An up-and-down — or more accurately a down-then-up — season for the 49ers ended on a high note thanks to the success and leadership of Jimmy Garoppolo. If the 49ers’ dramatic turnaround isn’t enough to fill The Faithful with anticipation for next season, then maybe this history lesson will.
What took place from 1979-1980, the two-year period leading up to the 49ers’ Super Bowl championship in 1981, looks incredibly similar to 2016-2017. If history repeats itself, as the old saying goes, then the 49ers are not only bound for the playoffs after the 2018 season, but could see themselves hoisting the Super Bowl LIII trophy at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at the end of next season.
Before you laugh this article off and deem it the words of a delusional passenger on the Garoppolo bandwagon, at least take a look at the similarities.
The 49ers finished 2-14 in 1979 as they did in 2016. The following year they improved to 6-10 just like, you guessed it, 2017. Should this pattern continue, the 49ers will finish next year 13-3, the same record they put up in 1981, and battle their way to their first Super Bowl championship since 1994.
Another similarity ties Garoppolo to one of the greatest quarterbacks in franchise history, Hall of Famer Joe Montana. We all remember Montana for what he became after 13 years in the NFL — four-time Super Bowl champion, eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time MVP — but every great quarterback has their beginning and Montana’s was a humble one.
Montana made 31 appearances from 1979-1980, his first two years in the NFL, and went 2-6 in his the first eight starts of his career. Despite his early struggles, Montana took over as starting quarterback for the last four games in 1980 when the 49ers traded Steve DeBerg to the Denver Broncos.
Sound familiar?
When Garoppolo came to the 49ers in a trade with the New England Patriots, he too was an unproven quarterback with even less experience than Montana. In New England, Garoppolo made two starts in 17 appearances over four seasons. Once it became clear that C.J. Beathard wouldn’t suffice as starting quarterback, Garoppolo assumed the position for the final five games of the season.
Sounds familiar.
Garoppolo, who hasn’t lost a game as a starting quarterback, closed out the season with a five-game win streak; including victories against three playoff teams, which helps to validate the possibility that he could take the 49ers to their first playoff appearance since 2013 as soon as next year. Although it’s uncertain whether the 49ers will settle for the franchise tag or jump to a long-term contract, in the words of general manager John Lynch, it’s certain they want Garoppolo in San Francisco for a “long, long time.”
Nonetheless, these two-year periods are not without their dissimilarities, but even those point the 49ers in the right direction.
In 1981, the 49ers were awarded a miserable 100-1 preseason odds to win the Super Bowl unlike this year, when they received the 11th best odds (20-1) to win next year’s Super Bowl in the earliest round of predications.
The 49ers’ needs heading into this offseason are also much different than what they were in 1981. The 49ers used the 1981 NFL Draft to pick up four defensive backs, including Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. Fast forward to this year and the 49ers are coming off several drafts where they’ve focused on defense, but now they need to build the supporting cast around Garoppolo to increase their offense.
Although the 49ers gave up their second-round selection for Garoppolo and their turnaround season bumped them up to the ninth overall selection, the upcoming draft is full of promising offensive talent, including two wide receivers and three running backs in the top 20 of a ranking put out by CBS Sports.
Sure, it might be jumping the gun to crown the 49ers next year’s champions when this year’s Super Bowl hasn’t taken place yet. Yet, history has a funny way of repeating itself and if it does, the 49ers will be laughing their way their way to a Super Bowl championship this time next year.