The 49ers face the Atlanta Falcons on 1978-10-22 at Candlestick Park. 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 Atlanta Falcons is the kind of home 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 Atlanta Falcons' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been working through.
Around the conference Week 8 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 home matchup with the Atlanta Falcons 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 7 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 Atlanta Falcons are tracking their own divisional standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-0 | W7 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-3 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 4-3 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-7 | L7 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 5-2 | W3 |
| New England Patriots | 5-2 | W4 |
| New York Jets | 4-3 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 2-5 | L2 |
| Baltimore Colts | 2-5 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 5-2 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5-2 | W3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3-4 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2-5 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1-6 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 7-0 | W7 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-4 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3-4 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-6 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 6-1 | W4 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-4 | L4 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3-4 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-4 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 1-6 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 6-1 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-2 | W2 |
| New York Giants | 4-3 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-3 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-7 | L7 |
49ers 7, Atlanta Falcons 749ers 14, Atlanta Falcons 749ers 14, Atlanta Falcons 749ers 17, Atlanta Falcons 2049ers 17, Atlanta Falcons 20[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7772020 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 714141717 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | O.J. Simpson 13 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 0-7 |
| Falcons | Rick Byas 2 yard blocked punt return ( Tim Mazzetti kick) | 7-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Scott Bull 15 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 7-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 35 yard field goal | 7-17 |
| Falcons | Tim Mazzetti 21 yard field goal | 10-17 |
| Falcons | Billy Ryckman 59 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski ( Tim Mazzetti kick) | 17-17 |
| Falcons | Tim Mazzetti 29 yard field goal | 20-17 |
The team lost 17-20 at home over the Atlanta Falcons on 1978-10-22. Simpson ran for 96 on 18 carries with a touchdown. DeBerg threw for 79 with no touchdowns. The Falcons won on a closing field goal. The 49ers led 17-13 with 4:00 to play. 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 road effort came up short 17-20 against the Atlanta Falcons. Simpson ran for 96 on 18 carries with a touchdown. DeBerg threw for 79 with no touchdowns. The Falcons won on a closing field goal. The 49ers led 17-13 with 4:00 to play. 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 17, Atlanta Falcons 20. Margin: minus 3. 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 17-20 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers' transition-year calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Simpson ran for 96 on 18 carries with a touchdown. DeBerg threw for 79 with no touchdowns. The Falcons won on a closing field goal. The 49ers led 17-13 with 4:00 to play. 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 | 8/22 | 79 | 0 | 0 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Steve Bartkowski | 15/20 | 256 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| O.J. Simpson | 18 | 96 | 1 | 34 |
| Bob Ferrell | 18 | 90 | 0 | 13 |
| Scott Bull | 2 | 15 | 1 | 15 |
| Steve DeBerg #17 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Greg Boykin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| ATL | ||||
| Haskel Stanback | 14 | 65 | 0 | 11 |
| Bubba Bean | 12 | 35 | 0 | 7 |
| Steve Bartkowski | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Ray Strong | 2 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Ricky Patton | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 5 | 46 | 0 | 22 |
| Elmo Boyd | 2 | 25 | 0 | 17 |
| Ken MacAfee | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| ATL | ||||
| Alfred Jackson | 4 | 113 | 0 | 71 |
| Billy Ryckman | 2 | 66 | 1 | 59 |
| Jim Mitchell | 3 | 37 | 0 | 23 |
| Wallace Francis | 3 | 24 | 0 | 17 |
| Bubba Bean | 2 | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| Haskel Stanback | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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] 1978 W8 - 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
