Clearly, The Team of the Decade

By Lee Griggs

Hard-core football fans remember decades by the teams that dominated them. In the 1960s Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers ruled the National Football League, winning five championships. The 1970s belonged to the Pittsburgh Steelers, with their four Super Bowl titles. Now, at the close of the 1980s, the N.F.L.'s team of the decade is clearly the San Francisco 49ers. Winners of seven divisional titles and three Super Bowls since 1981, they are favored on Jan. 28 to win their fourth Vince Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XXIV in New Orleans.

This season, despite a rash of injuries, the 49ers have remained the classiest act in the league. And they have done so without the guidance of longtime head coach Bill Walsh, who retired from active coaching last January after ten successful years at the helm. "Basically, we're building on what Bill's accomplished," says George Seifert, 49, Walsh's former defensive coordinator, who has replaced him in the top job. "We're polishing, fine tuning here and there, solidifying basics, the kinds of things you do when you inherit a world champion."

Seifert's leadership style is very different from his predecessor's -- and may produce even better results. Under the cerebral and distant Walsh, the 49ers were sometimes tense and tight. Seifert has more camaraderie with his players. "George is a player's coach," says tackle Harris Barton. "You never knew what Bill was thinking." Star quarterback Joe Montana, who occasionally found it hard to get along with Walsh, describes the change as a "breath of fresh air." Under Seifert's tutelage, the 49ers have compiled a league-leading 14-2 record, making him the winningest first-year head coach in N.F.L. history. They also lead the N.F.L. in total offense and points scored. On defense, the 49ers rank a strong fourth.

The key to the 49ers' success is Montana, 33, who has overcome elbow, knee and rib injuries to play the greatest season of his career. In 1989 the former Notre Dame star threw for 26 touchdowns and set a new pass-efficiency rating record of 112.41 (a calculation based on completions, yards gained, number of touchdowns and number of interceptions). His completion percentage of 70.2% brought his career mark to 63.9%, highest in N.F.L. history.

Dazzling as they are, those statistics cannot begin to convey the uncanny grace with which Montana has led his team to half a dozen come-from-behind victories this season. Against Philadelphia on Sept. 24, for example, he threw four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to turn a 21-10 half-time deficit into a 38-28 win. He put in an even more dramatic performance against Los Angeles on Dec. 11. With the 49ers trailing the Rams 27-10 and only a shade over ten minutes left to play, Montana first threw a touchdown pass to Mike Wilson, then dumped a slant pass to wide receiver John Taylor, who shook four tacklers and dashed for a 95-yd. touchdown. Less than three minutes later, All-Pro halfback Roger Craig scored on a 1-yd. plunge to give San Francisco a 30-27 victory. Said Rams Coach John Robinson of Montana: "I just think he's the best quarterback who ever played the game."

Montana counters such accolades with disarming modesty. "I'm fortunate to be on a great team," he says. "You can't have great success unless you have a solid, dedicated bunch of players behind you. We keep pecking away with our , possession-type offense, taking what the other side gives us. It's nothing special. Other quarterbacks are stronger and faster than I am." True enough -- Denver's John Elway, Miami's Dan Marino and Philadelphia's Randall Cunningham all have more natural talent -- but no one uses his abilities as effectively. "Joe may not be the best in any one category," says Bill Walsh. "But when you take all the categories together, I think he's the best of our time."

In addition to Montana's prowess, much of the 49ers' success can be attributed to the morale-boosting perks provided by owner Edward DeBartolo Jr. Until this season the 49ers were the only team in the league to fly to away games in roomy wide-body jets, giving players space to stretch and move about in. They are still the only team to billet all players one to a room on the road. DeBartolo lavishes long-stemmed roses and expensive gifts on players' wives. "It's first class all the way," says tight end Brent Jones, "like we're an extended version of his family."

Will the 49ers tower over the '90s as they have over the past decade? A victory in the New Orleans Superdome later this month would start them on their way. True, they must first clear the play-off hurdles, but their outlook is promising. Grouped with New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Minnesota, the 49ers have already beaten the first three this year, and they routed the Vikings in last year's play-offs. According to professional bookmakers, the most likely Super Bowl pairing would pit the 49ers against the Denver Broncos, with Montana and Co. favored by 10 points.