The Catch

Dwight Clark's leaping touchdown that beat the Cowboys 28–27 in the 1981 NFC Championship Game.

via Wikipedia: The Catch (American football) · see source

The Catch was the winning touchdown of the 1981 NFC Championship Game, played between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on January 10, 1982. With 58 seconds to go and the 49ers facing third down on the Dallas 6-yard line, Joe Montana threw high to the back of the end zone, where Dwight Clark leapt and snagged the ball with his fingertips. The score sent San Francisco past Dallas 28–27 and on to win Super Bowl XVI. The play is ranked among the greatest in NFL history and marked the moment Cowboys dominance of the NFC gave way to the rise of the 49ers.

Quick Facts

Visitor: Dallas Cowboys
Visitor coach: Tom Landry
Visitor place: 2
Visitor record: 12–4
Home: San Francisco 49ers
Home coach: Bill Walsh
Home place: 1
Home record: 13–3

Facts from the source article.

Background

The game swung back and forth. Montana's early touchdown pass to Freddie Solomon was answered by a Rafael Septién field goal and a Danny White scoring pass to Tony Hill. Tony Dorsett's touchdown run put Dallas ahead 17–14 at the half, helped by a disputed pass interference call on Ronnie Lott. After Johnny Davis gave San Francisco a 21–17 lead, Septién kicked a field goal and White found Doug Cosbie for a touchdown, putting Dallas up 27–21. Everson Walls picked off Montana twice, and the 49ers got the ball back at their own 11 with 4:54 left. Montana then led a 14-play, 89-yard drive that ended with the fateful throw to Clark.

Did You Know?

The play's official name in the 49ers playbook was Change Left Slot – Sprint Right Option.
A Walter Iooss, Jr. photo of the catch made the cover of Sports Illustrated the next week.
Ray Wersching's extra point supplied the winning margin.