Replacing a Legend.

[Fx Stryker]

I was pondering something in my head, and my mind never really put the two together. In 1994 Steve Young finally won his Super Bowl, as a starting quarterback, and escaped the shadows of Joe Montana. The 1994 season was also Joe Montana's final season inside the NFL. What I generally see is most people think it was the right move to trade Montana to the Chiefs. Except the way I see it Steve Young was incapable to win another Super Bowl after Montana retired. So could Montana have led the 49ers to a fifth Super Bowl, or was it Young's touch that got them there.

1994 Chiefs Offense

---------------------Pts-----Yds-----Ply----Y/P--1stD
Team Offense---------319-----5692----1098---5.2---322
Rank-----------------14-------5--------------------6 

1994 Chiefs Defense

---------------------Pts-----Yds-----Ply----Y/P--1stD
Team Defense---------298-----5000----989----5.1---289
Rank------------------7-------12-------------------12

1994 Chiefs Passing Offense

Cmp------Att------Yds-------TD-----Int-----NY/A----1stD
366------615-----3960-------20------14------6.2------211
Rank------6---------7-------13------5-------6

1994 Chiefs Passing Defense

Cmp------Att------Yds-------TD-----Int-----NY/A----1stD
300------504------3266------23------12------6-------164
Rank------7-------10--------18------22------15

1994 Chiefs Rushing Offense

Att-----Yds-----TD-----Y/A-----1stD------TO-----FL------1stPy
464-----1732----12-----3.7------97-------26-----12--------14
12-------11-----11------14----------------9-----13

1994 Chiefs Rushing Defense

Att-----Yds-----TD-----Y/A-----1stD------TO-----FL------1stPy
446-----1734----11-----3.9------93-------38-----26--------32
14-------16-----11------21----------------2-----1

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1994 49ers Offense

---------------------Pts-----Yds-----Ply----Y/P--1stD
Team Offense---------505-----6060----1037---5.8---362
Rank-----------------1--------2--------------------1 

1994 49ers Defense

---------------------Pts-----Yds-----Ply----Y/P--1stD
Team Defense---------296-----4839----996----4.9---285
Rank------------------6-------8-------------------10

1994 49ers Passing Offense

Cmp------Att------Yds-------TD-----Int-----NY/A----1stD
359------511-----4163-------37------11------7.6------210
Rank------18-------4---------1------3-------1

1994 49ers Passing Defense

Cmp------Att------Yds-------TD-----Int-----NY/A----1stD
329------583------3501------15------23------5.6-------184
Rank------24-------17--------3-------1-------6

1994 49ers Rushing Offense

Att-----Yds-----TD-----Y/A-----1stD------TO-----FL------1stPy
491-----1879----23-----3.9------122-------24-----13--------30
5--------6------2--------7----------------5-----15

1994 49ers Rushing Defense

Att-----Yds-----TD-----Y/A-----1stD------TO-----FL------1stPy
375-----1338----16-----3.6------82-------35-----12--------21
2--------2------23------8-----------------5-----14

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Joe Montana

G---GS---QBrec---Cmp---Att---Cmp%---Yds---TD---TD%---Int---Int%---Lng---Y/A---AY/A---Y/C---Y/G---Rate---Sk---Yds---NY/A---ANY/A---Sk%---4QC---GWD
14--14--|9-5-0|--299---493---60.6--3283---16---3.2----9----1.8----57----6.7---6.5----11---234.5--83.6---19---132----6.2----6------3.7----2-----2

Steve Young

G---GS---QBrec---Cmp---Att---Cmp%---Yds---TD---TD%---Int---Int%---Lng---Y/A---AY/A---Y/C---Y/G---Rate---Sk---Yds---NY/A---ANY/A---Sk%---4QC---GWD
16--16-|13-3-0|--324---461---70.3--3969---35---7.6---10----2.2----69----8.6---9.2----12.3--248.1-112.8--31---163----7.7----8.2----6.3----1-----1

Steve Young also was a big contributor to the running game in San Fran with almost 300yds and 7 TDs.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now San Francisco is almost better in every single category. Their run defense is significantly better than Kansas City's. Kansas City also was only ranked 22nd out of 28 teams in passes intercepted. While San Francisco was ranked first. They were equivalent in causing fumbles with a slight edge to Kansas City.

Steve you clearly had a better year passing, but his top three receivers were Pro-Bowlers. While Joe's number 1 target Jerry Rice would have easily helped elevate Joe's game. Jerry had only 5 less receptions than Kansas City's top two recievers. More yards than the top 2, and equal touchdowns with the top four.

Joe did have a better interception ratio than Steve. However Joe fumbled more than Steve, 7 to 4.

I think Joe would have had an "Average Joe" year, like his other years not a par year , if he was with the 49ers. The team was so balanced. Joe would have gotten his 5th ring.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So do you think the 1994 San Francisco 49ers would have been Super Bowl Champs with Joe Montana?

Does that mean Steve really wasn't the stellar replacement? He didn't achieve anything past the lengths of Montana's career. So if San Fran kept Joe for his final two years then Steve would have achieved nothing.

[Gavin]

Heck I think Dan Orlovsky would have been a Super Bowl champion with a team like the 49ers had that year....just kidding but seriously the 49ers had a lot of talent, a young Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Bryant Young, Dana Stubblefield, Ken Norton. Quarterbacks are supposed to be the leaders and captains on the offense but when it comes down to it, they are just a part of the offense, without decent wide receivers and a decent offensive line it dont matter who the quarterback is, each player has to do their part, Young got his career cut short by concussions, who knows if he would have won another SuperBowl, as it stands now statistics show Tom Brady has more touchdowns, is closing in on yards passed on him and has been to 4 SuperBowls as well without the greatest wide receiver of all time, without much of a running game and this year without much of a defense, balance

[Gavin]

Heck I think Dan Orlovsky would have been a Super Bowl champion with a team like the 49ers had that year....just kidding but seriously the 49ers had a lot of talent, a young Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Bryant Young, Dana Stubblefield, Ken Norton. Quarterbacks are supposed to be the leaders and captains on the offense but when it comes down to it, they are just a part of the offense, without decent wide receivers and a decent offensive line it dont matter who the quarterback is, each player has to do their part, Young got his career cut short by concussions, who knows if he would have won another SuperBowl, as it stands now statistics show Tom Brady has more touchdowns, is closing in on yards passed on him and has been to 4 SuperBowls as well without the greatest wide receiver of all time, without much of a running game and this year without much of a defense, balance is needed not just a great Quarterback