San Francisco visits the Atlanta Falcons on 1969-09-21 at Atlanta 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 Atlanta Falcons arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The week's NFL schedule has the 49ers facing 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.
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 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.
Across the first 0 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1969, 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 | 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 | -- |
49ers 3, Atlanta Falcons 349ers 5, Atlanta Falcons 1049ers 5, Atlanta Falcons 1749ers 12, Atlanta Falcons 2449ers 12, Atlanta Falcons 24[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3551212 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 310172424 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Tommy Davis 29 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| Falcons | Bob Etter 16 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Safety, center snap out of end zone | 5-3 |
| Falcons | Jim Mitchell 13 yard pass from Bob Berry ( Bob Etter kick) | 5-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Jim Mitchell 42 yard pass from Bob Berry ( Bob Etter kick) | 5-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Paul Gipson 9 yard rush ( Bob Etter kick) | 5-24 |
| 49ers | Ken Willard 1 yard rush ( Tommy Davis kick) | 12-24 |
San Francisco lost 12-24 on the road the Atlanta Falcons on 1969-09-21. John Brodie went 21 of 39 for 212 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 71 on 21 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 6 for 92. On the other side Bob Berry went 7 of 12 for 102 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Paul Gipson ran for 69 on 5 carries with 1 touchdown.[1]
The 49ers' home effort ended in a 12-24 loss against the Atlanta Falcons on 1969-09-21. John Brodie went 21 of 39 for 212 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 71 on 21 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 6 for 92.
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 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 12, Atlanta Falcons 24. Margin: minus 12. Box score reads: John Brodie went 21 of 39 for 212 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 71 on 21 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 6 for 92. Bob Windsor caught 2 for 33. On the Atlanta Falcons' side: Bob Berry went 7 of 12 for 102 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Paul Gipson ran for 69 on 5 carries with 1 touchdown.
A 12-24 road loss 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 21 of 39 for 212 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 71 on 21 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 6 for 92. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Bob Berry went 7 of 12 for 102 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Atlanta Falcons, and Paul Gipson ran for 69 on 5 carries with 1 touchdown.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1969, 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 21 of 39 for 212 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 71 on 21 carries with 1 touchdown, plus John Brodie ran for 25 on 3 carries. Receiver room: Gene Washington caught 6 for 92, and Bob Windsor caught 2 for 33.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 21/39 | 212 | 0 | 3 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Bob Berry | 7/12 | 102 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 21 | 71 | 1 | 11 |
| John Brodie | 3 | 25 | 0 | 15 |
| Doug Cunningham | 7 | 19 | 0 | 9 |
| Tommy Davis | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| ATL | ||||
| Paul Gipson | 5 | 69 | 1 | 33 |
| Junior Coffey | 13 | 52 | 0 | 16 |
| Bob Berry | 4 | 48 | 0 | 30 |
| Jim Mitchell | 1 | 40 | 0 | 40 |
| Cannonball Butler | 10 | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| Harmon Wages | 3 | -1 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Gene Washington | 6 | 92 | 0 | 44 |
| Bob Windsor | 2 | 33 | 0 | 17 |
| Doug Cunningham | 6 | 27 | 0 | 12 |
| Gene Moore | 1 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| Ken Willard | 4 | 20 | 0 | 7 |
| Dick Witcher | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Earl Edwards | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| ATL | ||||
| Jim Mitchell | 3 | 77 | 2 | 42 |
| Paul Flatley | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Jerry Simmons | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Junior Coffey | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Harmon Wages | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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] 1969 W1 - 49ers at Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
