San Francisco hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1965-09-26 at Kezar Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 2.
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 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 Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
The slate's Week 2 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 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.
The first 1 games have shown the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1965, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 1-0 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 1-0 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-0 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 0-1 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-1 | L1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-1 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 1-0 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 1-0 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 0-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-1 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-1 | L1 |
Video missing for this game. If you find one, please report it.
49ers 7, Pittsburgh Steelers 749ers 13, Pittsburgh Steelers 749ers 20, Pittsburgh Steelers 1749ers 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 1749ers 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 77171717 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 713202727 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | John David Crow 49 yard pass from John Brodie ( Tommy Davis kick) | 0-7 |
| Steelers | Dick Hoak 1 yard rush ( Mike Clark kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Tommy Davis 37 yard field goal | 7-10 |
| 49ers | Tommy Davis 27 yard field goal | 7-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Mike Clark 32 yard field goal | 10-13 |
| 49ers | Ken Willard 9 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 10-20 |
| Steelers | John Campbell 15 yard defensive fumble return ( Mike Clark kick) | 17-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | John Brodie 4 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 17-27 |
The 49ers' offense produced 27 points at home over the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1965-09-26. John Brodie went 16 of 20 for 236 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 88 on 19 carries with 1 touchdown. John David Crow caught 3 for 90 with 1 touchdown. On the other side Bill Nelsen went 10 of 20 for 174 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Mike Lind ran for 49 on 15 carries.[1]
San Francisco's offense produced 27 points against the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1965-09-26. John Brodie went 16 of 20 for 236 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 88 on 19 carries with 1 touchdown. John David Crow caught 3 for 90 with 1 touchdown.
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 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17. Margin: plus 10. Box score reads: John Brodie went 16 of 20 for 236 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 88 on 19 carries with 1 touchdown. John David Crow caught 3 for 90 with 1 touchdown. Bernie Casey caught 5 for 69. On the Pittsburgh Steelers' side: Bill Nelsen went 10 of 20 for 174 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Mike Lind ran for 49 on 15 carries.
A 27-17 home win over 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 16 of 20 for 236 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 88 on 19 carries with 1 touchdown. John David Crow caught 3 for 90 with 1 touchdown. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Bill Nelsen went 10 of 20 for 174 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Mike Lind ran for 49 on 15 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1965, 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 16 of 20 for 236 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 88 on 19 carries with 1 touchdown, plus Dave Kopay ran for 49 on 8 carries. Receiver room: John David Crow caught 3 for 90 with 1 touchdown, and Bernie Casey caught 5 for 69.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 16/20 | 236 | 1 | 0 | |
| PIT | |||||
| Bill Nelsen | 10/20 | 174 | 0 | 2 | |
| Ed Brown | 1/3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 19 | 88 | 1 | 12 |
| Dave Kopay | 8 | 49 | 0 | 10 |
| John David Crow | 9 | 25 | 0 | 11 |
| John Brodie | 4 | 23 | 1 | 11 |
| Gary Lewis | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| PIT | ||||
| Mike Lind | 15 | 49 | 0 | 8 |
| Dick Hoak | 10 | 26 | 1 | 13 |
| Bill Nelsen | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cannonball Butler | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| John David Crow | 3 | 90 | 1 | 49 |
| Bernie Casey | 5 | 69 | 0 | 23 |
| Monty Stickles | 4 | 47 | 0 | 22 |
| Dave Parks | 2 | 19 | 0 | 17 |
| Dave Kopay | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Ken Willard | 1 | -3 | 0 | -3 |
| PIT | ||||
| Gary Ballman | 3 | 55 | 0 | 21 |
| Mike Lind | 4 | 49 | 0 | 25 |
| Roy Jefferson | 1 | 43 | 0 | 43 |
| Dick Hoak | 1 | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| Paul Martha | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Red Mack | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1965 W2 - 49ers vs Pittsburgh Steelers - Game Thread