San Francisco visits the Baltimore Colts on 1968-09-15 at Memorial Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 1.
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 week's NFL schedule has the 49ers facing 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.
Inside the conference Week 1 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.
Across the first 0 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1968, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Giants | 0-0 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-0 | -- |
| Washington Redskins | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-0 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-0 | -- |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-0 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-0 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0-0 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 0-0 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 0-0 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-0 | -- |
Video missing for this game. If you find one, please report it.
49ers 7, Baltimore Colts 749ers 10, Baltimore Colts 1449ers 10, Baltimore Colts 2449ers 10, Baltimore Colts 2749ers 10, Baltimore Colts 27[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 710101010 |
| Baltimore Colts | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 714242727 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Stan Hindman 25 yard interception return ( Tommy Davis kick) | 7-0 |
| Colts | Tom Matte 1 yard rush ( Lou Michaels kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Colts | Tom Mitchell 8 yard pass from Earl Morrall ( Lou Michaels kick) | 7-14 |
| 49ers | Tommy Davis 38 yard field goal | 10-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Colts | Jimmy Orr 16 yard pass from Earl Morrall ( Lou Michaels kick) | 10-21 |
| Colts | Lou Michaels 22 yard field goal | 10-24 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Colts | Lou Michaels 43 yard field goal | 10-27 |
San Francisco lost 10-27 on the road the Baltimore Colts on 1968-09-15. John Brodie went 23 of 42 for 200 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Gary Lewis ran for 57 on 11 carries. Clifton McNeil caught 4 for 61. On the other side Earl Morrall went 16 of 31 for 198 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Jerry Hill ran for 44 on 11 carries.[1]
The 49ers' home effort ended in a 10-27 loss against the Baltimore Colts on 1968-09-15. John Brodie went 23 of 42 for 200 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Gary Lewis ran for 57 on 11 carries. Clifton McNeil caught 4 for 61.
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 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 10, Baltimore Colts 27. Margin: minus 17. Box score reads: John Brodie went 23 of 42 for 200 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Gary Lewis ran for 57 on 11 carries. Clifton McNeil caught 4 for 61. John David Crow caught 4 for 54. On the Baltimore Colts' side: Earl Morrall went 16 of 31 for 198 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Jerry Hill ran for 44 on 11 carries.
A 10-27 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 23 of 42 for 200 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Gary Lewis ran for 57 on 11 carries. Clifton McNeil caught 4 for 61. 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 16 of 31 for 198 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Baltimore Colts, and Jerry Hill ran for 44 on 11 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1968, 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 23 of 42 for 200 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Gary Lewis ran for 57 on 11 carries, plus Ken Willard ran for 13 on 7 carries. Receiver room: Clifton McNeil caught 4 for 61, and John David Crow caught 4 for 54.
Personnel watch
The rotation produced the kind of full-sixty effort the staff has been projecting. The offensive line's pocket time was the kind that, in calendar 1968, defines the year's pacing. The defensive unit's pressure was the central element of the afternoon.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 23/42 | 200 | 0 | 3 | |
| BAL | |||||
| Earl Morrall | 16/31 | 198 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Gary Lewis | 11 | 57 | 0 | 19 |
| John Brodie | 2 | 13 | 0 | 15 |
| Ken Willard | 7 | 13 | 0 | 5 |
| John David Crow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BAL | ||||
| Jerry Hill | 11 | 44 | 0 | 9 |
| Tom Matte | 12 | 38 | 1 | 11 |
| David Lee | 1 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| Terry Cole | 6 | 17 | 0 | 7 |
| Timmy Brown | 2 | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| Earl Morrall | 3 | 13 | 0 | 11 |
| John Mackey | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Clifton McNeil | 4 | 61 | 0 | 19 |
| John David Crow | 4 | 54 | 0 | 19 |
| Ken Willard | 9 | 39 | 0 | 10 |
| Gary Lewis | 4 | 31 | 0 | 14 |
| Dick Witcher | 2 | 15 | 0 | 13 |
| BAL | ||||
| Jimmy Orr | 4 | 61 | 1 | 25 |
| Tom Matte | 2 | 31 | 0 | 20 |
| John Mackey | 3 | 28 | 0 | 19 |
| Jerry Hill | 2 | 19 | 0 | 14 |
| Timmy Brown | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Ray Perkins | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Willie Richardson | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Tom Mitchell | 1 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Terry Cole | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
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] 1968 W1 - 49ers at Baltimore Colts - Game Thread
