San Francisco hosts the Buffalo Bills on 1972-09-24 at War Memorial Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 2.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Buffalo Bills arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The 49ers' season continues with the matchup against the Buffalo Bills 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 Buffalo Bills' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
The slate's Week 2 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 Buffalo Bills 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 1 games have shown 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 Buffalo Bills 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 | 1-0 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-1 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 1-0 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 1-0 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0-1 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-1 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 1-0 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0-1 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 0-1 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-0 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 1-0 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-0 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 1-0 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 0-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 1-0 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 1-0 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 1-0 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 0-1 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-1 | L1 |
49ers 3, Buffalo Bills 049ers 10, Buffalo Bills 649ers 13, Buffalo Bills 1349ers 20, Buffalo Bills 2749ers 20, Buffalo Bills 27[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 310132020 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 06132727 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 47 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bills | John Leypoldt 32 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Bills | John Leypoldt 22 yard field goal | 3-6 |
| 49ers | Ted Kwalick 20 yard pass from Steve Spurrier ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 10-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 20 yard field goal | 13-6 |
| Bills | Jan White 17 yard pass from Dennis Shaw ( John Leypoldt kick) | 13-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Larry Schreiber 2 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 20-13 |
| Bills | Jim Braxton 2 yard rush ( John Leypoldt kick) | 20-20 |
| Bills | Jim Braxton 1 yard rush ( John Leypoldt kick) | 20-27 |
The 49ers' road effort ended in a 20-27 loss on the road the Buffalo Bills on 1972-09-24. Steve Spurrier went 10 of 25 for 171 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 18 on 9 carries. Gene Washington caught 3 for 89. On the other side Dennis Shaw went 8 of 20 for 105 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. O.J. Simpson ran for 138 on 29 carries.[1]
San Francisco's offense came up short 20-27 against the Buffalo Bills on 1972-09-24. Steve Spurrier went 10 of 25 for 171 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 18 on 9 carries. Gene Washington caught 3 for 89.
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 Buffalo Bills 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 20, Buffalo Bills 27. Margin: minus 7. Box score reads: Steve Spurrier went 10 of 25 for 171 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 18 on 9 carries. Gene Washington caught 3 for 89. Ted Kwalick caught 3 for 66 with 1 touchdown. On the Buffalo Bills' side: Dennis Shaw went 8 of 20 for 105 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. O.J. Simpson ran for 138 on 29 carries.
A 20-27 road loss at the Buffalo Bills. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Steve Spurrier went 10 of 25 for 171 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 18 on 9 carries. Gene Washington caught 3 for 89. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Dennis Shaw went 8 of 20 for 105 yards with 1 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Buffalo Bills, and O.J. Simpson ran for 138 on 29 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
Steve Spurrier went 10 of 25 for 171 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Vic Washington ran for 18 on 9 carries, plus Larry Schreiber ran for 12 on 8 carries with 1 touchdown. Receiver room: Gene Washington caught 3 for 89, and Ted Kwalick caught 3 for 66 with 1 touchdown.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Spurrier | 10/25 | 171 | 1 | 2 | |
| John Brodie | 1/5 | 18 | 0 | 1 | |
| BUF | |||||
| Dennis Shaw | 8/20 | 105 | 1 | 1 | |
| O.J. Simpson | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Vic Washington | 9 | 18 | 0 | 8 |
| Larry Schreiber | 8 | 12 | 1 | 5 |
| Ken Willard | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 1 | -2 | 0 | -2 |
| BUF | ||||
| O.J. Simpson | 29 | 138 | 0 | 33 |
| Jim Braxton | 8 | 25 | 2 | 8 |
| Dennis Shaw | 6 | 14 | 0 | 6 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Gene Washington | 3 | 89 | 0 | 35 |
| Ted Kwalick | 3 | 66 | 1 | 29 |
| Larry Schreiber | 3 | 24 | 0 | 18 |
| Ken Willard | 2 | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| BUF | ||||
| J.D. Hill | 2 | 33 | 0 | 20 |
| O.J. Simpson | 2 | 20 | 0 | 25 |
| Haven Moses | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Jan White | 1 | 17 | 1 | 17 |
| Bob Chandler | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Jim Braxton | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1972 W2 - 49ers at Buffalo Bills - Game Thread
