San Francisco hosts the Baltimore Colts on 1961-12-03 at Memorial Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 12.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Baltimore Colts arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The 49ers' season continues with the matchup against the Baltimore Colts 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 Baltimore Colts' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
Around the league Week 12 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 Baltimore Colts 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 11 games 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 Baltimore Colts 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 | 9-2 | W4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8-3 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-4 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5-6 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-6-1 | L1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4-7 | L3 |
| Washington Redskins | 0-10-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 9-2 | W3 |
| Detroit Lions | 6-4-1 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6-4-1 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 6-5 | W1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 6-5 | W2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 3-8 | L2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2-9 | L2 |
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49ers 0, Baltimore Colts 749ers 10, Baltimore Colts 1049ers 10, Baltimore Colts 1049ers 17, Baltimore Colts 2049ers 17, Baltimore Colts 20[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 010101717 |
| Baltimore Colts | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 710102020 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Colts | Alex Hawkins 1 yard rush ( Steve Myhra kick) | 0-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Tommy Davis 11 yard field goal | 3-7 |
| 49ers | Monty Stickles 15 yard pass from John Brodie ( Tommy Davis kick) | 10-7 |
| Colts | Steve Myhra 32 yard field goal | 10-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | J.D. Smith 3 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 17-10 |
| Colts | Steve Myhra 23 yard field goal | 17-13 |
| Colts | Jimmy Orr 41 yard pass from Johnny Unitas ( Steve Myhra kick) | 17-20 |
The 49ers' road effort ended in a 17-20 loss on the road the Baltimore Colts on 1961-12-03. John Brodie went 13 of 27 for 176 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. C.R. Roberts ran for 56 on 10 carries. R.C. Owens caught 3 for 48. On the other side Johnny Unitas went 15 of 27 for 216 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Alex Hawkins ran for 68 on 9 carries with 1 touchdown.[1]
San Francisco's offense came up short 17-20 against the Baltimore Colts on 1961-12-03. John Brodie went 13 of 27 for 176 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. C.R. Roberts ran for 56 on 10 carries. R.C. Owens caught 3 for 48.
The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the staff has been working through across the calendar's middle 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 Baltimore Colts 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 17, Baltimore Colts 20. Margin: minus 3. Box score reads: John Brodie went 13 of 27 for 176 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. C.R. Roberts ran for 56 on 10 carries. R.C. Owens caught 3 for 48. J.D. Smith caught 3 for 46. On the Baltimore Colts' side: Johnny Unitas went 15 of 27 for 216 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Alex Hawkins ran for 68 on 9 carries with 1 touchdown.
A 17-20 road loss at the Baltimore Colts. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
John Brodie went 13 of 27 for 176 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. C.R. Roberts ran for 56 on 10 carries. R.C. Owens caught 3 for 48. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Johnny Unitas went 15 of 27 for 216 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Baltimore Colts, and Alex Hawkins ran for 68 on 9 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 13 of 27 for 176 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: C.R. Roberts ran for 56 on 10 carries, plus J.D. Smith ran for 51 on 19 carries with 1 touchdown. Receiver room: R.C. Owens caught 3 for 48, and J.D. Smith caught 3 for 46.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 13/27 | 176 | 1 | 2 | |
| Billy Kilmer | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| BAL | |||||
| Johnny Unitas | 15/27 | 216 | 1 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| C.R. Roberts | 10 | 56 | 0 | 27 |
| J.D. Smith | 19 | 51 | 1 | 9 |
| John Brodie | 3 | 41 | 0 | 29 |
| BAL | ||||
| Alex Hawkins | 9 | 68 | 1 | 39 |
| Lenny Moore | 11 | 41 | 0 | 11 |
| Joe Perry | 7 | 29 | 0 | 12 |
| Johnny Unitas | 4 | 11 | 0 | 9 |
| Mark Smolinski | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| R.C. Owens | 3 | 48 | 0 | 21 |
| J.D. Smith | 3 | 46 | 0 | 16 |
| Bernie Casey | 3 | 40 | 0 | 19 |
| Aaron Thomas | 3 | 27 | 0 | 14 |
| Monty Stickles | 1 | 15 | 1 | 15 |
| BAL | ||||
| Raymond Berry | 8 | 71 | 0 | 16 |
| Joe Perry | 4 | 48 | 0 | 27 |
| Lenny Moore | 1 | 43 | 0 | 43 |
| Jimmy Orr | 1 | 41 | 1 | 41 |
| Alex Hawkins | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1961 W12 - 49ers at Baltimore Colts - Game Thread