San Francisco hosts the Kansas City Chiefs on 1971-12-06 at Candlestick Park. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 12.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Kansas City Chiefs arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The 49ers' season continues with the matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs 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 Kansas City Chiefs' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
Around the league Week 12 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 Kansas City Chiefs 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 11 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 Kansas City Chiefs 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 | 6-5 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5-6 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-7 | W3 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-9-1 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 9-1-1 | W8 |
| Baltimore Colts | 8-3 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 4-7 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 4-7 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 7-2-2 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7-3-1 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4-7 | L2 |
| Denver Broncos | 3-7-1 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 7-4 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6-4-1 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 5-5-1 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4-5-2 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 9-2 | W3 |
| Detroit Lions | 7-3-1 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 6-5 | L2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3-7-1 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 8-3 | W4 |
| Washington Redskins | 7-3-1 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 4-7 | L2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4-7 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3-7-1 | L1 |
49ers 3, Kansas City Chiefs 049ers 10, Kansas City Chiefs 1649ers 10, Kansas City Chiefs 2349ers 17, Kansas City Chiefs 2649ers 17, Kansas City Chiefs 26[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 016232626 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 310101717 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 18 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | Jan Stenerud 15 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Chiefs | Otis Taylor 46 yard pass from Len Dawson ( Jan Stenerud kick) | 10-3 |
| Chiefs | Jan Stenerud 54 yard field goal | 13-3 |
| 49ers | Ted Kwalick 35 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 13-10 |
| Chiefs | Jan Stenerud 12 yard field goal | 16-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | Otis Taylor 25 yard rush ( Jan Stenerud kick) | 23-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Vic Washington 3 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 23-17 |
| Chiefs | Jan Stenerud 8 yard field goal | 26-17 |
The 49ers' road effort ended in a 17-26 loss at home the Kansas City Chiefs on 1971-12-06. John Brodie went 20 of 32 for 229 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 43 on 12 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 3 for 73. On the other side Len Dawson went 16 of 28 for 263 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ed Podolak ran for 75 on 17 carries.[1]
San Francisco's offense came up short 17-26 against the Kansas City Chiefs on 1971-12-06. John Brodie went 20 of 32 for 229 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 43 on 12 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 3 for 73.
The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the staff has been working through across the calendar's middle 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 Kansas City Chiefs 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, Kansas City Chiefs 26. Margin: minus 9. Box score reads: John Brodie went 20 of 32 for 229 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 43 on 12 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 3 for 73. Vic Washington caught 7 for 62. On the Kansas City Chiefs' side: Len Dawson went 16 of 28 for 263 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Ed Podolak ran for 75 on 17 carries.
A 17-26 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. 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 32 for 229 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 43 on 12 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 3 for 73. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Len Dawson went 16 of 28 for 263 yards with 1 touchdowns and 0 interceptions for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Ed Podolak ran for 75 on 17 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 32 for 229 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Vic Washington ran for 43 on 12 carries with 1 touchdown, plus Ken Willard ran for 18 on 8 carries. Receiver room: Gene Washington caught 3 for 73, and Vic Washington caught 7 for 62.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 20/32 | 229 | 1 | 1 | |
| KAN | |||||
| Len Dawson | 16/28 | 263 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Vic Washington | 12 | 43 | 1 | 12 |
| Ted Kwalick | 1 | 28 | 0 | 28 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 1 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| Ken Willard | 8 | 18 | 0 | 5 |
| Larry Schreiber | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| KAN | ||||
| Ed Podolak | 17 | 75 | 0 | 14 |
| Wendell Hayes | 17 | 66 | 0 | 22 |
| Otis Taylor | 1 | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Jim Otis | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Gene Washington | 3 | 73 | 0 | 53 |
| Vic Washington | 7 | 62 | 0 | 18 |
| Ted Kwalick | 5 | 58 | 1 | 35 |
| Ken Willard | 3 | 14 | 0 | 16 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Doug Cunningham | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| KAN | ||||
| Otis Taylor | 5 | 81 | 1 | 46 |
| Elmo Wright | 4 | 76 | 0 | 29 |
| Morris Stroud | 2 | 67 | 0 | 54 |
| Wendell Hayes | 2 | 19 | 0 | 10 |
| Sid Smith | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Ed Podolak | 2 | 8 | 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 W12 - 49ers vs Kansas City Chiefs - Game Thread
