San Francisco hosts the Atlanta Falcons on 1973-10-28 at Candlestick Park. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 7.
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 49ers' season continues with the 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.
The NFL's Week 7 schedule 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.
6 games into the season 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 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 | 5-1 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 4-2 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-2 | W1 |
| Houston Oilers | 0-6 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 5-1 | W4 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4-2 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 2-4 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 2-4 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 2-4 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-2-1 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 3-2-1 | T1 |
| Denver Broncos | 2-3-1 | T1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-5 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 6-0 | W6 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-3 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-3 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-4 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 6-0 | W6 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-2-2 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 1-4-1 | L3 |
| Chicago Bears | 1-5 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 5-1 | W4 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-2 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 2-4 | L4 |
| New York Giants | 1-4-1 | L4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-4-1 | L1 |
49ers 0, Atlanta Falcons 749ers 0, Atlanta Falcons 1449ers 0, Atlanta Falcons 1749ers 3, Atlanta Falcons 1749ers 3, Atlanta Falcons 17[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 714171717 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 00033 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Ken Burrow 51 yard pass from Bob Lee ( Nick Mike-Mayer kick) | 7-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Ken Burrow 22 yard pass from Bob Lee ( Nick Mike-Mayer kick) | 14-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Nick Mike-Mayer 52 yard field goal | 17-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Bruce Gossett 42 yard field goal | 17-3 |
The 49ers' road effort ended in a 3-17 loss at home the Atlanta Falcons on 1973-10-28. John Brodie went 12 of 26 for 83 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 59 on 13 carries. Doug Cunningham caught 4 for 32. On the other side Bob Lee went 11 of 13 for 236 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Dave Hampton ran for 100 on 25 carries.[1]
San Francisco's offense came up short 3-17 against the Atlanta Falcons on 1973-10-28. John Brodie went 12 of 26 for 83 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 59 on 13 carries. Doug Cunningham caught 4 for 32.
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 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 3, Atlanta Falcons 17. Margin: minus 14. Box score reads: John Brodie went 12 of 26 for 83 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 59 on 13 carries. Doug Cunningham caught 4 for 32. Ted Kwalick caught 3 for 25. On the Atlanta Falcons' side: Bob Lee went 11 of 13 for 236 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Dave Hampton ran for 100 on 25 carries.
A 3-17 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
John Brodie went 12 of 26 for 83 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Vic Washington ran for 59 on 13 carries. Doug Cunningham caught 4 for 32. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Bob Lee went 11 of 13 for 236 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the Atlanta Falcons, and Dave Hampton ran for 100 on 25 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
John Brodie went 12 of 26 for 83 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Vic Washington ran for 59 on 13 carries, plus Doug Cunningham ran for 9 on 3 carries. Receiver room: Doug Cunningham caught 4 for 32, and Ted Kwalick caught 3 for 25.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| John Brodie | 12/26 | 83 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steve Spurrier | 4/11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Bob Lee | 11/13 | 236 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Vic Washington | 13 | 59 | 0 | 10 |
| Steve Spurrier | 2 | 16 | 0 | 12 |
| Doug Cunningham | 3 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| Ken Willard | 4 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| ATL | ||||
| Dave Hampton | 25 | 100 | 0 | 16 |
| Art Malone | 17 | 69 | 0 | 8 |
| Eddie Ray | 3 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| Bob Lee | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Doug Cunningham | 4 | 32 | 0 | 12 |
| Ted Kwalick | 3 | 25 | 0 | 12 |
| Danny Abramowicz | 2 | 19 | 0 | 12 |
| John Isenbarger | 2 | 18 | 0 | 9 |
| Vic Washington | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Ken Willard | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| ATL | ||||
| Ken Burrow | 5 | 164 | 2 | 57 |
| Al Dodd | 2 | 39 | 0 | 25 |
| Art Malone | 1 | 26 | 0 | 26 |
| Jim Mitchell | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Dave Hampton | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
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 W7 - 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
