sactownsports.com

Faithful Flashbacks #58: The 49ers’ First NFL Playoff Win

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

Coming in at No. 58 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is the 49ers’ first NFL playoff win.

The victory came against the Minnesota Vikings, with San Francisco traveling into some of the harshest conditions imaginable for a postseason game.

The field was frozen in Minnesota against an impressive defensive group that was the centerpiece of their success. But San Francisco managed to overcome that.

Led by head coach Dick Nolan and veteran quarterback John Brodie, the 49ers matched the Vikings in a low scoring game. They recovered from an early deficit and slowly took control.

Brodie added a late touchdown on a quarterback sneak, giving San Francisco enough separation to survive for an eventual victory. The 49ers left Minnesota with a 17-14 victory.

The win was the beginning of what eventually ended up being the 49ers’ first NFC Championship Game and marked the franchise’s first postseason victory since joining the NFL. San Francisco’s run ended against the Dallas Cowboys one game later, but the milestone remains.

Five Super Bowl trophies and more than five decades later, that night in 1970 was the beginning of what would be plenty of postseason success for the 49ers organization.