The home schedule continues against the Atlanta Falcons on 1972-12-10 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 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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-3 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 8-4 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-5 | W2 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-11 | L9 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 12-0 | W12 |
| New York Jets | 7-5 | W1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 5-7 | W3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3-9 | L2 |
| New England Patriots | 2-10 | L9 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 8-3-1 | W4 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6-6 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4-7-1 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 3-9 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 7-5 | W2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6-5-1 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6-5-1 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-9-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 8-4 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 7-5 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-5 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-8-1 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 11-1 | W9 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 9-3 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 7-5 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-9-1 | L3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 2-9-1 | L4 |
49ers 3, Atlanta Falcons 049ers 6, Atlanta Falcons 049ers 6, Atlanta Falcons 049ers 20, Atlanta Falcons 049ers 20, Atlanta Falcons 0[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 00000 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3662020 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 41 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 19 yard field goal | 0-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ken Willard 1 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 0-13 |
| 49ers | Ken Willard 1 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 0-20 |
San Francisco won 20-0 at home over the Atlanta Falcons on 1972-12-10. Steve Spurrier went 9 of 18 for 79 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Larry Schreiber ran for 59 on 13 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 40. On the other side Bob Berry went 12 of 25 for 145 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Art Malone ran for 91 on 10 carries.[1]
The 49ers' offense produced 20 points against the Atlanta Falcons on 1972-12-10. Steve Spurrier went 9 of 18 for 79 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Larry Schreiber ran for 59 on 13 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 40.
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 20, Atlanta Falcons 0. Margin: plus 20. Box score reads: Steve Spurrier went 9 of 18 for 79 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Larry Schreiber ran for 59 on 13 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 40. Ken Willard caught 4 for 27. On the Atlanta Falcons' side: Bob Berry went 12 of 25 for 145 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Art Malone ran for 91 on 10 carries.
A 20-0 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
Steve Spurrier went 9 of 18 for 79 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Larry Schreiber ran for 59 on 13 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 40. 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 12 of 25 for 145 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Atlanta Falcons, and Art Malone ran for 91 on 10 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 9 of 18 for 79 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Larry Schreiber ran for 59 on 13 carries, plus Ken Willard ran for 51 on 14 carries with 2 touchdowns. Receiver room: Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 40, and Ken Willard caught 4 for 27.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve Spurrier | 9/18 | 79 | 0 | 0 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Bob Berry | 12/25 | 145 | 0 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Larry Schreiber | 13 | 59 | 0 | 10 |
| Ken Willard | 14 | 51 | 2 | 9 |
| Vic Washington | 14 | 51 | 0 | 9 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 5 | 43 | 0 | 22 |
| Steve Spurrier | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| ATL | ||||
| Art Malone | 10 | 91 | 0 | 27 |
| Dave Hampton | 11 | 59 | 0 | 15 |
| Bob Berry | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ted Kwalick | 2 | 40 | 0 | 25 |
| Ken Willard | 4 | 27 | 0 | 10 |
| Vic Washington | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| Larry Schreiber | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| ATL | ||||
| Wes Chesson | 1 | 46 | 0 | 46 |
| Dave Hampton | 5 | 44 | 0 | 20 |
| Jim Mitchell | 4 | 39 | 0 | 16 |
| Art Malone | 2 | 16 | 0 | 8 |
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 W13 - 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
