Editing Super Bowl XXIX (section)

===San Francisco 49ers===
{{main|1994 San Francisco 49ers season}}

From the [[1988 NFL season|1988]] to the [[1993 NFL season|1993]] seasons, the 49ers played in five out of six NFC Championship Games, winning Super Bowls [[Super Bowl XXIII|XXIII]] and [[Super Bowl XXIV|XXIV]]. But after head coach [[George Seifert]]'s team lost two consecutive NFC Championship games to the [[Dallas Cowboys]] in [[1992-93 NFL playoffs|1992]] and [[1993-94 NFL playoffs|1993]], San Francisco brought in several veteran [[free agent]]s to strengthen their defense. Among the players signed were defensive linemen [[Richard Dent]] (the MVP of [[Super Bowl XX]]), [[Charles Mann (American football)|Charles Mann]], [[Rhett Hall]], and [[Rickey Jackson]]; linebackers [[Ken Norton Jr.]] and [[Gary Plummer (American football)|Gary Plummer]]; and cornerback [[Deion Sanders]].

The free agents enabled the 49ers to jump from the 18th-ranked defense in the league to the 8th, and to jump from the league's 16th-best defense against the run to the 2nd. [[Pro Bowl]] defensive lineman [[Dana Stubblefield]] led the team with 8.5 sacks. Rookie defensive tackle [[Bryant Young]] was also a big threat to opposing quarterbacks and rushers, recording 42 tackles, 6 sacks, and a fumble recovery. Behind them, Norton played very effectively at the middle linebacker position, leading the team with 77 tackles and recording an interception. Pro Bowl safety [[Merton Hanks]] led the team with 7 interceptions for 93 return yards, while Sanders had 6 interceptions for 303 return yards and 3 touchdowns, earning him the [[NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award]]. His 303 return yards was the third-highest total in NFL history, while his touchdown returns of 74, 93, and 90 yards made him the first player ever to have two 90-yard interception returns in one season. Pro Bowl safety [[Tim McDonald]] was also a big contributor, recording 2 interceptions for 79 yards and a touchdown.

The 49ers' offense was led by quarterback [[Steve Young (American football)|Steve Young]], who replaced future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[Joe Montana]] as the starter in [[1991 NFL season|1991]] and [[1992 NFL season|1992]] due to injuries.  After Young led the league in passing in both seasons, Montana was traded to the [[Kansas City Chiefs]], leaving Young as the undisputed starter in 1993. But even with his impressive passing statistics, Young was criticized as "not being able to win the big games" as Montana had done in leading the 49ers to Super Bowl victories in [[Super Bowl XVI|XVI]], [[Super Bowl XIX|XIX]], XXIII, and XXIV.  It also didn't help that the team had lost to Montana's Chiefs 24–17 during the regular season.

Still, Young again led the league in passing during the 1994 regular season with a [[passer rating]] of 112.8, breaking Montana's record for the highest regular season rating in NFL history. Young recorded 324 out of 461 completions for 3,969 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. He also had 58 rushes for 293 yards and 7 touchdowns, and earned the [[NFL Most Valuable Player Award]].

With Young at the helm, the 49ers led the league in total points scored (505) and helped them earn a league best 13–3 regular season record. Pro Bowl running back [[Ricky Watters]] was the team's leading rusher with 877 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also recording 66 receptions for 719 yards and 5 touchdowns. Rookie fullback [[William Floyd (American football)|William Floyd]] was the team's second-leading rusher with 305 yards and 6 touchdowns, while also having 19 receptions for 145 yards. The team's leading receiver was Pro Bowl wide receiver [[Jerry Rice]], who had 112 catches for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also gaining 93 yards and two more touchdowns rushing the ball. Receiver [[John Taylor (American football)|John Taylor]] was also a reliable target, catching 41 passes for 531 yards and 5 touchdowns. Pro Bowl tight end [[Brent Jones]] added 49 receptions for 670 yards and 9 touchdowns. The offensive line was led by Pro Bowl center [[Bart Oates]], another offseason free agent pickup, and Pro Bowl guard [[Jesse Sapolu]].

Running back [[Dexter Carter]] had a standout season as a returner on [[special teams]], gaining a combined total of 1,426 yards and a touchdown returning both punts and kickoffs.