Derrick Deese G 77 Tim Hanshaw G 69 Rod Milstead C 66 Bart Oates C 75 Frank Pollack T 61 Jesse Sapolu G 76 Kirk Scrafford G 74 Steve Wallace T Defensive linemen 72 Oliver Barnett DT 78 Michael Brandon DE 96 Dennis Brown DE 90 Junior Bryant DT 99 Tim Harris DE 57 Rickey Jackson DE 94 Dana Stubblefield DT 91 Alfred Williams DE 97 Bryant Young DT		Linebackers 98 Antonio Goss OLB 55 Kevin Mitchell MLB 51 Ken Norton Jr. MLB 53 Tony Peterson OLB 50 Gary Plummer OLB 54 Lee Woodall OLB Defensive backs 25 Eric Davis CB 33 Dedrick Dodge FS 22 Tyronne Drakeford CB 43 Darryl Hall SS 36 Merton Hanks FS 31 Steve Israel CB 46 Tim McDonald SS 23 Marquez Pope CB Special teams 3 Tommy Thompson P 14 Jeff Wilkins K		Reserve lists 41 Toi Cook CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 40 William Floyd FB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 29 Anthony Lynn RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 24 Jamal Willis RB/KR (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad 19 Darrick Branch WR 81 Mike Caldwell WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 95 Herb Coleman DE -- Ryan Kuehl DE 45 Michael Williams CB 53 active, 4 inactive, 5 practice squad Rookies in italics

^[2]

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 3	at New Orleans Saints	W 24–22	1–0	Louisiana Superdome	66,627
2	September 10	Atlanta Falcons	W 41–10	2–0	3Com Park	63,627
3	September 17	New England Patriots	W 28–3	3–0	3Com Park	66,179
4	September 25	at Detroit Lions	L 24–27	3–1	Pontiac Silverdome	76,236
5	October 1	New York Giants	W 20–6	4–1	3Com Park	65,536
6	Bye
7	October 15	at Indianapolis Colts	L 17–18	4–2	RCA Dome	60,273
8	October 22	at St. Louis Rams	W 44–10	5–2	Busch Memorial Stadium	59,915
9	October 29	New Orleans Saints	L 7–11	5–3	3Com Park	65,272
10	November 5	Carolina Panthers	L 7–13	5–4	3Com Park	61,722
11	November 12	at Dallas Cowboys	W 38–20	6–4	Texas Stadium	65,180
12	November 20	at Miami Dolphins	W 44–20	7–4	Joe Robbie Stadium	73,080
13	November 26	St. Louis Rams	W 41–13	8–4	3Com Park	66,049
14	December 3	Buffalo Bills	W 27–17	9–4	3Com Park	65,568
15	December 10	at Carolina Panthers	W 31–10	10–4	Clemson Memorial Stadium	76,136
16	December 18	Minnesota Vikings	W 37–30	11–4	3Com Park	64,975
17	December 24	at Atlanta Falcons	L 27–28	11–5	Georgia Dome	51,785
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at New Orleans Saints

The Niners began their Super Bowl defense on the road and raced to a 24–9 lead despite an injury to Steve Young (accidentally kicked in the back of his neck) that necessitated play by Elvis Grbac for part of the first half. Two second-half Saints scores only closed the final to 24–22 Niners.

Week 4: at Detroit Lions

The Niners suffered their first defeat of the season in a 27–24 loss at the 0–3 Lions. The game lead tied or changed four times in the second half and a last-second Niners field goal attempt failed.

Week 11: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Eleven: San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	17	14	0	7	38
Cowboys	0	7	6	7	20

at Texas Stadium, Dallas, Texas

Date: November 12, 1995
Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
Game weather: 48 °F or 8.9 °C, relative humidity 39 percent, wind 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
Referee: Bob McElwee
TV announcers (Fox): Pat Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
[1]

Game information

First quarter

SF - Jerry Rice 81-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Jeff Wilkins kick) 49ers 7–0
SF - Merton Hanks 38-yard fumble return (Jeff Wilkins kick) 49ers 14–0
SF - Jeff Wilkins 26-yard field goal 49ers 17–0

Second quarter

SF - Derek Loville 1-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick) 49ers 24–0
Dal - Emmitt Smith 1-yard run (Chris Boniol kick) 49ers 24–7
SF - Derek Loville 19-yard pass from Elvis Grbac (Jeff Wilkins kick) 49ers 31–7

Third quarter

Dal - Chris Boniol 26-yard field goal 49ers 31–10
Dal - Chris Boniol 37-yard field goal 49ers 31–13

Fourth quarter

SF - Elvis Grbac 1-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick) 49ers 38–13
Dal - Michael Irvin 8-yard pass from Jason Garrett (Chris Boniol kick) 49ers 38–20

49ers

Elvis Grbac: 20–30, 305 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int

Cowboys

Troy Aikman: 4–6, 29 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
Wade Wilson: 15–26, 134 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int

Turnovers

49ers - 0
Cowboys - 4

In one of the biggest upsets of the year, the injury-depleted 49ers thrashed the Cowboys 38–20. Coming into this game, the Cowboys were the NFL's best team, with an 8–1 record. The 49ers, on the other hand, were sitting at 5–4 coming off disappointing losses to New Orleans and the expansion Panthers by a combined score of 24–14. Steve Young was out with injury and Elvis Grbac was the 49ers' starting quarterback, but he had consistently struggled, completing 55 passes for 570 yards but with four INTs. As a result, the Cowboys were 14-point favorites coming in.

On just the second play of the game, Grbac split two defenders and hit Jerry Rice for an 81-yard touchdown, putting the 49ers up 7–0. On the ensuing possession, Michael Irvin fumbled the ball and it was picked up by Merton Hanks for a 38-yard touchdown, putting the 49ers up by two touchdowns just 1 minute and 24 seconds into the game. On the Cowboys' ensuing drive, they again turned it over (Troy Aikman interception) that resulted in a 49ers field goal. The 49ers led 17–0 just 4 minutes and 58 seconds into the game. By halftime, the 49ers had an astonishing 31–7 lead and held on for the win, upsetting the red-hot Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys turned the ball over four times in the game, while the 49ers had no turnovers.

Standings

NFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
⁽²⁾ San Francisco 49ers	11	5	0	.688	457	258	L1
⁽⁶⁾ Atlanta Falcons	9	7	0	.563	362	349	W1
St. Louis Rams	7	9	0	.438	309	418	L3
Carolina Panthers	7	9	0	.438	289	325	L1
New Orleans Saints	7	9	0	.438	319	348	W1

Postseason

Schedule

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Stadium
Wild Card	First-round bye
Divisional	January 6, 1996	Green Bay Packers (3)	L 17–27	0–1	3Com Park

Game summaries

NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (3) Green Bay Packers

NFC Divisional Playoff: Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	14	7	3	3	27
49ers	0	3	7	7	17

at Candlestick Park

Date: January 6, 1996
Game time: 1 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 52 °F or 11.1 °C, relative humidity 85%, wind 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h; 4.3 kn)
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton (play-by-play) and Matt Millen (color commentator)
First quarter
- GB - Craig Newsome 31-yard fumble return (Chris Jacke kick). Packers 7–0
- GB - Keith Jackson 3-yard pass from Brett Favre (Chris Jacke kick). Packers 14–0
Second quarter
- GB - Mark Chmura 13-yard pass from Brett Favre (Chris Jacke kick). Packers 21–0
- SF - Jeff Wilkins 21-yard field goal. Packers 21–3
Third quarter
- SF - Steve Young 1-yard rush (Jeff Wilkins kick). Packers 21–10
- GB - Chris Jacke 27-yard field goal. Packers 24–10
Fourth quarter
- GB - Chris Jacke 26-yard field goal. Packers 27–10
- SF - Derek Loville 2-yard rush (Jeff Wilkins kick). Packers 27–17

The 49ers, who were almost 10-point favorites in the game, were upset by the visiting Green Bay Packers. Green Bay set the tone early with a Craig Newsome 31-yard fumble return for a touchdown, and never looked back. Even though Steve Young had more pass attempts, completions and passing yards than his counterpart 1995 League MVP Brett Favre, he failed to throw for a touchdown and finished with 2 interceptions. The 49ers had 4 turnovers in the game. This was the final game for 49ers wide receiver John Taylor.

Awards and records

Led NFL, Points Scored, 457 Points^[3]
Jerry Rice, Franchise Record, Most Receiving Yards in One Game, 289 Receiving Yards (December 18, 1995)^[4]
Jerry Rice, Franchise Record, Most Receptions in One Season, 122 Receptions^[4]
Jerry Rice, NFL Record, Most Receiving Yards in One Season, 1,848 Receiving Yards^[4]
Jerry Rice, Pro Bowl MVP^[5]

References

^ "1995 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
^ "1995 San Francisco 49ers starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 455
^ ^a ^b ^c NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 142
^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 202

"1995 San Francisco 49ers Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
49ers Schedule on jt-sw.com

[1] "1995 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com.

[2] "1995 San Francisco 49ers starters and roster". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2014.

[3] NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 455

[Fact_Book_p._142-4] NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 142

[5] NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 202

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