The home schedule continues against the Atlanta Falcons on 1970-10-04 at Atlanta Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 3.
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 calendar's next 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 NFL's Week 3 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 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.
2 games into the season the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1970, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-1 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1-1 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-1 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 1-1 | L1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 1-1 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 1-1 | W1 |
| Boston Patriots | 0-0 | -- |
| Buffalo Bills | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 2-0 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1-1 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 0-1-1 | T1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-1-1 | T1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 2-0 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-1 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 2-0 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-0 | W2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2-0 | W2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-0 | W2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 1-1 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 0-2 | L2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-2 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 0-2 | L2 |
49ers 0, Atlanta Falcons 049ers 7, Atlanta Falcons 749ers 17, Atlanta Falcons 749ers 20, Atlanta Falcons 2149ers 20, Atlanta Falcons 21[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 07172020 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0772121 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ken Willard 3 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 7-0 |
| Falcons | Cannonball Butler 3 yard pass from Bob Berry ( Ken Vinyard kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bob Windsor 1 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 14-7 |
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 27 yard field goal | 17-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Jim Mitchell 9 yard pass from Bob Berry ( Ken Vinyard kick) | 17-14 |
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 43 yard field goal | 20-14 |
| Falcons | Gail Cogdill 7 yard pass from Bob Berry ( Ken Vinyard kick) | 20-21 |
The 49ers' home effort ended in a 20-21 loss on the road the Atlanta Falcons on 1970-10-04. John Brodie went 16 of 27 for 182 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 90 on 25 carries with 1 touchdown. Preston Riley caught 4 for 90. On the other side Bob Berry went 17 of 32 for 217 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Cannonball Butler ran for 127 on 17 carries.[1]
The 49ers lost 20-21 against the Atlanta Falcons on 1970-10-04. John Brodie went 16 of 27 for 182 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 90 on 25 carries with 1 touchdown. Preston Riley caught 4 for 90.
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 20, Atlanta Falcons 21. Margin: minus 1. Box score reads: John Brodie went 16 of 27 for 182 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 90 on 25 carries with 1 touchdown. Preston Riley caught 4 for 90. Gene Washington caught 4 for 37. On the Atlanta Falcons' side: Bob Berry went 17 of 32 for 217 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Cannonball Butler ran for 127 on 17 carries.
A 20-21 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 16 of 27 for 182 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 90 on 25 carries with 1 touchdown. Preston Riley caught 4 for 90. 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 17 of 32 for 217 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions for the Atlanta Falcons, and Cannonball Butler ran for 127 on 17 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1970, 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 27 for 182 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 90 on 25 carries with 1 touchdown, plus Doug Cunningham ran for 69 on 14 carries. Receiver room: Preston Riley caught 4 for 90, and Gene Washington caught 4 for 37.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 16/27 | 182 | 1 | 0 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Bob Berry | 17/32 | 217 | 3 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 25 | 90 | 1 | 14 |
| Doug Cunningham | 14 | 69 | 0 | 12 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| ATL | ||||
| Cannonball Butler | 17 | 127 | 0 | 33 |
| Art Malone | 6 | 17 | 0 | 8 |
| Sonny Campbell | 2 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| Harmon Wages | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Bob Berry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Preston Riley | 4 | 90 | 0 | 68 |
| Gene Washington | 4 | 37 | 0 | 14 |
| Doug Cunningham | 4 | 29 | 0 | 9 |
| Bob Windsor | 2 | 17 | 1 | 16 |
| Ken Willard | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Bill Tucker | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| ATL | ||||
| Paul Flatley | 6 | 99 | 0 | 30 |
| Jim Mitchell | 6 | 77 | 1 | 29 |
| Gail Cogdill | 3 | 33 | 1 | 16 |
| Cannonball Butler | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
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] 1970 W3 - 49ers at Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
