The San Francisco 49ers have a long history, but most remember a time between 1980 and 1998. A time that begins with Joe Montana and ends with Steve Young, a time that has five Super Bowl victories packed in almost two decades, and a time that has great defenses and great coaches like Bill Walsh and George Seifert. The era of almost annual 49ers playoff tickets came to an end after 1998.
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The decade that followed included a couple of inspiring years with Jeff Garcia at quarterback. He led the 49ers to the postseason in 2001 and 2002. Playoff tickets became a scant dream after he left following the 2003 season. San Francisco has searched for a new quarterback to lead the team and has suffered along the way, failing a record even at .500 and failing to rise above third place in the NFC West.
This new season the NFC West is up for grabs. The Rams and Seahawks used to dominate, but the Rams “greatest show on turf” has faded into a mere shadow of its former self and the running game that kept the Seahawks balanced has disappeared. The Cardinals appear on the rise, but the division is truly anybodies. Bill Walsh Field at Monster Park could be the site of meaningful regular season games down the road and maybe even a postseason game. Playoff tickets are guaranteed with a division title and the division is up for the taking.
The 49ers hopes are pinned to the continuance of excellence by Frank Gore and the emergence of J.T. Sullivan as the starting quarterback. The Alex Smith era appears to be over and a new candidate, a six year back-up, has arrived after an impressive preseason. The signing of Isaac Bruce was supposed to add some depth to the nonexistent receiving core. Vernon Davis remains the best target on third and longs. The defense is still suspect, but with a little team chemistry San Francisco could be selling 49ers playoff tickets for the first time in a decade.