Editing Super Bowl XIX (section)

===First quarter===
In the opening minutes of the game, it seemed that the game would live up to the hype. On the opening kickoff, 49ers running back/kick returner [[Derrick Harmon (running back)|Derrick Harmon]] caught the ball too close to the sidelines and stepped out of bounds at the San Francisco 6-yard line. The 49ers managed to advance to their own 41, but were forced to punt, and Dolphins cornerback [[Fulton Walker]] returned the punt 8 yards to the Miami 36-yard line. Then on their first play of the drive, Marino completed a 25-yard pass to running back [[Tony Nathan]]. Four plays later, Miami reached the San Francisco 23-yard line. But on third down, 49ers cornerback [[Eric Wright (cornerback, born 1959)|Eric Wright]] tackled wide receiver [[Mark Clayton (American football, born 1961)|Mark Clayton]] 2 yards shy of the first down. The Dolphins had to settle for a 37-yard field goal from kicker [[Uwe von Schamann]] to give them an early 3–0 lead.

Miami's lead did not last long, as San Francisco stormed down the field on their next possession. The 49ers drove 78 yards in 8 plays, which featured a 16-yard run by Montana, followed by his 33-yard touchdown pass to running back [[Carl Monroe]] to give them their first lead of the game, 7–3. But Miami retook the lead on their ensuing drive. After a 5-yard rush by Nathan, the Dolphins went into a [[no-huddle offense]], preventing the 49ers from making substitutions and keeping their run defense on the field. Marino completed five consecutive passes, hitting Clayton for 18 yards, wide receiver [[Mark Duper]] for 11, Clayton again for 13, and tight end [[Dan Johnson (American football)|Dan Johnson]] for 21. On the next play, Marino finished the drive by hitting Johnson for a 2-yard touchdown pass, giving the Dolphins a 10–7 lead with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.