The 49ers face the Chicago Bears on 1971-10-17 at Candlestick Park. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 5.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Chicago Bears arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The Sunday matchup against the Chicago Bears 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 Chicago Bears' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
Inside the conference Week 5 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 Chicago Bears 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 4 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 Chicago Bears 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 | 3-1 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-2 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-3 | L3 |
| Houston Oilers | 0-3-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 3-1 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 2-1-1 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 2-2 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 1-3 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-1 | W3 |
| Oakland Raiders | 3-1 | W3 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-3 | L3 |
| Denver Broncos | 0-3-1 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 2-1-1 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-2 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-2-1 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-2-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 3-1 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-1 | W3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3-1 | W2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-2 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 4-0 | W4 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3-1 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 2-2 | L1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 2-2 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-4 | L4 |
49ers 3, Chicago Bears 049ers 6, Chicago Bears 049ers 6, Chicago Bears 049ers 13, Chicago Bears 049ers 13, Chicago Bears 0[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00000 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3661313 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 9 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 15 yard field goal | 0-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Gene Washington 12 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 0-13 |
San Francisco won 13-0 at home over the Chicago Bears on 1971-10-17. John Brodie went 20 of 35 for 213 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 83 on 19 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 61. On the other side Kent Nix went 13 of 38 for 148 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Don Shy ran for 36 on 4 carries.[1]
The 49ers' offense produced 13 points against the Chicago Bears on 1971-10-17. John Brodie went 20 of 35 for 213 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 83 on 19 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 61.
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 Chicago Bears 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, Chicago Bears 0. Margin: plus 13. Box score reads: John Brodie went 20 of 35 for 213 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 83 on 19 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 61. Gene Washington caught 5 for 60 with 1 touchdown. On the Chicago Bears' side: Kent Nix went 13 of 38 for 148 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Don Shy ran for 36 on 4 carries.
A 13-0 home win over the Chicago Bears. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
John Brodie went 20 of 35 for 213 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 83 on 19 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 61. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Kent Nix went 13 of 38 for 148 yards with 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions for the Chicago Bears, and Don Shy ran for 36 on 4 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 20 of 35 for 213 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 83 on 19 carries, plus Larry Schreiber ran for 36 on 11 carries. Receiver room: Ted Kwalick caught 6 for 61, and Gene Washington caught 5 for 60 with 1 touchdown.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 20/35 | 213 | 1 | 2 | |
| CHI | |||||
| Kent Nix | 13/38 | 148 | 0 | 3 | |
| Bobby Douglass | 2/3 | 31 | 0 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 19 | 83 | 0 | 21 |
| Larry Schreiber | 11 | 36 | 0 | 6 |
| Vic Washington | 9 | 35 | 0 | 12 |
| Doug Cunningham | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| CHI | ||||
| Don Shy | 4 | 36 | 0 | 19 |
| Jim Grabowski | 4 | 11 | 0 | 7 |
| Gale Sayers | 5 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| Cyril Pinder | 5 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ted Kwalick | 6 | 61 | 0 | 18 |
| Gene Washington | 5 | 60 | 1 | 20 |
| Ken Willard | 3 | 35 | 0 | 33 |
| Dick Witcher | 2 | 35 | 0 | 21 |
| Vic Washington | 4 | 22 | 0 | 21 |
| CHI | ||||
| Dick Gordon | 4 | 62 | 0 | 25 |
| Bob Wallace | 3 | 55 | 0 | 27 |
| George Farmer | 4 | 43 | 0 | 14 |
| Jim Grabowski | 2 | 12 | 0 | 8 |
| Earl Thomas | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Cyril Pinder | 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] 1971 W5 - 49ers vs Chicago Bears - Game Thread
