ESPN Classic will present "Game of the Week," a new series of one-hour journeys, hosted by Rich Eisen, that chronicle the greatest sports events in history on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. ET with "The Catch." Each episode will focus on the plays, the personalities and the perspectives that have made these events so momentous. The new lineup will feature 12 original "Game of the Week" documentaries for 2001, including the 30th anniversary of Ali-Frazier I and the 35th anniversary of the Kentucky-Texas Western NCAA Championship.

"The Catch"
Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET
"The Catch" examines Joe Montana's last-second desperation pass to a leaping Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone, giving the underdog 49ers an improbable comeback win, 28-27, over the Dallas Cowboys in the 1981 NFC Championship game.

Classic moment

January 10, 1982: The game will forever be remembered for The Catch. But the pass is pretty impressive, too. And so is the drive.

Trailing the Dallas Cowboys 27-21 in the NFC championship game, the San Francisco 49ers take over on their own 11 with 4:54 left in the fourth quarter. Joe Montana adroitly moves the 49ers to the Dallas six, mixing five running plays with seven passes.

Chased by three Cowboys on third-and-three, a mobile Montana runs to his right. In the back of the end zone, his favorite target, Dwight Clark, runs in the same direction. Montana lofts the ball and Clark makes the leaping catch with 51 seconds left. Ray Wersching's extra point gives the 49ers a 28-27 victory.

"I was thinking of throwing the ball away, but I saw him come open and I figured if I could hang on another half-second ...," Montana says after the game. "We're instructed that if we throw that pass to make sure he's the only one who can catch it. Dwight's 6-4 and a lot of people don't know about his leaping ability. He can dunk a basketball."