The road slate continues against the Detroit Lions on 1959-10-18 at Briggs Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 4.
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 of preparation has built toward the matchup against the Detroit Lions is the kind of road 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.
Around the league Week 4 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 road 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.
Through 3 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1959, 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 | 2-1 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-1 | W2 |
| Washington Redskins | 2-1 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1-2 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 3-0 | W3 |
| Baltimore Colts | 2-1 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-1 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 1-2 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1-2 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 0-3 | L3 |
49ers 7, Detroit Lions 049ers 20, Detroit Lions 049ers 27, Detroit Lions 749ers 34, Detroit Lions 1349ers 34, Detroit Lions 13[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 720273434 |
| Detroit Lions | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0071313 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | J.D. Smith 18 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 7-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Clyde Conner 37 yard pass from Y.A. Tittle ( Tommy Davis kick) | 14-0 |
| 49ers | Tommy Davis 13 yard field goal | 17-0 |
| 49ers | Tommy Davis 21 yard field goal | 20-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Howard Cassady 59 yard pass from Tobin Rote ( Wayne Walker kick) | 20-7 |
| 49ers | Matt Hazeltine 40 yard fumble return ( Tommy Davis kick) | 27-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Nick Pietrosante 4 yard rush | 27-13 |
| 49ers | J.D. Smith 1 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 34-13 |
The 49ers won 34-13 on the road against the Detroit Lions on 1959-10-18. Y.A. Tittle went 7 of 18 for 108 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. J.D. Smith ran for 152 on 23 carries with 2 touchdowns. Billy Wilson caught 3 for 47. On the other side Tobin Rote went 7 of 18 for 125 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Dan Lewis ran for 56 on 8 carries.[1]
San Francisco won 34-13 against the Detroit Lions on 1959-10-18. Y.A. Tittle went 7 of 18 for 108 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. J.D. Smith ran for 152 on 23 carries with 2 touchdowns. Billy Wilson caught 3 for 47.
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 34, Detroit Lions 13. Margin: plus 21. Box score reads: Y.A. Tittle went 7 of 18 for 108 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. J.D. Smith ran for 152 on 23 carries with 2 touchdowns. Billy Wilson caught 3 for 47. Clyde Conner caught 2 for 45 with 1 touchdown. On the Detroit Lions' side: Tobin Rote went 7 of 18 for 125 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Dan Lewis ran for 56 on 8 carries.
A 34-13 road win at the Detroit Lions. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Y.A. Tittle went 7 of 18 for 108 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. J.D. Smith ran for 152 on 23 carries with 2 touchdowns. Billy Wilson caught 3 for 47. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Tobin Rote went 7 of 18 for 125 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Detroit Lions, and Dan Lewis ran for 56 on 8 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1959, 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
Y.A. Tittle went 7 of 18 for 108 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: J.D. Smith ran for 152 on 23 carries with 2 touchdowns, plus Joe Perry ran for 145 on 15 carries. Receiver room: Billy Wilson caught 3 for 47, and Clyde Conner caught 2 for 45 with 1 touchdown.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Y.A. Tittle | 7/18 | 108 | 1 | 0 | |
| DET | |||||
| Tobin Rote | 7/18 | 125 | 1 | 1 | |
| Earl Morrall | 4/6 | 117 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jerry Reichow | 1/2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| J.D. Smith | 23 | 152 | 2 | 41 |
| Joe Perry | 15 | 145 | 0 | 40 |
| Lenny Lyles | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| DET | ||||
| Dan Lewis | 8 | 56 | 0 | 20 |
| Nick Pietrosante | 11 | 31 | 1 | 5 |
| Tobin Rote | 3 | 19 | 0 | 8 |
| John Henry Johnson | 3 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| Jerry Reichow | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ken Webb | 2 | -3 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Billy Wilson | 3 | 47 | 0 | 26 |
| Clyde Conner | 2 | 45 | 1 | 37 |
| Fred Dugan | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Joe Perry | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| DET | ||||
| Howard Cassady | 4 | 99 | 1 | 59 |
| Ken Webb | 1 | 67 | 0 | 67 |
| Dan Lewis | 1 | 30 | 0 | 30 |
| Nick Pietrosante | 4 | 26 | 0 | 8 |
| Jim Doran | 1 | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| John Henry Johnson | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
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