The road slate continues against the Los Angeles Rams on 1971-10-10 at Candlestick Park. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 4.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Los Angeles Rams arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The week of preparation has built toward the matchup against the Los Angeles Rams is the kind of home 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 Los Angeles Rams' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
Around the league Week 4 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 home matchup with the Los Angeles Rams 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.
Through 3 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 Los Angeles Rams are tracking their own standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly. A figure to follow: the offensive line's pass-protection rate.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 2-1 | L1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-1 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-2 | L2 |
| Houston Oilers | 0-2-1 | T1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 2-1 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 1-1-1 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 1-2 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 1-2 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0-3 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-1 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2-1 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-2 | L2 |
| Denver Broncos | 0-2-1 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-1 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-1-1 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1-1-1 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-1-1 | T1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 2-1 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-1 | W2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-1 | W2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2-1 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 3-0 | W3 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-1 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 2-1 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 1-2 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-3 | L3 |
49ers 0, Los Angeles Rams 049ers 3, Los Angeles Rams 349ers 13, Los Angeles Rams 1049ers 13, Los Angeles Rams 2049ers 13, Los Angeles Rams 20[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 03102020 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 03131313 |
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 | Bruce Gossett 24 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Rams | David Ray 12 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Gene Howard 4 yard defensive fumble return ( David Ray kick) | 10-3 |
| 49ers | Ted Kwalick 9 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 10-10 |
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 33 yard field goal | 10-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Larry Smith 64 yard rush ( David Ray kick) | 17-13 |
| Rams | David Ray 14 yard field goal | 20-13 |
San Francisco's offense came up short 13-20 at home the Los Angeles Rams on 1971-10-10. John Brodie went 17 of 34 for 152 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 63 on 18 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 5 for 81 with 1 touchdown. On the other side Jerry Rhome went 2 of 11 for 13 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Les Josephson ran for 94 on 14 carries.[1]
San Francisco lost 13-20 against the Los Angeles Rams on 1971-10-10. John Brodie went 17 of 34 for 152 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 63 on 18 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 5 for 81 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 Los Angeles Rams 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 13, Los Angeles Rams 20. Margin: minus 7. Box score reads: John Brodie went 17 of 34 for 152 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 63 on 18 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 5 for 81 with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 4 for 52. On the Los Angeles Rams' side: Jerry Rhome went 2 of 11 for 13 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Les Josephson ran for 94 on 14 carries.
A 13-20 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. 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 152 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 63 on 18 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 5 for 81 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 Jerry Rhome went 2 of 11 for 13 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Los Angeles Rams, and Les Josephson ran for 94 on 14 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 152 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 63 on 18 carries, plus Vic Washington ran for 36 on 10 carries. Receiver room: Ted Kwalick caught 5 for 81 with 1 touchdown, and Gene Washington caught 4 for 52.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 17/34 | 152 | 1 | 2 | |
| RAM | |||||
| Jerry Rhome | 2/11 | 13 | 0 | 1 | |
| Roman Gabriel | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 18 | 63 | 0 | 8 |
| Vic Washington | 10 | 36 | 0 | 15 |
| Doug Cunningham | 3 | 21 | 0 | 12 |
| RAM | ||||
| Les Josephson | 14 | 94 | 0 | 57 |
| Larry Smith | 8 | 89 | 1 | 64 |
| Willie Ellison | 9 | 32 | 0 | 12 |
| Travis Williams | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Jerry Rhome | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ted Kwalick | 5 | 81 | 1 | 25 |
| Gene Washington | 4 | 52 | 0 | 21 |
| Doug Cunningham | 3 | 11 | 0 | 9 |
| Ken Willard | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Vic Washington | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| RAM | ||||
| Larry Smith | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Lance Rentzel | 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] 1971 W4 - 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams - Game Thread