The home schedule continues against the St. Louis Cardinals on 1976-10-31 at Busch Memorial Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 8.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The St. Louis Cardinals arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The calendar's next matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals 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 St. Louis Cardinals' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
Around the league Week 8 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 St. Louis Cardinals 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.
Through 7 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1976, 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 St. Louis Cardinals 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 | 5-2 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-3 | W3 |
| Houston Oilers | 4-3 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-4 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 6-1 | W4 |
| New England Patriots | 5-2 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3-4 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2-5 | L3 |
| New York Jets | 1-6 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 6-1 | W3 |
| Denver Broncos | 4-3 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 4-3 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-5 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 1-6 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 6-1 | W5 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 5-1-1 | W2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-5 | L2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-6 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 6-0-1 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-4 | L3 |
| Detroit Lions | 3-4 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3-4 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-7 | L7 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 6-1 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5-2 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 5-2 | W2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2-5 | L3 |
| New York Giants | 0-7 | L7 |
1976 San Francisco 49 Niners at St Louis Cardinals week 8 Game of the Week
1976 Week 8: San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Cardinals Highlights
1976 St.Louis Cardinals vs SF 49ers
1976 St. Louis Cardinals play San Diego Chargers in Japan
49ers vs Cardinals 1976 #49ersfaithful #49ersfan #stlcardinals 10
1976 St. Louis Cardinals
49ers vs Cardinals 1976 #49ersfaithful #49ersfan #stlcardinals 7
49ers vs Cardinals 1976 #49ersfaithful #49ersfan #stlcardinals 1
1976 St Louis Cardinals - The Cardiac Cards
49ers vs Cardinals 1976 #49ersfaithful #49ersfan #stlcardinals 9
1976 Cardinals Highlights49ers 0, St. Louis Cardinals 749ers 13, St. Louis Cardinals 749ers 13, St. Louis Cardinals 1449ers 20, St. Louis Cardinals 2049ers 20, St. Louis Cardinals 20[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 013132020 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 77142023 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | J.V. Cain 9 yard pass from Jim Hart ( Jim Bakken kick) | 0-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Delvin Williams 4 yard rush | 6-7 |
| 49ers | Delvin Williams 23 yard rush ( Steve Mike-Mayer kick) | 13-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | Terry Metcalf 23 yard pass from Jim Hart ( Jim Bakken kick) | 13-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Delvin Williams 1 yard rush ( Steve Mike-Mayer kick) | 20-14 |
| Cardinals | Mel Gray 77 yard pass from Jim Hart | 20-20 |
| OT | ||
| Cardinals | Jim Bakken 21 yard field goal | 20-23 |
The 49ers' home effort ended in a 20-23 loss on the road the St. Louis Cardinals on 1976-10-31. Jim Plunkett went 8 of 17 for 125 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Delvin Williams ran for 194 on 34 carries with 3 touchdowns. Jim Lash caught 4 for 87. On the other side Jim Hart went 16 of 31 for 271 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Jim Otis ran for 109 on 23 carries.[1]
The 49ers lost 20-23 against the St. Louis Cardinals on 1976-10-31. Jim Plunkett went 8 of 17 for 125 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Delvin Williams ran for 194 on 34 carries with 3 touchdowns. Jim Lash caught 4 for 87.
The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the staff has been working through across the calendar's middle 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 St. Louis Cardinals 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, St. Louis Cardinals 23. Margin: minus 3. Box score reads: Jim Plunkett went 8 of 17 for 125 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Delvin Williams ran for 194 on 34 carries with 3 touchdowns. Jim Lash caught 4 for 87. . On the St. Louis Cardinals' side: Jim Hart went 16 of 31 for 271 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Jim Otis ran for 109 on 23 carries.
A 20-23 road loss at the St. Louis Cardinals. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Jim Plunkett went 8 of 17 for 125 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Delvin Williams ran for 194 on 34 carries with 3 touchdowns. Jim Lash caught 4 for 87. The Sunday's offensive output produced the kind of full-sixty pace the playbook has been working through. On the defensive side Jim Hart went 16 of 31 for 271 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interceptions for the St. Louis Cardinals, and Jim Otis ran for 109 on 23 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1976, 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
Jim Plunkett went 8 of 17 for 125 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Delvin Williams ran for 194 on 34 carries with 3 touchdowns, plus Wilbur Jackson ran for 67 on 17 carries. Receiver room: Jim Lash caught 4 for 87.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jim Plunkett | 8/17 | 125 | 0 | 1 | |
| STL | |||||
| Jim Hart | 16/31 | 271 | 3 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Delvin Williams | 34 | 194 | 3 | 23 |
| Wilbur Jackson | 17 | 67 | 0 | 8 |
| Jim Plunkett | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| STL | ||||
| Jim Otis | 23 | 109 | 0 | 23 |
| Terry Metcalf | 9 | 28 | 0 | 9 |
| Steve Jones | 2 | 11 | 0 | 6 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jim Lash | 4 | 87 | 0 | 43 |
| Wilbur Jackson | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Delvin Williams | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Tom Mitchell | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Gene Washington | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| STL | ||||
| Mel Gray | 3 | 115 | 1 | 77 |
| Terry Metcalf | 4 | 50 | 1 | 23 |
| J.V. Cain | 3 | 45 | 1 | 28 |
| Ike Harris | 3 | 35 | 0 | 18 |
| Steve Jones | 2 | 19 | 0 | 15 |
| Jim Otis | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1976 W8 - 49ers at St. Louis Cardinals - Game Thread