San Francisco visits the Atlanta Falcons on 1971-09-19 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 1971, 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 | 0-0 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-0 | -- |
| Houston Oilers | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 0-0 | -- |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-0 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-0 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Jets | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 0-0 | -- |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-0 | -- |
| Oakland Raiders | 0-0 | -- |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-0 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-0 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 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 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Giants | 0-0 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-0 | -- |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-0 | -- |
| Washington Redskins | 0-0 | -- |
49ers 0, Atlanta Falcons 349ers 7, Atlanta Falcons 1049ers 7, Atlanta Falcons 2049ers 17, Atlanta Falcons 2049ers 17, Atlanta Falcons 20[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0771717 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 310202020 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Bill Bell 23 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jimmy Thomas 25 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 7-3 |
| Falcons | Ken Burrow 10 yard pass from Bob Berry ( Bill Bell kick) | 7-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Bill Bell 23 yard field goal | 7-13 |
| Falcons | Ken Burrow 35 yard pass from Bob Berry ( Bill Bell kick) | 7-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 28 yard field goal | 10-20 |
| 49ers | Ted Kwalick 33 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 17-20 |
San Francisco lost 17-20 on the road the Atlanta Falcons on 1971-09-19. John Brodie went 17 of 34 for 225 yards with 1 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 79 on 17 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 97 with 1 touchdown. On the other side Bob Berry went 16 of 21 for 185 yards with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Art Malone ran for 40 on 13 carries.[1]
The 49ers' home effort ended in a 17-20 loss against the Atlanta Falcons on 1971-09-19. John Brodie went 17 of 34 for 225 yards with 1 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 79 on 17 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 97 with 1 touchdown.
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 17, Atlanta Falcons 20. Margin: minus 3. Box score reads: John Brodie went 17 of 34 for 225 yards with 1 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 79 on 17 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 97 with 1 touchdown. Ken Willard caught 2 for 32. On the Atlanta Falcons' side: Bob Berry went 16 of 21 for 185 yards with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Art Malone ran for 40 on 13 carries.
A 17-20 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 17 of 34 for 225 yards with 1 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 79 on 17 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 97 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 Bob Berry went 16 of 21 for 185 yards with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions for the Atlanta Falcons, and Art Malone ran for 40 on 13 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1971, 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 17 of 34 for 225 yards with 1 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 79 on 17 carries, plus Vic Washington ran for 32 on 6 carries. Receiver room: Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 97 with 1 touchdown, and Ken Willard caught 2 for 32.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 17/34 | 225 | 1 | 4 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Bob Berry | 16/21 | 185 | 2 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 17 | 79 | 0 | 16 |
| Vic Washington | 6 | 32 | 0 | 9 |
| Doug Cunningham | 5 | 27 | 0 | 11 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 1 | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| John Brodie | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| ATL | ||||
| Art Malone | 13 | 40 | 0 | 6 |
| Cannonball Butler | 11 | 31 | 0 | 6 |
| Sonny Campbell | 8 | 23 | 0 | 6 |
| Harmon Wages | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Bob Berry | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ted Kwalick | 6 | 97 | 1 | 33 |
| Ken Willard | 2 | 32 | 0 | 29 |
| Doug Cunningham | 3 | 24 | 0 | 9 |
| Gene Washington | 2 | 24 | 0 | 14 |
| Dick Witcher | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 2 | 21 | 0 | 14 |
| Vic Washington | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| ATL | ||||
| Ken Burrow | 3 | 67 | 2 | 35 |
| Art Malone | 4 | 46 | 0 | 26 |
| Wes Chesson | 4 | 29 | 0 | 17 |
| Harmon Wages | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| Jim Mitchell | 3 | 16 | 0 | 8 |
| Cannonball Butler | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
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] 1971 W1 - 49ers at Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread