San Francisco visits the St. Louis Cardinals on 1971-10-24 at Busch Memorial Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 6.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The St. Louis Cardinals arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The week's NFL schedule has the 49ers facing the St. Louis Cardinals 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 St. Louis Cardinals' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
The slate's Week 6 games 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 St. Louis Cardinals 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.
The first 5 games have shown 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 St. Louis Cardinals 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 | 4-1 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-3 | L2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-4 | L4 |
| Houston Oilers | 0-4-1 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 4-1 | W3 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3-1-1 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 2-3 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 2-3 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-1 | W4 |
| Oakland Raiders | 4-1 | W4 |
| Denver Broncos | 1-3-1 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 3-1-1 | W3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-2 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-2-1 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-3-1 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 4-1 | W4 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4-1 | W3 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-2 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-3 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 5-0 | W5 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 3-2 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 2-3 | L2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 2-3 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-5 | L5 |
49ers 0, St. Louis Cardinals 049ers 10, St. Louis Cardinals 749ers 13, St. Louis Cardinals 749ers 26, St. Louis Cardinals 1449ers 26, St. Louis Cardinals 14[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 010132626 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0771414 |
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 12 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| 49ers | Tommy Hart 63 yard defensive fumble return ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 10-0 |
| Cardinals | Jackie Smith 61 yard pass from Pete Beathard ( Jim Bakken kick) | 10-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 19 yard field goal | 13-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 34 yard field goal | 16-7 |
| Cardinals | John Gilliam 49 yard pass from Pete Beathard ( Jim Bakken kick) | 16-14 |
| 49ers | Dick Witcher 50 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 23-14 |
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 40 yard field goal | 26-14 |
The 49ers' offense produced 26 points on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals on 1971-10-24. John Brodie went 16 of 32 for 226 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 62 on 16 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 3 for 65. On the other side Pete Beathard went 11 of 25 for 212 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. MacArthur Lane ran for 67 on 13 carries.[1]
San Francisco's offense produced 26 points against the St. Louis Cardinals on 1971-10-24. John Brodie went 16 of 32 for 226 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 62 on 16 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 3 for 65.
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 St. Louis Cardinals 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 26, St. Louis Cardinals 14. Margin: plus 12. Box score reads: John Brodie went 16 of 32 for 226 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 62 on 16 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 3 for 65. Dick Witcher caught 3 for 64 with 1 touchdown. On the St. Louis Cardinals' side: Pete Beathard went 11 of 25 for 212 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. MacArthur Lane ran for 67 on 13 carries.
A 26-14 road win at the St. Louis Cardinals. 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 32 for 226 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 62 on 16 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 3 for 65. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Pete Beathard went 11 of 25 for 212 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the St. Louis Cardinals, and MacArthur Lane ran for 67 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 16 of 32 for 226 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Vic Washington ran for 62 on 16 carries, plus Ken Willard ran for 58 on 14 carries. Receiver room: Ted Kwalick caught 3 for 65, and Dick Witcher caught 3 for 64 with 1 touchdown.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 16/32 | 226 | 1 | 0 | |
| STL | |||||
| Pete Beathard | 11/25 | 212 | 2 | 1 | |
| Roy Shivers | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Vic Washington | 16 | 62 | 0 | 15 |
| Ken Willard | 14 | 58 | 0 | 17 |
| Doug Cunningham | 3 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| Ted Kwalick | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| John Brodie | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| STL | ||||
| MacArthur Lane | 13 | 67 | 0 | 22 |
| Roy Shivers | 10 | 41 | 0 | 8 |
| Cid Edwards | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ted Kwalick | 3 | 65 | 0 | 22 |
| Dick Witcher | 3 | 64 | 1 | 50 |
| Doug Cunningham | 3 | 36 | 0 | 28 |
| Vic Washington | 3 | 31 | 0 | 12 |
| Gene Washington | 3 | 26 | 0 | 9 |
| Ken Willard | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| STL | ||||
| Jackie Smith | 3 | 103 | 1 | 61 |
| John Gilliam | 2 | 68 | 1 | 49 |
| Mel Gray | 4 | 46 | 0 | 18 |
| MacArthur Lane | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Bob Reynolds | 1 | -4 | 0 | -4 |
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 W6 - 49ers at St. Louis Cardinals - Game Thread
