San Francisco visits the Detroit Lions on 1956-11-04 at Kezar Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 6.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Detroit Lions arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The week's NFL schedule has the 49ers facing the Detroit Lions is the kind of home game where the offensive line has the matchup the coaching staff has been pointing toward all week. The Sunday's biggest unknown is the front rotation against the Detroit Lions' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
The slate's Week 6 games continues to shape the playoff race. The conference's projected leaders carry through the calendar with the kind of pace the wire copy has been writing into. The home matchup with the Detroit Lions is the calendar's sense-check on the 49ers' divisional posture. The Sunday-night and Monday-night games close the week with their own playoff implications.
The first 5 games have shown the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1956, defines the divisional posture. The lead back's rushing workload is the staff's projected call. The receiver room's distribution is the offense's signature. The Detroit Lions are tracking their own standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly. A figure to follow: the offensive line's pass-protection rate.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 4-1 | W3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-3 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-3 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 2-3 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1-4 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 5-0 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 4-1 | W4 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-3 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 2-3 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1-4 | L4 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-4 | L3 |
Video missing for this game. If you find one, please report it.
49ers 0, Detroit Lions 049ers 10, Detroit Lions 1049ers 13, Detroit Lions 1749ers 13, Detroit Lions 1749ers 13, Detroit Lions 17[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 010171717 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 010131313 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Leon Hart 3 yard rush ( Bobby Layne kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | Joe Arenas 90 yard kickoff return ( Gordie Soltau kick) | 7-7 |
| 49ers | Gordie Soltau 30 yard field goal | 7-10 |
| Lions | Bobby Layne 30 yard field goal | 10-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Leon Hart 1 yard rush ( Bobby Layne kick) | 17-10 |
| 49ers | Gordie Soltau 40 yard field goal | 17-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
San Francisco lost 13-17 at home the Detroit Lions on 1956-11-04. Earl Morrall went 11 of 20 for 161 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. John Henry Johnson ran for 92 on 15 carries. Billy Wilson caught 4 for 70. On the other side Bobby Layne went 7 of 18 for 94 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Howard Cassady ran for 78 on 19 carries.[1]
The 49ers' home effort ended in a 13-17 loss against the Detroit Lions on 1956-11-04. Earl Morrall went 11 of 20 for 161 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. John Henry Johnson ran for 92 on 15 carries. Billy Wilson caught 4 for 70.
The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the staff has been working through across the calendar's first weeks. The offensive line's pocket time produced the dropbacks the playbook calls. The defensive unit's pressure produced the kind of takeaway the unit has been generating. The Sunday's outcome sets the next week's posture across the divisional standings.
The Detroit Lions produced the kind of game-script the wire copy projected. The next-week matchup is the calendar's next sense-check on the 49ers' divisional pacing.
49ers 13, Detroit Lions 17. Margin: minus 4. Box score reads: Earl Morrall went 11 of 20 for 161 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. John Henry Johnson ran for 92 on 15 carries. Billy Wilson caught 4 for 70. John Henry Johnson caught 3 for 22. On the Detroit Lions' side: Bobby Layne went 7 of 18 for 94 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Howard Cassady ran for 78 on 19 carries.
A 13-17 home loss to the Detroit Lions. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Earl Morrall went 11 of 20 for 161 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. John Henry Johnson ran for 92 on 15 carries. Billy Wilson caught 4 for 70. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Bobby Layne went 7 of 18 for 94 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for the Detroit Lions, and Howard Cassady ran for 78 on 19 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1956, decided the closing two quarters. The defensive front's pressure on the third-down dropbacks produced the kind of pass-rush volume the unit has been generating across the year. The receiver room's route distribution produced the kind of timing-route conversions the playbook calls.
By the numbers
Earl Morrall went 11 of 20 for 161 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: John Henry Johnson ran for 92 on 15 carries, plus Earl Morrall ran for 4 on 3 carries. Receiver room: Billy Wilson caught 4 for 70, and John Henry Johnson caught 3 for 22.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Earl Morrall | 11/20 | 161 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hugh McElhenny | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| DET | |||||
| Bobby Layne | 7/18 | 94 | 0 | 2 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| John Henry Johnson | 15 | 92 | 0 | 54 |
| Earl Morrall | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Hugh McElhenny | 13 | -3 | 0 | 5 |
| DET | ||||
| Howard Cassady | 19 | 78 | 0 | 10 |
| Leon Hart | 16 | 77 | 2 | 11 |
| Gene Gedman | 6 | 18 | 0 | 5 |
| Dave Middleton | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Bobby Layne | 3 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Don McIlhenny | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Billy Wilson | 4 | 70 | 0 | 25 |
| Gordie Soltau | 1 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| John Henry Johnson | 3 | 22 | 0 | 14 |
| Clyde Conner | 1 | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| Hugh McElhenny | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Joe Arenas | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| DET | ||||
| Gene Gedman | 3 | 32 | 0 | 15 |
| Jim Doran | 2 | 30 | 0 | 17 |
| Leon Hart | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Dorne Dibble | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1956 W6 - 49ers vs Detroit Lions - Game Thread