The foursome, consisting of Fred Dean, Gary Johnson, Louie Kelcher, and Leroy Jones, formed one of the most dominant lines of their era.
[7] Dean and Johnson became the primary pass rushers, while Kelcher and Jones developed into strong defenders against the run.
"[9] Don Coryell became San Diego's head coach after the team had started the season with a 1–3 record; they finished the year at 9–7.
[11] Kelcher, however, was sidelined for all but three minutes after a knee operation, but Wilbur Young filled in and was named All-Pro by Sports Illustrated.
[26] He was named the UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 12 sacks in 11 games for the 49ers, and San Francisco won Super Bowl XVI that season.
[27] Johnson was also traded to San Francisco later that year, and he teamed with Dean and Kelcher to win Super Bowl XIX.
[1][28] Sports Illustrated called Johnson the Super Bowl's "unofficial defensive MVP" after he recorded one sack, flushed Miami quarterback Dan Marino out of the pocket numerous times, and had four unassisted tackles.