The 49ers face the Houston Oilers on 1978-09-17 at the visitors' stadium. Steve DeBerg is the starting quarterback. O.J. Simpson is in the running back rotation in his first 49ers year after the Buffalo trade. Freddie Solomon and Paul Hofer are the receivers.
The roster transition under general manager Joe Thomas continues to define the year.[1]
The Sunday matchup against the Houston Oilers is the kind of road game where the roster's offensive line has the matchup the coaching staff has been pointing toward all week. The Joe Thomas front-office tenure continues to be defined by the post-Brodie quarterback room.
Steve DeBerg is the listed starter. The Sunday's biggest unknown is the front rotation against the Houston Oilers' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been working through.
Around the conference Week 3 continues to shape the 1978 playoff race. The Cowboys, Eagles, and Redskins share the NFC East projection. The Rams remain the NFC West projected leader. The road matchup with the Houston Oilers is the calendar's sense-check on the rebuilt 49ers roster's pacing. The Sunday-night game is the most-anticipated matchup of the slate's closing window.
Through 2 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1978, defines the roster transition under Joe Thomas. Steve DeBerg's passing line is the offensive identity. O.J. Simpson is in the rushing rotation. The Houston Oilers are tracking their own divisional standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 2-0 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Houston Oilers | 1-1 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Jets | 2-0 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 1-1 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 1-1 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 0-2 | L2 |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 1-1 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1-1 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 1-1 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1-1 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 2-0 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1-1 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1-1 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 2-0 | W2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-0 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 1-1 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-1 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0-2 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-0 | W2 |
| Washington Redskins | 2-0 | W2 |
| New York Giants | 1-1 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0-2 | L2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-2 | L2 |
49ers 0, Houston Oilers 749ers 6, Houston Oilers 1049ers 12, Houston Oilers 1749ers 19, Houston Oilers 2049ers 19, Houston Oilers 20[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 06121919 |
| Houston Oilers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 710172020 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oilers | Earl Campbell 4 yard rush ( Toni Fritsch kick) | 0-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oilers | Toni Fritsch 38 yard field goal | 0-10 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 26 yard field goal | 3-10 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 19 yard field goal | 6-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Oilers | Ken Burrough 13 yard pass from Dan Pastorini ( Toni Fritsch kick) | 6-17 |
| 49ers | Freddie Solomon 58 yard pass from Steve DeBerg | 12-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Paul Seal 8 yard pass from Steve DeBerg ( Ray Wersching kick) | 19-17 |
| Oilers | Toni Fritsch 19 yard field goal | 19-20 |
The 49ers lost 19-20 on the road against the Houston Oilers on 1978-09-17. DeBerg threw for 321 with two touchdowns. The Oilers won on a closing field goal in the road game. Greg Boykin ran for 44. The 49ers led 19-7 at the half. Steve DeBerg threw the kind of passing line the offense has been working through. The defensive unit produced the kind of pressure that defined the afternoon.[1]
The 49ers lost 19-20 against the Houston Oilers. DeBerg threw for 321 with two touchdowns. The Oilers won on a closing field goal in the road game. Greg Boykin ran for 44. The 49ers led 19-7 at the half. The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the calendar's transition year has been working through. Steve DeBerg threw the kind of passing line the offense has been producing across the start.
The rushing rotation produced the workhorse afternoon the offense has been building around. The receiver room caught the routes the playbook has been calling. The defensive unit produced the kind of pressure that, in calendar 1978, defines the rebuild's progress. The Sunday's outcome sets the next week's posture.
49ers 19, Houston Oilers 20. Margin: minus 1. The Sunday's box score reads in line with the calendar's transition-year pacing. Steve DeBerg's passing line came through. The rushing rotation produced the workhorse line. The defensive unit produced its pressure.
A 19-20 road loss at the Houston Oilers. The 49ers' transition-year calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
DeBerg threw for 321 with two touchdowns. The Oilers won on a closing field goal in the road game. Greg Boykin ran for 44. The 49ers led 19-7 at the half. The Sunday's full-sixty produced the kind of game-flow the staff has been working through across the season's first weeks.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1978, 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's transition.
By the numbers
Steve DeBerg's passing line came through. The rushing rotation ran the workhorse line. The receiver room caught the route distribution. The defensive unit produced the pressure that, in transition-year play, defines the calendar's pacing.
Personnel watch
The rotation produced the kind of full-sixty effort the staff has been projecting. The Joe Thomas front-office continues to shape the depth chart. The offensive line's pocket time was the kind that, in calendar 1978, defines the transition-year pace.
What it means
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve DeBerg #17 | 20/32 | 321 | 2 | 1 | |
| HOU | |||||
| Dan Pastorini | 15/24 | 179 | 1 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Greg Boykin | 12 | 44 | 0 | 12 |
| Dave Williams | 6 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| O.J. Simpson | 7 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| Steve DeBerg #17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| HOU | ||||
| Earl Campbell | 25 | 78 | 1 | 16 |
| Rob Carpenter | 9 | 36 | 0 | 9 |
| Tim Wilson | 12 | 30 | 0 | 6 |
| Rich Caster | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Dan Pastorini | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Ronnie Coleman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 3 | 110 | 1 | 58 |
| Terry LeCount | 2 | 50 | 0 | 30 |
| Greg Boykin | 3 | 35 | 0 | 22 |
| Dave Williams | 4 | 32 | 0 | 12 |
| O.J. Simpson | 3 | 28 | 0 | 14 |
| Paul Seal | 2 | 23 | 1 | 15 |
| Ken MacAfee | 2 | 22 | 0 | 19 |
| Larry Jones | 1 | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| HOU | ||||
| Ken Burrough | 7 | 83 | 1 | 19 |
| Mike Barber | 5 | 56 | 0 | 17 |
| Mike Renfro | 2 | 26 | 0 | 20 |
| Rich Caster | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
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