Faithful Flashbacks #45: Montana’s First Miracle

Faithful Flashbacks revisits Joe Montana’s first major comeback, a 28-point rally that previewed the legend he’d become.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Jul 9, 2026, 6:00 AM Updated: 7:56 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. 45 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is Joe Montana leading the 49ers to what was then the largest comeback in NFL history.

The 1980 win over the New Orleans Saints came before Montana was fully viewed as Joe Montana. The 49ers were still early in the Bill Walsh build, coming off two rough seasons and trying to figure out exactly what their future was going to look like. Montana had started getting more opportunity that year, but he was still a young quarterback in his second NFL season and not yet the player who would become one of the faces of the sport.

That makes this game interesting to look back on now, because it was not attached to a championship season or one of the more famous 49ers playoff moments. San Francisco was not yet the machine it would become. But trailing 35-7 at halftime against the Saints, Montana gave one of the first real examples of the late-game calm that would eventually define him.

The 49ers came all the way back in the second half, tying the game before eventually winning 38-35 in overtime on a Ray Wersching field goal. At the time, it was the largest comeback in NFL history, which would have made it notable on its own even without knowing what Montana’s career would turn into.

December 7, 1980

MIRACLE AT CANDLESTICK:
The Largest Comeback in #49ers History

The 0-13 #Saints forge a 35-7 halftime lead, but Joe Montana and the Niners erase the deficit to stage what is then the largest comeback to win in NFL history (28 points).

San Francisco prevails in… pic.twitter.com/DaXX4flDtJ

— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) December 7, 2025

But the bigger reason this moment belongs here is because of what it helped preview.

Montana would go on to build a reputation as one of the best pressure quarterbacks the league has ever seen. The Super Bowls, “The Catch,” the late drives and the postseason poise would all come later. This was not the biggest stage he would ever play on, but it was one of the first times the 49ers saw that same ability show up.

The 1980 season still ended with a losing record, so this was not the start of an immediate playoff run. That part came a year later. But from a franchise-history perspective, Montana’s comeback against the Saints feels like one of those early signs of what was coming before everyone fully knew it yet.

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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