San Francisco hosts the Minnesota Vikings on 1977-12-04 at Metropolitan Stadium. The 49ers' offensive line continues to anchor the calendar's identity heading into Week 12.
The roster's lead back rotation and receiver room project the kind of game-script the staff has been working through. The Minnesota Vikings arrive tracking their own divisional standing.[1]
The 49ers' season continues with the matchup against the Minnesota Vikings 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 Minnesota Vikings' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been building toward.
Around the league Week 12 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 Minnesota Vikings 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 11 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1977, 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 Minnesota Vikings 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 | 7-4 | W3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 6-5 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 6-5 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 6-5 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 9-2 | L1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8-3 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 7-4 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2-9 | L3 |
| New York Jets | 2-9 | L7 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 10-1 | W4 |
| Oakland Raiders | 9-2 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-5 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3-8 | L2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-9 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 8-3 | W4 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-5 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5-6 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3-8 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-4 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 6-5 | W3 |
| Detroit Lions | 5-6 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-9 | L5 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-11 | L11 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 9-2 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 7-4 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 6-5 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 4-7 | L2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3-8 | L3 |
49ers 0, Minnesota Vikings 049ers 10, Minnesota Vikings 049ers 24, Minnesota Vikings 749ers 27, Minnesota Vikings 2849ers 27, Minnesota Vikings 28[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 010242727 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 0072828 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Delvin Williams 2 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 31 yard field goal | 10-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Dave Williams 80 yard kickoff return ( Ray Wersching kick) | 17-0 |
| 49ers | Delvin Williams 5 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 24-0 |
| Vikings | Brent McClanahan 15 yard pass from Bob Lee ( Fred Cox kick) | 24-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Vikings | Ahmad Rashad 8 yard pass from Tommy Kramer ( Fred Cox kick) | 24-14 |
| Vikings | Bob Tucker 8 yard pass from Tommy Kramer ( Fred Cox kick) | 24-21 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 31 yard field goal | 27-21 |
| Vikings | Sammy White 69 yard pass from Tommy Kramer ( Fred Cox kick) | 27-28 |
The 49ers' road effort ended in a 27-28 loss on the road the Minnesota Vikings on 1977-12-04. Jim Plunkett went 5 of 13 for 57 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Delvin Williams ran for 107 on 27 carries with 2 touchdowns. Gene Washington caught 2 for 24. On the other side Bob Lee went 11 of 19 for 94 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Chuck Foreman ran for 39 on 13 carries.[1]
San Francisco's offense came up short 27-28 against the Minnesota Vikings on 1977-12-04. Jim Plunkett went 5 of 13 for 57 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Delvin Williams ran for 107 on 27 carries with 2 touchdowns. Gene Washington caught 2 for 24.
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 Minnesota Vikings 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 27, Minnesota Vikings 28. Margin: minus 1. Box score reads: Jim Plunkett went 5 of 13 for 57 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Delvin Williams ran for 107 on 27 carries with 2 touchdowns. Gene Washington caught 2 for 24. Kenny Harrison caught 2 for 13. On the Minnesota Vikings' side: Bob Lee went 11 of 19 for 94 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Chuck Foreman ran for 39 on 13 carries.
A 27-28 road loss at the Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers' calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Jim Plunkett went 5 of 13 for 57 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. Delvin Williams ran for 107 on 27 carries with 2 touchdowns. Gene Washington caught 2 for 24. 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 19 for 94 yards with 1 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for the Minnesota Vikings, and Chuck Foreman ran for 39 on 13 carries.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1977, 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 5 of 13 for 57 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interceptions. The lead-back rotation: Delvin Williams ran for 107 on 27 carries with 2 touchdowns, plus Wilbur Jackson ran for 45 on 11 carries. Receiver room: Gene Washington caught 2 for 24, and Kenny Harrison caught 2 for 13.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jim Plunkett | 5/13 | 57 | 0 | 1 | |
| MIN | |||||
| Tommy Kramer | 9/13 | 188 | 3 | 0 | |
| Bob Lee | 11/19 | 94 | 1 | 2 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Delvin Williams | 27 | 107 | 2 | 11 |
| Wilbur Jackson | 11 | 45 | 0 | 12 |
| Bob Ferrell | 10 | 29 | 0 | 7 |
| Paul Hofer | 7 | 23 | 0 | 6 |
| Jim Plunkett | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kenny Harrison | 1 | -9 | 0 | -9 |
| MIN | ||||
| Chuck Foreman | 13 | 39 | 0 | 8 |
| Brent McClanahan | 4 | 13 | 0 | 6 |
| Bob Lee | 3 | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| Robert Miller | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Tommy Kramer | 4 | -11 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Gene Washington | 2 | 24 | 0 | 17 |
| Wilbur Jackson | 1 | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| Kenny Harrison | 2 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| MIN | ||||
| Ahmad Rashad | 7 | 121 | 1 | 39 |
| Sammy White | 3 | 83 | 1 | 69 |
| Brent McClanahan | 6 | 35 | 1 | 15 |
| Bob Tucker | 2 | 26 | 1 | 17 |
| Robert Miller | 2 | 17 | 0 | 9 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1977 W12 - 49ers at Minnesota Vikings - Game Thread
