Jim Harbaugh compares Justin Herbert throw to legendary Joe Montana, Dwight Clark play

"It was a higher degree of difficulty than Montana to Dwight Clark on 'The Catch,'" Harbaugh said. "You see where he let the ball go and with a guy right there, and then put it on a dime as we like to say into like a six-inch window inside to Ladd running across. It's artistry. It's incredible what Justin's capable of doing." 

While Herbert's throw to McConkey was incredible, the stakes were much higher for "The Catch" in the 1981 NFC Championship Game. Trailing the Dallas Cowboys with 58 seconds left in the game, Montana connected with Clark from six yards out to put the 49ers up 28-27. The win over the Cowboys would propel the 49ers to a Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Montana's first of four Super Bowl victories.

Although the Herbert-McConkey connection was against the 4-13 Raiders in a non-critical situation, the play does resemble Montana to Clark. Herbert and Montana both had to roll to their right and throw an accurate ball with defenders jumping in the air to swat the pass. And both McConkey and Clark had to make leaping grabs.

Harbaugh knows how to instill confidence in his players, and what better way to do so than comparing Herbert and McConkey to a play that will forever live in NFL lore?