| 1988 San Francisco 49ers season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Owner | Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. |
| General manager | John McVay |
| Head coach | Bill Walsh |
| Defensive coordinator | George Seifert |
| Home field | Candlestick Park |
| Local radio | KGO–AM 810 |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 1st NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Vikings) 34–9 Won NFC Championship (at Bears) 28–3 Won Super Bowl XXIII (vs. Bengals) 20–16 |
The 1988 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 39th in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd overall, and their tenth and final season under head coach Bill Walsh. The season was highlighted by their third Super Bowl victory. They failed to improve on their 13–2 record from 1987, and the 49ers struggled to a 6–5 record at the midway point and were in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1982, but rose to defeat the Washington Redskins on a Monday night, eventually finishing the season at 10–6. They gained a measure of revenge by thrashing the Minnesota Vikings 34–9 in the first round of the playoffs; the Vikings had upset the #1-seeded 49ers the previous season in the divisional round. The 49ers then traveled to Chicago's Soldier Field, where the wind-chill factor at game time was 26 degrees below zero. They defeated the Chicago Bears 28–3 in the NFC Championship game.
For the 49ers, it was their first Super Bowl appearance since they defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX. They had made the playoffs in the three seasons between Super Bowl XIX and Super Bowl XXIII, but were eliminated each time in the first round, primarily because of the poor performances by their offensive stars in those games; quarterback Joe Montana, receiver Jerry Rice and running back Roger Craig all failed to produce a single touchdown.
The 49ers alternated quarterbacks as Montana and Steve Young both started at various points of the season. The broadcast booth of the 49ers radio network also saw change, as Joe Starkey substituted for longtime 49ers play by play announcer Lon Simmons during several games, mostly in October when Simmons called the Oakland Athletics 1988 American League Championship Series and 1988 World Series games for the Oakland A's flagship station, KSFO–AM. The 1988 season was the last for Simmons as 49ers broadcaster. With the regular season and postseason, the 49ers compiled a total of 13 victories (a .684 win percentage) on the season, a record-low for Super Bowl champions. In 2011, the New York Giants would tie this record (but with a .650 win percentage as they suffered seven losses as opposed to the 49ers six).
NFL Films produced a documentary about the team's season entitled State of the Art; it was narrated by Jeff Kaye. On March 8, 2007, NFL Network aired America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions, the 1988 San Francisco 49ers, with team commentary from Bill Walsh, Harris Barton and Roger Craig, and narrated by Ed Harris.