San Francisco hosts the Denver Broncos on 1973-09-23 at Mile High 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 Denver Broncos arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The 49ers' season continues with the matchup against the Denver Broncos 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 Denver Broncos' 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 Denver Broncos 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 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 Denver Broncos 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 | 1-0 | W1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-1 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 1-0 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 1-0 | W1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-1 | L1 |
| New England Patriots | 0-1 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 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 |
| New Orleans Saints | 0-1 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 1-0 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-0 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 0-1 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 0-1 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 1-0 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 1-0 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 1-0 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 1-0 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-1 | L1 |
49ers 0, Denver Broncos 1049ers 20, Denver Broncos 1349ers 30, Denver Broncos 2049ers 36, Denver Broncos 3449ers 36, Denver Broncos 34[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 020303636 |
| Denver Broncos | 10 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 1013203434 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Broncos | Jerry Simmons 18 yard pass from Charley Johnson ( Jim Turner kick) | 0-7 |
| Broncos | Jim Turner 34 yard field goal | 0-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Broncos | Jim Turner 28 yard field goal | 0-13 |
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 22 yard field goal | 3-13 |
| 49ers | Jimmy Thomas 5 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 10-13 |
| 49ers | John Brodie 1 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 17-13 |
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 39 yard field goal | 20-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 14 yard field goal | 23-13 |
| 49ers | Vic Washington 1 yard rush ( Bruce Gossett kick) | 30-13 |
| Broncos | Floyd Little 1 yard rush ( Jim Turner kick) | 30-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 46 yard field goal | 33-20 |
| Broncos | Gene Washington 19 yard pass from Charley Johnson ( Jim Turner kick) | 33-27 |
| Broncos | Floyd Little 1 yard rush ( Jim Turner kick) | 33-34 |
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 39 yard field goal | 36-34 |
The 49ers' offense produced 36 points on the road against the Denver Broncos on 1973-09-23. John Brodie went 13 of 34 for 164 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Larry Schreiber ran for 46 on 12 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 67. On the other side Charley Johnson went 16 of 35 for 212 yards with 2 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Floyd Little ran for 62 on 17 carries with 2 touchdowns.[1]
San Francisco's offense produced 36 points against the Denver Broncos on 1973-09-23. John Brodie went 13 of 34 for 164 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Larry Schreiber ran for 46 on 12 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 67.
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 Denver Broncos 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 36, Denver Broncos 34. Margin: plus 2. Box score reads: John Brodie went 13 of 34 for 164 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Larry Schreiber ran for 46 on 12 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 67. Larry Schreiber caught 3 for 34. On the Denver Broncos' side: Charley Johnson went 16 of 35 for 212 yards with 2 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Floyd Little ran for 62 on 17 carries with 2 touchdowns.
A 36-34 road win at the Denver Broncos. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
John Brodie went 13 of 34 for 164 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Larry Schreiber ran for 46 on 12 carries. Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 67. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Charley Johnson went 16 of 35 for 212 yards with 2 touchdowns and 5 interceptions for the Denver Broncos, and Floyd Little ran for 62 on 17 carries with 2 touchdowns.
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
John Brodie went 13 of 34 for 164 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Larry Schreiber ran for 46 on 12 carries, plus Vic Washington ran for 41 on 16 carries with 1 touchdown. Receiver room: Ted Kwalick caught 2 for 67, and Larry Schreiber caught 3 for 34.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 13/34 | 164 | 0 | 1 | |
| John Isenbarger | 1/1 | 48 | 0 | 0 | |
| DEN | |||||
| Charley Johnson | 16/35 | 212 | 2 | 5 | |
| Bobby Anderson | 1/1 | 28 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Larry Schreiber | 12 | 46 | 0 | 7 |
| Vic Washington | 16 | 41 | 1 | 9 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 6 | 27 | 1 | 8 |
| John Brodie | 4 | 14 | 1 | 14 |
| Doug Cunningham | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| DEN | ||||
| Floyd Little | 17 | 62 | 2 | 19 |
| Bobby Anderson | 6 | 26 | 0 | 11 |
| Joe Dawkins | 8 | 24 | 0 | 5 |
| Otis Armstrong | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Ted Kwalick | 2 | 67 | 0 | 48 |
| Jimmy Thomas | 1 | 66 | 0 | 66 |
| Larry Schreiber | 3 | 34 | 0 | 31 |
| Vic Washington | 3 | 29 | 0 | 13 |
| Gene Washington | 2 | 10 | 0 | 6 |
| John Isenbarger | 3 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| DEN | ||||
| Haven Moses | 4 | 53 | 0 | 39 |
| Floyd Little | 4 | 42 | 0 | 35 |
| Gene Washington | 3 | 39 | 1 | 19 |
| Riley Odoms | 2 | 37 | 0 | 20 |
| Jerry Simmons | 2 | 35 | 1 | 18 |
| Billy Masters | 1 | 28 | 0 | 28 |
| Joe Dawkins | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
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 W2 - 49ers at Denver Broncos - Game Thread
