1949 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1949 AAFC season was the final season before the league folded and comprised only twelve games instead of the previously standard fourteen. The 49ers, in their fourth season, were unable to improve on the previous season's output of 12–2, only posting a record of 9–3, however, they were able to make their first playoff appearance. This was due to the league taking a different format, in which the top four teams played a tournament to determine the champion.
| 1949 San Francisco 49ers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Tony Morabito |
| General manager | John Blackinger |
| Head coach | Buck Shaw |
| Home field | Kezar Stadium |
| Local radio | KFRC |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–3 |
| Division place | 2nd AAFC |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Yankees) 17–7 Lost AAFC Championship (at Browns) 7–21 |
The 49ers, with the second seed, played the third-seeded New York Yankees (8–4). With their 17–7 victory over the Yankees, the 49ers moved on to play the Cleveland Browns in the league championship. The 49ers ended up losing 21–7.[1] Until Super Bowl XLVII, it was the only time the 49ers lost a league title game.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 28 | Baltimore Colts | W 31–17 | 1–0 | Kezar Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 4 | Chicago Hornets | W 42–7 | 2–0 | Kezar Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | Bye | |||||
| 4 | September 18 | Los Angeles Dons | W 42–14 | 3–0 | Kezar Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | September 25 | at Buffalo Bills | L 17–28 | 3–1 | Civic Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | September 30 | at Chicago Hornets | W 42–24 | 4–1 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 7 | October 9 | Cleveland Browns | W 56–28 | 5–1 | Kezar Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 16 | Buffalo Bills | W 51–7 | 6–1 | Kezar Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | October 23 | at New York Yankees | L 3–24 | 6–2 | Yankee Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | October 30 | at Cleveland Browns | L 28–30 | 6–3 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 6 | at Baltimore Colts | W 28–10 | 7–3 | Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 13 | at Los Angeles Dons | W 41–24 | 8–3 | Los Angeles Coliseum | Recap |
| 13 | Bye | |||||
| 14 | November 27 | New York Yankees | W 35–14 | 9–3 | Kezar Stadium | Recap |
Playoffs
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semifinals | December 4 | New York Yankees (3) | W 17–7 | 1–0 | Kezar Stadium | Recap |
| Championship | December 11 | Cleveland Browns (1) | L 7–21 | 1–1 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Recap |
Standings
| AAFC standings | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |||
| Cleveland Browns | 9 | 1 | 2 | .900 | 339 | 171 | W2 | ||
| San Francisco 49ers | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 416 | 227 | W3 | ||
| New York Yankees | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 196 | 206 | L1 | ||
| Buffalo Bills | 5 | 5 | 2 | .500 | 236 | 256 | W2 | ||
| Los Angeles Dons | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 253 | 322 | L1 | ||
| Chicago Hornets | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 179 | 268 | L5 | ||
| Baltimore Colts | 1 | 11 | 0 | .083 | 172 | 341 | L6 | ||
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings.