The home schedule continues against the Atlanta Falcons on 1971-12-12 at Candlestick Park. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 13.
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 calendar's next matchup against the Atlanta Falcons 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 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 13 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 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 12 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 7-5 | W3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5-7 | L2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-8 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 2-9-1 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 9-2-1 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 9-3 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 5-7 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 4-8 | L2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1-11 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 8-3-1 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 7-3-2 | L2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 5-7 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 4-7-1 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 7-4-1 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7-5 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-5-1 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4-6-2 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 9-3 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 7-4-1 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 6-6 | L3 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3-7-2 | T1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 9-3 | W5 |
| Washington Redskins | 8-3-1 | W2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-7-1 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4-7-1 | T1 |
| New York Giants | 4-8 | L3 |
Video missing for this game. If you find one, please report it.
49ers 7, Atlanta Falcons 049ers 21, Atlanta Falcons 349ers 21, Atlanta Falcons 349ers 24, Atlanta Falcons 349ers 24, Atlanta Falcons 3[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 03333 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 721212424 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ken Willard 1 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 0-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Larry Schreiber 23 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 0-14 |
| 49ers | John Brodie 5 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 0-21 |
| Falcons | Bill Bell 18 yard field goal | 3-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 48 yard field goal | 3-24 |
San Francisco won 24-3 at home over the Atlanta Falcons on 1971-12-12. John Brodie went 9 of 18 for 126 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 62 on 22 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 2 for 45. On the other side Bob Berry went 9 of 23 for 80 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Cannonball Butler ran for 14 on 12 carries.[1]
The 49ers' offense produced 24 points against the Atlanta Falcons on 1971-12-12. John Brodie went 9 of 18 for 126 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 62 on 22 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 2 for 45.
The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the staff has been working through across the calendar's closing 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 24, Atlanta Falcons 3. Margin: plus 21. Box score reads: John Brodie went 9 of 18 for 126 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 62 on 22 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 2 for 45. Vic Washington caught 3 for 30. On the Atlanta Falcons' side: Bob Berry went 9 of 23 for 80 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Cannonball Butler ran for 14 on 12 carries.
A 24-3 home win over 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 9 of 18 for 126 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 62 on 22 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 2 for 45. 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 9 of 23 for 80 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for the Atlanta Falcons, and Cannonball Butler ran for 14 on 12 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 9 of 18 for 126 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 62 on 22 carries with 1 touchdown, plus Larry Schreiber ran for 54 on 6 carries. Receiver room: Gene Washington caught 2 for 45, and Vic Washington caught 3 for 30.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 9/18 | 126 | 1 | 1 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Bob Berry | 9/23 | 80 | 0 | 2 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 22 | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| Larry Schreiber | 6 | 54 | 0 | 18 |
| Vic Washington | 13 | 33 | 0 | 13 |
| John Brodie | 2 | 17 | 1 | 12 |
| Ted Kwalick | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| John Isenbarger | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 1 | -8 | 0 | -8 |
| ATL | ||||
| Harmon Wages | 2 | 31 | 0 | 27 |
| Cannonball Butler | 12 | 14 | 0 | 7 |
| Art Malone | 4 | 13 | 0 | 6 |
| Bob Berry | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Sonny Campbell | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Jim Mitchell | 1 | -8 | 0 | -8 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Gene Washington | 2 | 45 | 0 | 27 |
| Vic Washington | 3 | 30 | 0 | 16 |
| Larry Schreiber | 1 | 23 | 1 | 23 |
| Dick Witcher | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Ted Kwalick | 2 | 12 | 0 | 8 |
| ATL | ||||
| Jim Mitchell | 3 | 40 | 0 | 14 |
| Ken Burrow | 2 | 16 | 0 | 9 |
| Harmon Wages | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Art Malone | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Cannonball Butler | 2 | 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 W13 - 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
