San Francisco visits the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1968-11-24 at Pitt Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 11.
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 week's NFL schedule has the 49ers facing 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 11 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.
10 games into the season 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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 8-2 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 7-3 | W2 |
| Washington Redskins | 4-6 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-10 | L10 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 7-3 | W5 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5-4-1 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3-7 | L4 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-7-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 9-1 | W4 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8-1-1 | T1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 4-5-1 | T1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-8 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 6-4 | W3 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-5 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4-5-1 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-6-1 | L4 |
49ers 14, Pittsburgh Steelers 749ers 35, Pittsburgh Steelers 1449ers 38, Pittsburgh Steelers 1449ers 45, Pittsburgh Steelers 2849ers 45, Pittsburgh Steelers 28[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 14 | 21 | 3 | 7 | 1435384545 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 714142828 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ken Willard 1 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 7-0 |
| Steelers | Roy Jefferson 10 yard pass from Dick Shiner ( Booth Lusteg kick) | 7-7 |
| 49ers | Ken Willard 3 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 14-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | John David Crow 54 yard pass from John Brodie ( Tommy Davis kick) | 21-7 |
| Steelers | Rich Kotite 20 yard pass from Dick Shiner ( Booth Lusteg kick) | 21-14 |
| 49ers | Gary Lewis 16 yard pass from John Brodie ( Tommy Davis kick) | 28-14 |
| 49ers | Kermit Alexander 66 yard interception return ( Tommy Davis kick) | 35-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Tommy Davis 15 yard field goal | 38-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Steelers | Rich Kotite 4 yard pass from Dick Shiner ( Booth Lusteg kick) | 38-21 |
| Steelers | Roy Jefferson 5 yard pass from Dick Shiner ( Booth Lusteg kick) | 38-28 |
| 49ers | Bill Belk 6 yard interception return ( Tommy Davis kick) | 45-28 |
San Francisco's offense produced 45 points on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1968-11-24. John Brodie went 16 of 25 for 282 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 110 on 21 carries with 2 touchdowns. John David Crow caught 4 for 144 with 1 touchdown. On the other side Dick Shiner went 26 of 44 for 287 yards with 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Earl Gros ran for 47 on 12 carries.[1]
The 49ers won 45-28 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1968-11-24. John Brodie went 16 of 25 for 282 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 110 on 21 carries with 2 touchdowns. John David Crow caught 4 for 144 with 1 touchdown.
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 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 45, Pittsburgh Steelers 28. Margin: plus 17. Box score reads: John Brodie went 16 of 25 for 282 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 110 on 21 carries with 2 touchdowns. John David Crow caught 4 for 144 with 1 touchdown. Clifton McNeil caught 4 for 69. On the Pittsburgh Steelers' side: Dick Shiner went 26 of 44 for 287 yards with 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Earl Gros ran for 47 on 12 carries.
A 45-28 road win 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 16 of 25 for 282 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 110 on 21 carries with 2 touchdowns. John David Crow caught 4 for 144 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 Dick Shiner went 26 of 44 for 287 yards with 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Earl Gros ran for 47 on 12 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 16 of 25 for 282 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 110 on 21 carries with 2 touchdowns, plus Gary Lewis ran for 12 on 5 carries. Receiver room: John David Crow caught 4 for 144 with 1 touchdown, and Clifton McNeil caught 4 for 69.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 16/25 | 282 | 2 | 1 | |
| PIT | |||||
| Dick Shiner | 26/44 | 287 | 4 | 5 | |
| Dick Hoak | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 21 | 110 | 2 | 22 |
| Gary Lewis | 5 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| John Brodie | 3 | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| Bill Tucker | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Clifton McNeil | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| PIT | ||||
| Earl Gros | 12 | 47 | 0 | 10 |
| Dick Hoak | 11 | 26 | 0 | 7 |
| Dick Shiner | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| John David Crow | 4 | 144 | 1 | 54 |
| Clifton McNeil | 4 | 69 | 0 | 37 |
| Gary Lewis | 2 | 38 | 1 | 22 |
| Dick Witcher | 4 | 24 | 0 | 10 |
| Ken Willard | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| PIT | ||||
| Roy Jefferson | 8 | 132 | 2 | 40 |
| J.R. Wilburn | 5 | 52 | 0 | 23 |
| Rich Kotite | 5 | 46 | 2 | 20 |
| Earl Gros | 4 | 26 | 0 | 9 |
| Dick Hoak | 3 | 25 | 0 | 22 |
| Don Shy | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
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 W11 - 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers - Game Thread
