The 1982 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 33rd season in the National Football League and their 37th overall. The team was coming off a Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. However, 1982 was strike-shortened, and only nine games were played. The 49ers finished 3–6, thus missing the playoffs despite the expanded sixteen team format. Their .333 winning percentage was the worst ever for any defending NFL or AFL champion until the 2022 Los Angeles Rams, who only managed to get a .294 winning percentage. This season was the only one in an 18-season span in which the 49ers did not win at least ten games. This 49ers team was also the only team in history to win more than half its road games while losing all its home games.1982 San Francisco 49ers The 49ers were the fifth team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the playoffs.NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, , p. 256 This also marked the first, and as of 2023, only time in NFL history that the defending Super Bowl champion missed the playoffs for the third year in a row.
The worst running game in the league alongside a defense that went from second overall and points in 1981 to twenty-first and twenty-third respectively were the main culprits for the losing season.
Offseason NFL draft
Personnel Staff / Coaches
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 Los Angeles Raiders L 14–17 0–1 Candlestick Park 61,065 2 St. Louis Cardinals W 16–13 1–1 Candlestick Park 51,931 3 at San Diego Chargers L 9–23 1–2 Jack Murphy Stadium 48,697 4 at Seattle Seahawks W 17–13 2–2 Kingdome 57,839
Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 12 Los Angeles Raiders L 17–23 0–1 Candlestick Park 59,748 2 September 19 at Denver Broncos L 21–24 0–2 Mile High Stadium 73,899 September 26 Chicago BearsCancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike October 4 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers October 10 at New Orleans Saints October 17 Los Angeles Rams Rescheduled to January 2 October 24 at Atlanta FalconsCancelled due to the 1982 NFL strike October 31 at Washington Redskins November 7 Minnesota Vikings November 14 Dallas Cowboys 3 November 21 at St. Louis Cardinals W 31–20 1–2 Busch Memorial Stadium 38,064 4 November 28 New Orleans Saints L 20–23 1–3 Candlestick Park 51,611 5 December 2 at Los Angeles Rams W 30–24 2–3 Anaheim Stadium 58,574 6 December 11 San Diego Chargers L 37–41 2–4 Candlestick Park 55,988 7 December 19 Atlanta Falcons L 7–17 2–5 Candlestick Park 53,234 8 December 26 at Kansas City Chiefs W 26–13 3–5 Arrowhead Stadium 24,319 9 January 2, 1983 Los Angeles Rams L 20–21 3–6 Candlestick Park 54,256 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Los Angeles Raiders
Week 3: at St. Louis Cardinals
Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-May-22.
Standings
References