San Francisco visits the San Diego Chargers on 1972-09-17 at Candlestick Park. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 1.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The San Diego Chargers arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The week's NFL schedule has the 49ers facing the San Diego Chargers 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 San Diego Chargers' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
Inside the conference Week 1 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 San Diego Chargers 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 0 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1972, 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 San Diego Chargers are tracking their own standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly. A figure to follow: the offensive line's pass-protection rate.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-0 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-0 | -- |
| Houston Oilers | 0-0 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 0-0 | -- |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-0 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-0 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Jets | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 0-0 | -- |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-0 | -- |
| Oakland Raiders | 0-0 | -- |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0-0 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 0-0 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-0 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0-0 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 0-0 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 0-0 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-0 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 0-0 | -- |
| New York Giants | 0-0 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-0 | -- |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-0 | -- |
| Washington Redskins | 0-0 | -- |
49ers 7, San Diego Chargers 349ers 24, San Diego Chargers 349ers 31, San Diego Chargers 349ers 34, San Diego Chargers 349ers 34, San Diego Chargers 3[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33333 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 724313434 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Gene Washington 13 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 0-7 |
| Chargers | Dennis Partee 30 yard field goal | 3-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 43 yard field goal | 3-10 |
| 49ers | Gene Washington 23 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 3-17 |
| 49ers | Gene Washington 45 yard pass from John Brodie ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 3-24 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jimmy Thomas 4 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 3-31 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 20 yard field goal | 3-34 |
San Francisco won 34-3 at home over the San Diego Chargers on 1972-09-17. John Brodie went 11 of 19 for 156 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Jimmy Thomas ran for 64 on 13 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 8 for 140 with 3 touchdowns. On the other side John Hadl went 11 of 25 for 109 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Mike Garrett ran for 80 on 19 carries.[1]
The 49ers' offense produced 34 points against the San Diego Chargers on 1972-09-17. John Brodie went 11 of 19 for 156 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Jimmy Thomas ran for 64 on 13 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 8 for 140 with 3 touchdowns.
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 San Diego Chargers 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 34, San Diego Chargers 3. Margin: plus 31. Box score reads: John Brodie went 11 of 19 for 156 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Jimmy Thomas ran for 64 on 13 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 8 for 140 with 3 touchdowns. Larry Schreiber caught 2 for 17. On the San Diego Chargers' side: John Hadl went 11 of 25 for 109 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Mike Garrett ran for 80 on 19 carries.
A 34-3 home win over the San Diego Chargers. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
John Brodie went 11 of 19 for 156 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Jimmy Thomas ran for 64 on 13 carries with 1 touchdown. Gene Washington caught 8 for 140 with 3 touchdowns. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side John Hadl went 11 of 25 for 109 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for the San Diego Chargers, and Mike Garrett ran for 80 on 19 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1972, 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 11 of 19 for 156 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Jimmy Thomas ran for 64 on 13 carries with 1 touchdown, plus Doug Cunningham ran for 31 on 7 carries. Receiver room: Gene Washington caught 8 for 140 with 3 touchdowns, and Larry Schreiber caught 2 for 17.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 11/19 | 156 | 3 | 1 | |
| Steve Spurrier | 2/6 | 32 | 0 | 1 | |
| SDG | |||||
| John Hadl | 11/25 | 109 | 0 | 2 | |
| Wayne Clark | 2/5 | 67 | 0 | 2 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jimmy Thomas | 13 | 64 | 1 | 20 |
| Doug Cunningham | 7 | 31 | 0 | 12 |
| Larry Schreiber | 11 | 13 | 0 | 6 |
| Ted Kwalick | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Ken Willard | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| John Isenbarger | 1 | -3 | 0 | -3 |
| SDG | ||||
| Mike Garrett | 19 | 80 | 0 | 18 |
| Jesse Taylor | 3 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| Lee White | 6 | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| John Hadl | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Wayne Clark | 1 | -3 | 0 | -3 |
| Chuck Dicus | 1 | -11 | 0 | -11 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Gene Washington | 8 | 140 | 3 | 45 |
| Larry Schreiber | 2 | 17 | 0 | 9 |
| Dick Witcher | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 2 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
| SDG | ||||
| Dave Williams | 3 | 83 | 0 | 62 |
| Chuck Dicus | 2 | 23 | 0 | 16 |
| Mike Garrett | 3 | 21 | 0 | 10 |
| Pettis Norman | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Gary Garrison | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Jerry LeVias | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Lee White | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| John Hadl | 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] 1972 W1 - 49ers vs San Diego Chargers - Game Thread
