Also, additions Kevin Gogan to the offensive line and Rod Woodson to the defense were clear improvements over the previous season's roster.
However, in the first game of the season at Tampa Bay, both quarterback Steve Young and receiver Jerry Rice went down with injuries.
Young eventually came back, as did Rice for 1+1⁄2 quarters in the second-to-last game of the season (before getting another unrelated injury to his knee), and the team, with the league's number-one defense leading the way, pulled together and finished strongly at 13–3.
The Rams led 12–7 on four Jeff Wilkins field goals until after a Lawrence Phillips fumble with 12 minutes remaining, when Garrison Hearst burst in a 35-yard Niners score on the resulting San Francisco possession.
The Niners' first home game of the year was another win over the Saints, who were led this time by ex-Bears coach Mike Ditka.
A week after getting their first win of the season (against New Orleans) the Falcons hosted the Niners and their first drive ended in a 27-yard touchdown throw by Jamal Anderson to Bert Emanuel.
With the score 35–28 San Francisco, the Falcons attempted an onside kick but the Niners recovered and won the game.
The playoff-level intensity of the 1992–96 period was gone as the faltering Cowboys limped into 3Com Park at 4–4 and led in the third quarter 10–7, but the surging Niners scored ten more points and then intercepted Troy Aikman in the game's final minute on a pass intended for Stepfret Williams.
The Niners picked off Kerry Collins three more times and held the Panthers under 260 total yards as they reached ten straight wins 23–19.
But not having an elite receiver or solid running back showed glaringly in their loss to the Packers in the conference championship game; Hearst returned, but his injury was still a problem as he only played a few ineffective snaps.
The 49ers were battling multiple injuries in the game, including missing star wide receiver Jerry Rice.