The road slate continues against the Detroit Lions on 1971-12-19 at Candlestick Park. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 14.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Detroit Lions arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The week of preparation has built toward the matchup against the Detroit Lions 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 Detroit Lions' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
The slate's Week 14 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 home matchup with the Detroit Lions 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 13 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 Detroit Lions 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 | 8-5 | W4 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-7 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-9 | L2 |
| Houston Oilers | 3-9-1 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 10-3 | W3 |
| Miami Dolphins | 9-3-1 | L2 |
| New England Patriots | 5-8 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 5-8 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 1-12 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9-3-1 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 7-4-2 | L3 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-7 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos | 4-8-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 8-5 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 7-5-1 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-6-1 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4-7-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 10-3 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 7-5-1 | L2 |
| Chicago Bears | 6-7 | L4 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4-7-2 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 10-3 | W6 |
| Washington Redskins | 9-3-1 | W3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5-7-1 | W2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4-8-1 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 4-9 | L4 |
1971 - Week 14 - Lions at 49ers - FULL GAME - Lon Simmons Radio/Video Merge
49ers vs Lions 1971 SF31-DET27 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #detroitlions 13
49ers vs Lions 1971 SF31-DET27 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #detroitlions 15
49ers vs Lions 1971 SF31-DET27 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #detroitlions
49ers vs Lions 1971 SF31-DET27 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #detroitlions 28
49ers vs Lions 1971 SF31-DET27 #49ersfan #49ersfaithful #detroitlions 2649ers 7, Detroit Lions 349ers 17, Detroit Lions 1349ers 24, Detroit Lions 2749ers 31, Detroit Lions 2749ers 31, Detroit Lions 27[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 313272727 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 717243131 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Errol Mann 31 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| 49ers | Dick Witcher 12 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 3-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Errol Mann 39 yard field goal | 6-7 |
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 39 yard field goal | 6-10 |
| 49ers | Ken Willard 10 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 6-17 |
| Lions | Altie Taylor 14 yard rush ( Errol Mann kick) | 13-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Steve Owens 1 yard rush ( Errol Mann kick) | 20-17 |
| 49ers | Gene Washington 30 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 20-24 |
| Lions | Charlie Sanders 6 yard pass from Greg Landry ( Errol Mann kick) | 27-24 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | John Brodie 10 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 27-31 |
The 49ers' offense produced 31 points at home over the Detroit Lions on 1971-12-19. John Brodie went 14 of 20 for 186 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 81 on 15 carries. Gene Washington caught 3 for 76 with 1 touchdown. On the other side Greg Landry went 9 of 18 for 176 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Steve Owens ran for 59 on 16 carries with 1 touchdown.[1]
San Francisco's offense produced 31 points against the Detroit Lions on 1971-12-19. John Brodie went 14 of 20 for 186 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 81 on 15 carries. Gene Washington caught 3 for 76 with 1 touchdown.
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 Detroit Lions 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 31, Detroit Lions 27. Margin: plus 4. Box score reads: John Brodie went 14 of 20 for 186 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 81 on 15 carries. Gene Washington caught 3 for 76 with 1 touchdown. Dick Witcher caught 3 for 37 with 1 touchdown. On the Detroit Lions' side: Greg Landry went 9 of 18 for 176 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Steve Owens ran for 59 on 16 carries with 1 touchdown.
A 31-27 home win over the Detroit Lions. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
John Brodie went 14 of 20 for 186 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Ken Willard ran for 81 on 15 carries. Gene Washington caught 3 for 76 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 Greg Landry went 9 of 18 for 176 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Detroit Lions, and Steve Owens ran for 59 on 16 carries with 1 touchdown.
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 14 of 20 for 186 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Ken Willard ran for 81 on 15 carries, plus Larry Schreiber ran for 42 on 7 carries. Receiver room: Gene Washington caught 3 for 76 with 1 touchdown, and Dick Witcher caught 3 for 37 with 1 touchdown.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 14/20 | 186 | 3 | 1 | |
| DET | |||||
| Greg Landry | 9/18 | 176 | 1 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ken Willard | 15 | 81 | 0 | 12 |
| Larry Schreiber | 7 | 42 | 0 | 23 |
| Vic Washington | 14 | 38 | 0 | 12 |
| John Brodie | 1 | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| DET | ||||
| Steve Owens | 16 | 59 | 1 | 12 |
| Altie Taylor | 10 | 51 | 1 | 14 |
| Greg Landry | 5 | 25 | 0 | 13 |
| Mel Farr | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Earl McCullouch | 1 | -7 | 0 | -7 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Gene Washington | 3 | 76 | 1 | 32 |
| Dick Witcher | 3 | 37 | 1 | 21 |
| Ted Kwalick | 3 | 32 | 0 | 24 |
| Ken Willard | 3 | 24 | 1 | 10 |
| Larry Schreiber | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Vic Washington | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| DET | ||||
| Earl McCullouch | 2 | 81 | 0 | 56 |
| Ron Jessie | 1 | 51 | 0 | 51 |
| Larry Walton | 2 | 27 | 0 | 14 |
| Charlie Sanders | 2 | 19 | 1 | 13 |
| Altie Taylor | 2 | -2 | 0 | 5 |
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