San Francisco visits the Miami Dolphins on 1973-09-16 at Miami Orange Bowl. 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 Miami Dolphins arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The week's NFL schedule has the 49ers facing the Miami Dolphins 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 Miami Dolphins' 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 road matchup with the Miami Dolphins 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 1973, 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 Miami Dolphins 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 3, Miami Dolphins 349ers 10, Miami Dolphins 649ers 13, Miami Dolphins 649ers 13, Miami Dolphins 2149ers 13, Miami Dolphins 21[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 310131313 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 3662121 |
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 |
| Dolphins | Garo Yepremian 31 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | Garo Yepremian 53 yard field goal | 3-6 |
| 49ers | Vic Washington 3 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 10-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 30 yard field goal | 13-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | Paul Warfield 10 yard pass from Bob Griese ( Garo Yepremian kick) | 13-13 |
| Dolphins | Garo Yepremian 45 yard field goal | 13-16 |
| Dolphins | Safety, Wittum tackled by C. Johnson in end zone | 13-18 |
| Dolphins | Garo Yepremian 22 yard field goal | 13-21 |
San Francisco lost 13-21 on the road the Miami Dolphins on 1973-09-16. Steve Spurrier went 6 of 18 for 65 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 55 on 14 carries with 1 touchdown. Vic Washington caught 8 for 57. On the other side Bob Griese went 11 of 24 for 108 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Larry Csonka ran for 104 on 22 carries.[1]
The 49ers' home effort ended in a 13-21 loss against the Miami Dolphins on 1973-09-16. Steve Spurrier went 6 of 18 for 65 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 55 on 14 carries with 1 touchdown. Vic Washington caught 8 for 57.
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 Miami Dolphins 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 13, Miami Dolphins 21. Margin: minus 8. Box score reads: Steve Spurrier went 6 of 18 for 65 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 55 on 14 carries with 1 touchdown. Vic Washington caught 8 for 57. Gene Washington caught 3 for 44. On the Miami Dolphins' side: Bob Griese went 11 of 24 for 108 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Larry Csonka ran for 104 on 22 carries.
A 13-21 road loss at the Miami Dolphins. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Steve Spurrier went 6 of 18 for 65 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 55 on 14 carries with 1 touchdown. Vic Washington caught 8 for 57. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Bob Griese went 11 of 24 for 108 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for the Miami Dolphins, and Larry Csonka ran for 104 on 22 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1973, 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 6 of 18 for 65 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Vic Washington ran for 55 on 14 carries with 1 touchdown, plus Jimmy Thomas ran for 22 on 3 carries. Receiver room: Vic Washington caught 8 for 57, and Gene Washington caught 3 for 44.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 12/17 | 110 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steve Spurrier | 6/18 | 65 | 0 | 0 | |
| MIA | |||||
| Bob Griese | 11/24 | 108 | 1 | 2 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Vic Washington | 14 | 55 | 1 | 12 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 3 | 22 | 0 | 11 |
| Larry Schreiber | 10 | 18 | 0 | 8 |
| Doug Cunningham | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Ken Willard | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MIA | ||||
| Larry Csonka | 22 | 104 | 0 | 25 |
| Jim Kiick | 8 | 58 | 0 | 32 |
| Mercury Morris | 6 | 9 | 0 | 12 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Vic Washington | 8 | 57 | 0 | 13 |
| Gene Washington | 3 | 44 | 0 | 24 |
| Ted Kwalick | 3 | 41 | 0 | 18 |
| Larry Schreiber | 3 | 27 | 0 | 22 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| MIA | ||||
| Paul Warfield | 4 | 39 | 1 | 11 |
| Jim Kiick | 3 | 34 | 0 | 18 |
| Marlin Briscoe | 2 | 32 | 0 | 18 |
| Jim Mandich | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Charlie Leigh | 1 | -7 | 0 | -7 |
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] 1973 W1 - 49ers at Miami Dolphins - Game Thread
