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Faithful Flashbacks #63: The “Pick At The Stick”

In honor of the San Francisco 49ers celebrating their 80th anniversary, Sactown Sports is kicking off a countdown of the 80 greatest moments in the franchise’s illustrious history in reverse order called “Faithful Flashbacks.”

From Super Bowl-winning plays to overperforming teams that had minimal expectations, there’s plenty to choose from the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of the Sactown Sports’ staffers before results were compiled into a full list that will count down to the 49ers’ 2026 NFL regular season debut against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th.

Faithful Flashbacks -- San Francisco 49ers 80 Best Moments

Candlestick Park was never the easiest place to play, but that became part of its identity.

The wind was unpredictable, the stadium showed its age, and plenty of visiting players left with complaints, but that’s what made it unique. For 49ers fans, Candlestick became the setting for nearly every major chapter in franchise history.

San Francisco moved into the stadium in 1971 and spent the next four decades turning it into one of the NFL’s more recognizable venues. “The Catch” happened there. Eight NFC Championship Games were played there. Most of the franchise’s five Super Bowl victories were built there, with generations of 49ers legends giving fans moments that wouldn’t soon be forgotten.

By the end of the 2013 season, it was clear that the end of that venue was growing near. The move to Santa Clara was already set, leaving one final regular-season game at Candlestick Park against the Atlanta Falcons days before Christmas.

They nearly let the game slip away, but it instead ended in storybook fashion.

San Francisco led 27-17 in the fourth quarter before Atlanta scored, recovered an onside kick, and drove deep into 49ers territory with a chance to take the lead. A night that had felt celebratory suddenly looked like it might end in a brutal loss.

Then NaVorro Bowman delivered the final signature moment at the Stick.

With just over a minute remaining, Bowman intercepted a deflected Matt Ryan pass and returned it 89 yards for a touchdown. That moment sealed a 34-24 victory and clinched a playoff berth. Immediately became known as the “Pick at the Stick,” and fittingly earned its spot at No. 63 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in 49ers franchise history.

It was a fitting ending for a stadium that had hosted decades of regular and postseason drama. Candlestick’s final 49ers touchdown came from one of that era’s defining defensive players, in a game that kept another playoff run alive.

Candlestick carried decades of 49ers history, from the beginning of a dynasty through one final dramatic night. Its farewell gave the Faithful one more moment worth remembering.