| Team: | San Francisco 49ers |
| Year: | 1971 |
| Record: | 9–5 |
| Division Place: | 1st NFC West |
| Owner: | Josephine Morabito Jane Morabito |
| General Manager: | Louis Spadia |
| Coach: | Dick Nolan |
| Stadium: | Candlestick Park |
| Playoffs: | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Redskins) 24–20 Lost NFC Championship (at Cowboys) 3–14 |
| Pro Bowlers: | C Forrest Blue TE Ted Kwalick WR Gene Washington RB Vic Washington OLB Dave Wilcox CB Jimmy Johnson CB Bruce Taylor |
| Shortnavlink: | 49ers seasons |
The 1971 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 22nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 26th overall. The 49ers appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year. The team moved into a new home, eleven-year-old Candlestick Park, which they shared with the baseball Giants.
After winning two of their first three games on the road, the 49ers lost their first game at Candlestick Park to the Los Angeles Rams 20–13. The 49ers rebounded and successfully defended their NFC West title by posting a 9–5 record. For a second year in a row, the 49ers’ season ended in disappointment with a 14–3 loss in the NFC Championship Game to the Dallas Cowboys, this time on the road.
See main article: article and 1971 NFL draft.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 8 | Cleveland Browns | W 38–24 | 1–0 | Candlestick Park | 40,000 | |
| 2 | at Miami Dolphins | T 17–17 | 1–0–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | 57,008 | ||
| 3 | August 22 | San Diego Chargers | W 28–17 | 2–0–1 | Candlestick Park | 40,000 | |
| 4 | vs. Denver Broncos | W 33–17 | 3–0–1 | Joe Albi Stadium | 33,184 | ||
| 5 | at Oakland Raiders | L 28–34 | 3–1–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 53,696 | ||
| 6 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 20–23 | 3–2–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 55,607 |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 19 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 17–20 | 0–1 | Atlanta Stadium | 56,990 | ||
| 2 | September 26 | at New Orleans Saints | W 38–20 | 1–1 | Tulane Stadium | 81,595 | ||
| 3 | October 3 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 31–3 | 2–1 | Veterans Stadium | 65,358 | ||
| 4 | October 10 | Los Angeles Rams | L 13–20 | 2–2 | Candlestick Park | 44,000 | ||
| 5 | October 17 | Chicago Bears | W 13–0 | 3–2 | Candlestick Park | 44,000 | ||
| 6 | October 24 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 26–14 | 4–2 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 50,419 | ||
| 7 | October 31 | New England Patriots | W 27–10 | 5–2 | Candlestick Park | 45,092 | ||
| 8 | November 7 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 13–9 | 6–2 | Metropolitan Stadium | 49,784 | ||
| 9 | November 14 | New Orleans Saints | L 20–26 | 6–3 | Candlestick Park | 45,138 | ||
| 10 | November 21 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 6–17 | 6–4 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 80,050 | ||
| 11 | November 28 | at New York Jets | W 24–21 | 7–4 | Shea Stadium | 63,936 | ||
| 12 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 17–26 | 7–5 | Candlestick Park | 45,306 | |||
| 13 | December 12 | Atlanta Falcons | W 24–3 | 8–5 | Candlestick Park | 44,582 | ||
| 14 | December 19 | Detroit Lions | W 31–27 | 9–5 | Candlestick Park | 45,580 | ||
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | ||||||||
See also: 1971–72 NFL playoffs.
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 26 | Washington Redskins | W 24–20 | 1–0 | Candlestick Park | 45,327 | |
| NFC Championship | January 2, 1972 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 3–14 | 1–1 | Texas Stadium | 63,409 |