Sorry, I know you didn't ask for this. This 1959 49er team was their best team, maybe from 1950-'80! They sure were better than they were in 1957 when they technically came the closest that decade to winning it all, as they lost to eventual NFL Champion Detroit 31-27 in that playoff game. But this 1959 49er team was better than they were in 1957, as rookie Defensive Lineman #70 Charlie Krueger gave them double-destruction on their Defensive Line. MLB#50 Jerry Tubbs also was solid addition to their defense that the 1957 team did not have (before Jerry Tubbs went on to help expansion Dallas for a few years) and 2nd-year DB#40 Abe Woodson was a great all-around player. The 1951-'54 49ers were also better than their 1957 team, but I think this 1959 team was better than those 1951-'54 teams, because of Krueger and Woodson. Sure, this 1959 49er team went just 7-5, but four of those five losses were to those incredible late 1950s Colts and Lombardi's rapidly rising Packers. This 1959 49er team was better than early 1970s 49ers because early 1970s 49ers had NO Defensive Tackle play. From 1967-'73 Charlie Krueger was on borrowed time and #74 Earl Edwards was a misplaced DE (until Earl Edwards finally got the hang of playing DT in Buffalo in 1974 & '75). The Ultimate What Might Have Been Had They Had a QB 49er team was 1974. By then #72 Richard Belk finally got his chance at Defensive Tackle. 1974 49ers had everything except a QB. So not only did that 1973 49er crash to 5-9 kill John Brodie's spirit (he once said he felt he could continue playing a few years after but didn't want to be a part of where he felt the 49er organization was headed after 1973), I wouldn't be surprised if specifically, that game at Detroit in 1973 killed that spirit as well. This was when Detroit had a decent solid respectable pass-defense but a pathetic run-defense. 49er gameplan and play-calling was erroneously to get trigger-happy, I lost track of how many INTs Brodie threw at Detroit in 1973, just a horrible sight to see. But it's even worse considering how a complete a team the 49ers had in 1974, except at QB.

@@plntntvzn I'd say the 1970 team overall was better than many other teams. Yes, 1959 could have been a great one. They didn't beat the Colts at home in the last game of the season.