NEW ORLEANS -- A win Sunday over the Baltimore Ravens would make the San Francisco 49ers a perfect 6-0 in Super Bowl appearances, but Joe Montana isn't ready to place this season's squad up there with the juggernaut over which he presided.
Darlington: Two of a kind
Ed Reed and Randy Moss: Two legends chasing that elusive Super Bowl ring. Jeff Darlington chronicles opposing icons. **More ...**
I caught up with the Hall of Fame quarterback at "NFL Honors" on Saturday and asked how the 1989 49ers -- perhaps Montana's most dominant San Francisco squad -- would have fared against the 2012 version.
"That would be bad for this year's team," Montana said. "That was one of, I think, our more explosive teams all around, offensively and defensively. It would have been a good matchup, I think, but two different styles."
Montana was quick to compliment coach Jim Harbaugh's handiwork, and he emphasized the stylistic differences between this season's 49ers and those championship squads of old.
In some sort of alternate universe, it would be fascinating to watch the teams compete, but what San Francisco is doing with Colin Kaepernick under center is all about the present. These 49ers are just beginning to write their story.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
