SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Candlestick Park set the backdrop for The Catch and The Catch II and enough Super Bowl runs to fill a hand to capacity with gleaming rings.
Joe Montana won eight playoff games there. Steve Young won seven.
Levi’s Stadium, home of the 49ers since 2014, entered Saturday as a blank canvas. It could eventually become another temple for football greatness. Or it could never come close to matching the playoff heights of its predecessor.
In its first time hosting a San Francisco postseason contest, the venue was good to the 49ers, who steamrolled the Vikings 27-10. The team will play the winner of Packers vs. Seahawks here on Jan. 19 with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
“The stadium was electric,” coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game. “It was different than it’s been.”
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While no all-time great NFL moments were necessary to get by the flawed Vikings, Shanahan’s squad did draw from the crowd in the fourth quarter to produce a lasting image: Pro Bowl edge-rusher Nick Bosa had the wind knocked out of him when he sacked Kirk Cousins on a third-and-long play. He stayed on the ground in apparent pain as teammates began to trot off the field. Such moments are particularly worrisome, given his injury history, which dates back to his time at Ohio State.
Bosa waited on the turf until fans began chanting, “BO-SA! BO-SA!” Then, he hopped up and swaggered off to the delight of red-and-gold-clad supporters in the stadium — a moment he said afterward was special.
Nick Bosa and San Francisco: A Love Story 🙌🙌 @nbsmallerbear @49ers pic.twitter.com/X03F1HZoIm
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 11, 2020
“I didn’t know what was going on,” said linebacker Fred Warner, who stood worried near Bosa as the defensive end at first appeared seriously hurt. “Then he hopped up, had the whole spiel he did. He shouldn’t stay down that long the next time or else I’m slapping him.”
Added an amused Shanahan: “I thought he sat there and milked his injury for a little bit longer just to hear the crowd chant his name.”
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San Francisco reached a point where it could joke around with about 13 minutes still on the clock despite a tepid performance from its offense, which controlled time of possession but often struggled to move the ball efficiently.
Garoppolo wasn’t Montana or Young under center. He wasn’t even Colin Kaepernick or Alex Smith. He was barely Jeff Garcia. But these 49ers, now playing with a healthy defense, don’t seem to need more than an occasional hot flash from their quarterback to succeed at home.
Garoppolo delivered his best series of the afternoon on San Francisco's opening drive. With the Vikings perhaps expecting a run-first play script, Garoppolo completed 5 of 6 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown toss to Kendrick Bourne. His string of early on-target throws helped the 49ers avoid playing from behind at any point in the contest.
While the signal-caller went 5 for 13 for 55 yards and an interception for the remainder of the game, San Francisco's stellar defensive performance and a run game that grinded out 47 carries ensured comfortable victory.
"We had one drive where we literally didn't pass the ball," Garoppolo said. "We ran the hell out of the ball and those guys up front battled their ass off. It was fun."
Teams forge all kinds of different identities en route to historic success. Until the final years at Candlestick Park, the 49ers defined themselves as offensive juggernauts.
Levi's Stadium, at least to start, will gain any place in NFL lore on the back of San Francisco's ferocious pass-rush and ability to stonewall opposing attacks. Based on the adoration Bosa and his defensive teammates received Saturday, that distinction wouldn't be a problem for 49ers fans.