San Francisco hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1961-10-29 at Forbes Field. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 7.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Pittsburgh Steelers arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The 49ers' season continues with the matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers 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 Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
The NFL's Week 7 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 Pittsburgh Steelers 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.
6 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 Pittsburgh Steelers 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 | 5-1 | W5 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5-1 | W3 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-2 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3-3 | L2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 3-3 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-5 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 0-6 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 5-1 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 4-2 | W3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 4-2 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-3 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 3-3 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-5 | L5 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1-5 | L3 |
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49ers 0, Pittsburgh Steelers 1749ers 7, Pittsburgh Steelers 1749ers 10, Pittsburgh Steelers 2049ers 10, Pittsburgh Steelers 2049ers 10, Pittsburgh Steelers 20[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 07101010 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1717202020 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | John Henry Johnson 30 yard rush ( Lou Michaels kick) | 0-7 |
| Steelers | Tom Tracy 11 yard pass from Rudy Bukich ( Lou Michaels kick) | 0-14 |
| Steelers | Lou Michaels 16 yard field goal | 0-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Monty Stickles 50 yard pass from John Brodie ( Tommy Davis kick) | 7-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Tommy Davis 20 yard field goal | 10-17 |
| Steelers | Lou Michaels 24 yard field goal | 10-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
The 49ers' road effort ended in a 10-20 loss on the road the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1961-10-29. John Brodie went 9 of 21 for 163 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Bob Waters ran for 27 on 7 carries. R.C. Owens caught 6 for 122. On the other side Rudy Bukich went 6 of 11 for 56 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. John Henry Johnson ran for 103 on 15 carries with 1 touchdown.[1]
San Francisco's offense came up short 10-20 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1961-10-29. John Brodie went 9 of 21 for 163 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Bob Waters ran for 27 on 7 carries. R.C. Owens caught 6 for 122.
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 Pittsburgh Steelers 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 10, Pittsburgh Steelers 20. Margin: minus 10. Box score reads: John Brodie went 9 of 21 for 163 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Bob Waters ran for 27 on 7 carries. R.C. Owens caught 6 for 122. Monty Stickles caught 2 for 85 with 1 touchdown. On the Pittsburgh Steelers' side: Rudy Bukich went 6 of 11 for 56 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. John Henry Johnson ran for 103 on 15 carries with 1 touchdown.
A 10-20 road loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
John Brodie went 9 of 21 for 163 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Bob Waters ran for 27 on 7 carries. R.C. Owens caught 6 for 122. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Rudy Bukich went 6 of 11 for 56 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and John Henry Johnson ran for 103 on 15 carries with 1 touchdown.
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 9 of 21 for 163 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Bob Waters ran for 27 on 7 carries, plus J.D. Smith ran for 23 on 6 carries. Receiver room: R.C. Owens caught 6 for 122, and Monty Stickles caught 2 for 85 with 1 touchdown.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 9/21 | 163 | 1 | 0 | |
| Billy Kilmer | 2/2 | 30 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bob Waters | 1/7 | 19 | 0 | 1 | |
| PIT | |||||
| Rudy Bukich | 6/11 | 56 | 1 | 1 | |
| Tom Tracy | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Bob Waters | 7 | 27 | 0 | 11 |
| J.D. Smith | 6 | 23 | 0 | 10 |
| Billy Kilmer | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| C.R. Roberts | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Abe Woodson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Brodie | 3 | -14 | 0 | 0 |
| PIT | ||||
| John Henry Johnson | 15 | 103 | 1 | 44 |
| Tom Tracy | 13 | 44 | 0 | 26 |
| Charlie Scales | 7 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| Dick Hoak | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Rudy Bukich | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| R.C. Owens | 6 | 122 | 0 | 40 |
| Monty Stickles | 2 | 85 | 1 | 51 |
| Abe Woodson | 2 | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| J.D. Smith | 2 | -3 | 0 | 4 |
| PIT | ||||
| Preston Carpenter | 2 | 25 | 0 | 13 |
| Tom Tracy | 2 | 18 | 1 | 11 |
| Bob Schnelker | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| John Henry Johnson | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1961 W7 - 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers - Game Thread