The 49ers face the Washington Redskins on 1978-10-29 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 Washington Redskins 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 Washington Redskins' offensive line.
Around the conference Week 9 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 Washington Redskins is the calendar's sense-check on the rebuilt 49ers roster's pacing. The slate's marquee window has the kind of conference matchup the wire copy has been pointing toward.
Through 8 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 Washington Redskins are tracking their own divisional standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7-1 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 5-3 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4-4 | L2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-8 | L8 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 6-2 | W5 |
| Miami Dolphins | 5-3 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 5-3 | W3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3-5 | W1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 3-5 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 5-3 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 5-3 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-4 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-6 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2-6 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 7-1 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4-4 | W2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4-4 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-7 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 6-2 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4-4 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-4 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-5 | L5 |
| Detroit Lions | 2-6 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 6-2 | W3 |
| Washington Redskins | 6-2 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 5-3 | W2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-4 | L1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 0-8 | L8 |
49ers 7, Washington Redskins 049ers 13, Washington Redskins 1449ers 13, Washington Redskins 2849ers 20, Washington Redskins 3849ers 20, Washington Redskins 38[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 713132020 |
| Washington Redskins | 0 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 014283838 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Paul Hofer 2 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 7-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 29 yard field goal | 10-0 |
| Redskins | John Riggins 1 yard rush ( Mark Moseley kick) | 10-7 |
| Redskins | Danny Buggs 50 yard pass from Billy Kilmer ( Mark Moseley kick) | 10-14 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 35 yard field goal | 13-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redskins | John McDaniel 17 yard pass from Billy Kilmer ( Mark Moseley kick) | 13-21 |
| Redskins | John Riggins 1 yard rush ( Mark Moseley kick) | 13-28 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redskins | Tony Green 5 yard rush ( Mark Moseley kick) | 13-35 |
| 49ers | Greg Boykin 2 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 20-35 |
| Redskins | Mark Moseley 26 yard field goal | 20-38 |
The road effort came up short 20-38 on the road against the Washington Redskins on 1978-10-29. DeBerg threw three interceptions. Bob Ferrell ran for 67. The Redskins scored 24 second-half points to pull away. The road loss puts the 49ers at 1-8. 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 home effort came up short 20-38 against the Washington Redskins. DeBerg threw three interceptions. Bob Ferrell ran for 67. The Redskins scored 24 second-half points to pull away. The road loss puts the 49ers at 1-8. 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 20, Washington Redskins 38. Margin: minus 18. 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 20-38 road loss at the Washington Redskins. The 49ers' transition-year calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
DeBerg threw three interceptions. Bob Ferrell ran for 67. The Redskins scored 24 second-half points to pull away. The road loss puts the 49ers at 1-8. 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 | 19/33 | 215 | 0 | 3 | |
| WAS | |||||
| Billy Kilmer | 12/23 | 185 | 2 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Bob Ferrell | 11 | 67 | 0 | 20 |
| O.J. Simpson | 15 | 46 | 0 | 7 |
| Paul Hofer | 2 | 7 | 1 | 5 |
| Greg Boykin | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Steve DeBerg #17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bruce Elia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WAS | ||||
| John Riggins | 21 | 61 | 2 | 12 |
| Tony Green | 10 | 34 | 1 | 13 |
| Benny Malone | 9 | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| Clarence Harmon | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Paul Seal | 5 | 91 | 0 | 25 |
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 7 | 45 | 0 | 15 |
| Elmo Boyd | 1 | 32 | 0 | 32 |
| O.J. Simpson | 2 | 17 | 0 | 9 |
| Ken MacAfee | 1 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Bob Ferrell | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Greg Boykin | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| WAS | ||||
| Danny Buggs | 2 | 64 | 1 | 50 |
| Reggie Haynes | 2 | 32 | 0 | 21 |
| John Riggins | 2 | 25 | 0 | 13 |
| Ricky Thompson | 2 | 21 | 0 | 11 |
| Benny Malone | 2 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| John McDaniel | 1 | 17 | 1 | 17 |
| Tony Green | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1978 W9 - 49ers at Washington Redskins - Game Thread
