Faithful Flashbacks #26: Return of the Faithful

Faithful Flashbacks revisits the San Francisco 49ers’ first playoff win of the Bill Walsh era, a return-to-contention moment against the Giants.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Aug 5, 2026, 8:00 AM Updated: 11:34 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. 26 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is the 49ers ending their playoff drought with a win over the New York Giants.

Before the 1981 season became known for the start of a dynasty, it was first about the 49ers finally looking like a serious team again. San Francisco had been a playoff team in the early 1970s, but the years that followed were mostly defined by losing records, quarterback changes, and a franchise trying to find its next direction.

Bill Walsh’s first two seasons came with some growing pains rather than immediate results. The 49ers faced the usual issues that come with a rebuild, but their elite foundation was starting to show. Joe Montana was still early in his career, the roster was being reshaped, and San Francisco was starting to better grasp and execute Walsh’s offensive game plan.

In 1981, they started to find their footing under Walsh. The 49ers went from a team still proving itself to one of the best in the NFC, winning the division and bringing postseason football back to San Francisco. Making the postseason was a relief, but they wanted to try to make some noise there, too, and the Giants were their first test.

San Francisco beat New York 38-24 in the divisional round, giving the franchise its first playoff win of the Walsh era and its first postseason victory since the early 1970s. Montana was no longer just the young quarterback in a new system, while Coach Walsh was no longer just the coach trying to install his plan. The 49ers had built something that would continue on from there.

The win sent San Francisco into the NFC Championship Game against Dallas, where the season would take on a much larger place in NFL history. San Francisco defeated Dallas before taking down the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, the first in organizational history.

The 49ers would have bigger moments later in that playoff run, and much bigger ones over the years that followed, but the win over New York was the return point. It was the first postseason proof that the 49ers were no longer building toward something but had arrived as true contenders.

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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