They Swagger Into the 1990s : Pro football: The 49ers consider their place in history before tackling new goal of three consecutive Super Bowl titles.

NEW ORLEANS —  The San Francisco 49ers took a night to consider their place in history and were impressed enough Monday morning to stare a third consecutive Super Bowl title in the face.

Amazing what a 45-point victory over the best team in the other conference does for your confidence.

“If they want to do it again, that’s fine with me,” 49er Coach Seifert said at his post-Super Bowl news conference.

Quarterback Joe Montana stopped by the podium, picked up the keys to his new Buick--that makes three cars and three most-valuable-player awards since 1981--and said that his team’s assault on the rest of the NFL did not end with Sunday’s 55-10 rout of Denver in Super Bowl XXIV.

Montana already likes his chances next year in Tampa, Fla., for Super Bowl XXV.

“I’d like to think they’re pretty good at this point,” he said. “It’s a tough road. I think the toughest part of our schedule is getting out of our own division. I think that kind of prepares us for the playoffs.”

Seifert wasn’t doing much to quiet the talk of his team winning a third consecutive championship. His players spoke openly during the past season about winning consecutive titles and weren’t even tested, outscoring three playoff opponents by 100 points. Who is Seifert to judge?

“There were times I walked the sideline and just shook my head in awe a little bit,” Seifert said of his team’s performance against the Broncos.

Seifert’s biggest challenge seems to be keeping the 49er powerhouse in order, which isn’t easy in the days of Plan B free agency or as NFL general managers descend upon the coaching staff.

But for a team that’s been on top for so long, the 49ers are remarkably young. Montana is the oldest player at 33 and shows no signs of slowing down. He is signed through 1991 and is talking about playing beyond his contract--great news for Montana fans, bad news for Montana opponents.

Linebacker Keena Turner is 31, safety Ronnie Lott 30. Most 49ers are still in their 20s. Like all other NFL teams, the 49ers must announce their list of 37 protected players Thursday.

The remaining players are eligible to negotiate freely around the league under the terms of Plan B.

“We’re concerned about it,” Seifert said. “It’s something we’ll be discussing in the next few days. We’ll start our plans on the plane ride home.”

On the other hand, the money doesn’t get much better than in San Francisco, where owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. has never been afraid to send his team’s ledger into the red for the sake of success.

“At this moment, I don’t look for a lot of change,” Seifert said, “but I know that’s the natural process.”

In all likelihood, Seifert will lose his offensive coordinator, Mike Holmgren, to a vacant head coaching job with either the Phoenix Cardinals or the New York Jets. Holmgren is scheduled to meet with Jet General Manager Dick Steinberg this week.

“Obviously, clubs are very interested in Mike,” Seifert said. “Just a year ago, I was going through the same thing. We have to see how the thing plays out.”

Yet, the 49ers have always adjusted to the unavoidable curveballs thrown at a franchise. Seifert said the credit there goes to DeBartolo, who is always just a phone call away.

When the 49ers lost linebackers Jim Fahnhorst and Riki Ellison to injuries this season, DeBartolo outbid the Rams for Matt Millen, who had been cut loose by the Raiders. When All-Pro nose tackle Michael Carter went down with a foot injury, the 49ers signed former New York Giant star Jim Burt, holding no grudges against the man who knocked Montana unconscious in a 1986 playoff game.

That’s the stuff of champions, and the 49ers--winners of four Super Bowl titles--can take a seat among the league’s best teams. The comparisons with the great Pittsburgh teams of the 1970s are inevitable. The Steelers were the first team to win four Super Bowl titles.

Montana, of course, grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh as a Steeler fan “long before they started to win,” he said.

“Oh, I remember the (Steelers),” he said. “I saw the last (Super Bowl victory) in Pasadena. We’re probably pretty close. Both were great defensive teams, with great running backs on both sides and similar types--Roger (Craig) and Franco (Harris). And Tom (Rathman) and Rocky (Bleier). And the wide-outs. There are great ones on both sides. I think they match up pretty well.”

What about the matchup at quarterback, Montana vs. Terry Bradshaw.

“I still have my hair,” Montana said, making the only comparison he was willing to offer.

Denver’s defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, was a Houston assistant in the 1970s and faced the Steelers twice a season.

His impressions after Sunday’s game?

“I thought the Steelers were better because they had a better defense,” Phillips said. “I’m not sure about that now.”

Super Bowl Notes

The victory parade in San Francisco drew an estimated 75,000. . . . San Francisco Coach George Seifert, humble in victory, said he didn’t mind sharing credit for this year’s Super Bowl victory with former coach Bill Walsh, who retired after winning Super Bowl XXIII. “The mark Bill put on this club will last for a long time,” Seifert said. “With the support of Eddie (DeBartolo), Bill kind of forged this thing. I’m satisfied being a part of it. As I’ve said a number of times, there’s enough recognition to go around for all of us. I don’t necessarily feel that this has to be my club. It’s the 49ers’ club and let it be at that.”

Quarterback Joe Montana, who underwent major surgery in 1986, said his back held up surprisingly well in 1989. “I had no problems the whole season,” he said. “The doctors told me there’d be flare-ups in the season. I was real lucky.” Montana also credited his offensive line with great protection. “I don’t think I was touched in the playoffs, really,” he said. “If things go this way, I could play for a long time.” . . . Montana’s efficiency rating in four Super Bowls is 127.8. His rating in the 49ers’ three playoff victories this season was even better, 146.4.

Jerry Rice needs one more receiving yard to tie Pittsburgh’s Lynn Swann at the top of the Super Bowl list. Swann holds the record with 364 yards in four games.