Dallas CowboysVERSUSSan Francisco 49ers

Dallas had represented the NFC in five Super Bowls under Tom Landry and remained the conference's measuring stick. San Francisco, coming off four consecutive losing seasons before its breakthrough campaign, was trying to turn Bill Walsh's emerging West Coast offense into the franchise's first Super Bowl trip.

• The 49ers had gone from six wins across the previous two seasons to a conference-best 13-win campaign.
• Dallas had eliminated San Francisco from the playoffs in three consecutive seasons during the previous decade.
• Joe Montana was making his first conference-championship start opposite a Cowboys program appearing in its tenth NFC title game.

Sources: NFL: 1981 NFC Championship · NFL 100: The Catch