The road slate continues against the Atlanta Falcons on 1968-12-15 at Atlanta, Fulton County Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 14.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Atlanta Falcons arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The week of preparation has built toward the matchup against the Atlanta Falcons 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 Atlanta Falcons' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
The slate's Week 14 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 road matchup with the Atlanta Falcons 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 13 games have shown 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 Atlanta Falcons 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 | 11-2 | W4 |
| New York Giants | 7-6 | L3 |
| Washington Redskins | 4-9 | L4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-11 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 10-3 | W8 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 8-4-1 | W3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3-9-1 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-10-1 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 12-1 | W7 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 10-2-1 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6-6-1 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-11 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 7-6 | W2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-6 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5-7-1 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 4-7-2 | W1 |
49ers 7, Atlanta Falcons 949ers 14, Atlanta Falcons 1249ers 14, Atlanta Falcons 1249ers 14, Atlanta Falcons 1249ers 14, Atlanta Falcons 12[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 714141414 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 912121212 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Jimmy Burson 73 yard interception return | 0-6 |
| 49ers | Ken Willard 69 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 7-6 |
| Falcons | Bob Etter 33 yard field goal | 7-9 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Bob Etter 39 yard field goal | 7-12 |
| 49ers | Ken Willard 1 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 14-12 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
The 49ers' offense produced 14 points on the road against the Atlanta Falcons on 1968-12-15. John Brodie went 13 of 27 for 216 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 162 on 25 carries with 2 touchdowns. Dick Witcher caught 4 for 114. On the other side Randy Johnson went 13 of 27 for 148 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Perry Lee Dunn ran for 19 on 7 carries.[1]
San Francisco's offense produced 14 points against the Atlanta Falcons on 1968-12-15. John Brodie went 13 of 27 for 216 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 162 on 25 carries with 2 touchdowns. Dick Witcher caught 4 for 114.
The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the staff has been working through across the calendar's closing 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 Atlanta Falcons 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 14, Atlanta Falcons 12. Margin: plus 2. Box score reads: John Brodie went 13 of 27 for 216 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 162 on 25 carries with 2 touchdowns. Dick Witcher caught 4 for 114. John David Crow caught 3 for 54. On the Atlanta Falcons' side: Randy Johnson went 13 of 27 for 148 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Perry Lee Dunn ran for 19 on 7 carries.
A 14-12 road win at the Atlanta Falcons. 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 216 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 162 on 25 carries with 2 touchdowns. Dick Witcher caught 4 for 114. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Randy Johnson went 13 of 27 for 148 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Atlanta Falcons, and Perry Lee Dunn ran for 19 on 7 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 13 of 27 for 216 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 162 on 25 carries with 2 touchdowns, plus Gary Lewis ran for 60 on 14 carries. Receiver room: Dick Witcher caught 4 for 114, and John David Crow caught 3 for 54.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 13/27 | 216 | 0 | 2 | |
| Clifton McNeil | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| George Mira | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Randy Johnson | 13/27 | 148 | 0 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 25 | 162 | 2 | 69 |
| Gary Lewis | 14 | 60 | 0 | 12 |
| Bill Tucker | 7 | 23 | 0 | 7 |
| Doug Cunningham | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| ATL | ||||
| Perry Lee Dunn | 7 | 19 | 0 | 6 |
| Cannonball Butler | 8 | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| Harmon Wages | 7 | 14 | 0 | 8 |
| Randy Johnson | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Dick Witcher | 4 | 114 | 0 | 39 |
| John David Crow | 3 | 54 | 0 | 33 |
| Clifton McNeil | 2 | 19 | 0 | 12 |
| Ken Willard | 2 | 16 | 0 | 9 |
| Gary Lewis | 2 | 13 | 0 | 14 |
| ATL | ||||
| Ray Ogden | 2 | 75 | 0 | 60 |
| Jerry Simmons | 4 | 37 | 0 | 15 |
| Cannonball Butler | 6 | 25 | 0 | 20 |
| Paul Flatley | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
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 W14 - 49ers at Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
