The home schedule continues against the Detroit Lions on 1961-10-01 at Tiger Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 3.
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 calendar's next 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.
The NFL's Week 3 schedule 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.
2 games into the season the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1961, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-0 | W2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-0 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1-1 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 1-1 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 1-1 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 2-0 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 1-1 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 1-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-1 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-1 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-2 | L2 |
49ers 14, Detroit Lions 049ers 21, Detroit Lions 049ers 42, Detroit Lions 049ers 49, Detroit Lions 049ers 49, Detroit Lions 0[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 14 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 1421424949 |
| Detroit Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00000 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | J.D. Smith 5 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | Bob Waters 10 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 14-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Billy Kilmer 1 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 21-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Abe Woodson 98 yard kickoff return ( Tommy Davis kick) | 28-0 |
| 49ers | Billy Kilmer 7 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 35-0 |
| 49ers | J.D. Smith 1 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 42-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bill Cooper 1 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 49-0 |
San Francisco's offense produced 49 points on the road against the Detroit Lions on 1961-10-01. John Brodie went 5 of 12 for 108 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Billy Kilmer ran for 103 on 16 carries with 2 touchdowns. Clyde Conner caught 4 for 81. On the other side Earl Morrall went 9 of 23 for 130 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Nick Pietrosante ran for 34 on 12 carries.[1]
The 49ers won 49-0 against the Detroit Lions on 1961-10-01. John Brodie went 5 of 12 for 108 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Billy Kilmer ran for 103 on 16 carries with 2 touchdowns. Clyde Conner caught 4 for 81.
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 49, Detroit Lions 0. Margin: plus 49. Box score reads: John Brodie went 5 of 12 for 108 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Billy Kilmer ran for 103 on 16 carries with 2 touchdowns. Clyde Conner caught 4 for 81. Monty Stickles caught 3 for 60. On the Detroit Lions' side: Earl Morrall went 9 of 23 for 130 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Nick Pietrosante ran for 34 on 12 carries.
A 49-0 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
John Brodie went 5 of 12 for 108 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Billy Kilmer ran for 103 on 16 carries with 2 touchdowns. Clyde Conner caught 4 for 81. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Earl Morrall went 9 of 23 for 130 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Detroit Lions, and Nick Pietrosante ran for 34 on 12 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1961, 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
John Brodie went 5 of 12 for 108 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Billy Kilmer ran for 103 on 16 carries with 2 touchdowns, plus Bob Waters ran for 38 on 8 carries with 1 touchdown. Receiver room: Clyde Conner caught 4 for 81, and Monty Stickles caught 3 for 60.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 5/12 | 108 | 0 | 1 | |
| Billy Kilmer | 3/7 | 43 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bob Waters | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DET | |||||
| Earl Morrall | 9/23 | 130 | 0 | 1 | |
| Jim Ninowski | 9/20 | 124 | 0 | 3 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Billy Kilmer | 16 | 103 | 2 | 31 |
| Bob Waters | 8 | 38 | 1 | 18 |
| J.D. Smith | 9 | 28 | 2 | 12 |
| Dale Messer | 3 | 13 | 0 | 6 |
| John Brodie | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Bill Cooper | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| C.R. Roberts | 3 | -7 | 0 | 1 |
| DET | ||||
| Nick Pietrosante | 12 | 34 | 0 | 17 |
| Howard Cassady | 5 | 33 | 0 | 14 |
| Dan Lewis | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Johnny Olszewski | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Earl Morrall | 3 | -15 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Clyde Conner | 4 | 81 | 0 | 45 |
| Monty Stickles | 3 | 60 | 0 | 30 |
| J.D. Smith | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| DET | ||||
| Jim Gibbons | 7 | 96 | 0 | 22 |
| Terry Barr | 1 | 48 | 0 | 48 |
| Pat Studstill | 3 | 36 | 0 | 25 |
| Gail Cogdill | 3 | 22 | 0 | 11 |
| Nick Pietrosante | 2 | 20 | 0 | 13 |
| Glenn Davis | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Johnny Olszewski | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1961 W3 - 49ers at Detroit Lions - Game Thread