Faithful Flashbacks #29: First Playoff Win at Levi’s

Faithful Flashbacks revisits the 49ers’ first playoff win at Levi’s Stadium, a divisional-round victory over Minnesota.

Jul 31, 2026, 7:00 AM Updated: 9:59 am

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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. 29 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is the 49ers earning their first playoff win at Levi’s Stadium.

By the time the 2019 season arrived, Levi’s Stadium had still not built much of its own postseason history. The 49ers moved there in 2014, but the first few years in Santa Clara were marked by losing seasons, coaching changes, and the franchise trying to find its way back after the Jim Harbaugh era ended.

The third season Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch shared together helped change that for the better. San Francisco went from a team still trying to prove its rebuild was real to the NFC’s top seed. The formula was clear by the time January arrived. The 49ers had one of the league’s best defensive fronts, a reliable run game, and enough offensive structure around Jimmy Garoppolo to win without needing every game to become a shootout.

The first playoff test at Levi’s came against the Minnesota Vikings, who had just gone into New Orleans and won in the Wild Card round. It was a good matchup on paper, especially with Minnesota’s defense and running game capable of keeping the game tight. But it quickly became clear that San Francisco would take care of business.

The 49ers played the game to their identity. They ran the ball, controlled the line of scrimmage, and made Kirk Cousins uncomfortable behind a Minnesota offensive line that struggled to hold up. Their impressive defense set the tone, and the offense did not have to force much once the game tilted in San Francisco’s direction.

Tevin Coleman handled a large part of the rushing work and scored twice, while the defense kept taking away any chance for Minnesota to build real momentum. The Vikings scored early, but they never found a steady rhythm after that. San Francisco pulled away for a 27-10 win and advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

It was the 49ers’ first postseason victory since the 2013 season, but it also mattered because of where it happened. Levi’s Stadium had waited years for a playoff moment that felt like it belonged to the building. The win over Minnesota gave it one, and it helped set up the 49ers’ first Super Bowl run of the Shanahan-Lynch era.

More Faithful Flashbacks from Sactown Sports

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule

Late July 2026 – NFL Training Camps open
Thursday, September 10th – vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Season Opener) – 5:35 pm PT
Sunday, September 20th – vs. Miami Dolphins – 1:25 pm PT
Sunday, September 27th – vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 pm PT
Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT

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