Faithful Flashbacks #52: Hufanga’s Helping Hand

Faithful Flashbacks revisits Talanoa Hufanga’s touchdown that helped the 49ers stun Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau.

Jun 26, 2026, 6:00 AM Updated: 8:34 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. 52 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is Talanoa Hufanga’s special teams touchdown against the Packers.

The 49ers’ 2021 season had been hectic before they went to Green Bay. Trey Lance was drafted with expectations to be the future of their quarterback position, but Jimmy Garoppolo remained the starter. San Francisco fought through an up-and-down regular season just to make the playoffs.

Green Bay had Aaron Rodgers, home-field advantage, and the NFC’s top seed, making them the clear favorites in the matchup. But San Francisco had momentum after beating Dallas and a history of taking out the Packers.

The 49ers’ offense struggled most of the night and did not score a single touchdown. Miraculously, their defense kept them close, but as the game entered the fourth quarter, San Francisco was still searching for offense.

With the Packers trying to punt the ball away, Jordan Willis broke through and blocked the kick. Talanoa Hufanga was in the right place at the right time, scooped the ball, and took it into the end zone to tie the game. Unlikely, but the defining play of the night ended up being a special teams touchdown.

The 49ers still needed one final stop and one final drive, but Hufanga’s touchdown changed what had felt like a slow-moving Green Bay win into a game San Francisco could steal. Robbie Gould eventually finished it with a game-winning field goal as time expired, giving the 49ers a 13-10 win without scoring an offensive touchdown.

The run ended the next week against the Rams in the NFC Championship Game, but the win at Lambeau remains one of the most memorable postseason moments of the Kyle Shanahan era.

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