The 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams on 1978-11-19 at Candlestick Park. Scott Bull 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 Los Angeles Rams 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.
Scott Bull is the listed starter. The Sunday's biggest unknown is the front rotation against the Los Angeles Rams' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been working through.
Around the conference Week 12 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 Los Angeles Rams is the calendar's sense-check on the rebuilt 49ers roster's pacing. The Monday-night game closes the week with playoff implications that affect the conference seeding.
Through 11 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1978, defines the roster transition under Joe Thomas. Scott Bull's passing line is the offensive identity. O.J. Simpson is in the rushing rotation. The Los Angeles Rams are tracking their own divisional standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-2 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 7-4 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5-6 | L2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-10 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 8-3 | W3 |
| New England Patriots | 8-3 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 6-5 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 5-6 | W2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3-8 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 7-4 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 7-4 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 5-6 | W3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-6 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-9 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 9-2 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7-4 | W5 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5-6 | L2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-10 | L6 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 7-4 | L2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-4 | W4 |
| Detroit Lions | 4-7 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-7 | L3 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-8 | L8 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 8-3 | W1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 7-4 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6-5 | W2 |
| New York Giants | 5-6 | L3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 3-8 | W3 |
49ers 0, Los Angeles Rams 749ers 7, Los Angeles Rams 1449ers 14, Los Angeles Rams 2149ers 28, Los Angeles Rams 3149ers 28, Los Angeles Rams 31[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 714213131 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 07142828 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Lawrence McCutcheon 5 yard pass from Pat Haden ( Frank Corral kick) | 7-0 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Paul Hofer 1 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 7-7 |
| Rams | John Cappelletti 1 yard rush ( Frank Corral kick) | 14-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Ron Jessie 47 yard pass from Pat Haden ( Frank Corral kick) | 21-7 |
| 49ers | Paul Hofer 1 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 21-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Bob Brudzinski 31 yard interception return ( Frank Corral kick) | 28-14 |
| 49ers | Dave Williams 89 yard kickoff return ( Ray Wersching kick) | 28-21 |
| 49ers | Paul Hofer 1 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 28-28 |
| Rams | Frank Corral 24 yard field goal | 31-28 |
The team lost 28-31 at home over the Los Angeles Rams on 1978-11-19. Paul Hofer ran for 104 on 20 carries with three touchdowns. The Rams won on a closing field goal. Bull threw for 113 with no touchdowns. The 49ers led 21-14 at the half. Scott Bull 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 28-31 against the Los Angeles Rams. Paul Hofer ran for 104 on 20 carries with three touchdowns. The Rams won on a closing field goal. Bull threw for 113 with no touchdowns. The 49ers led 21-14 at the half. The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the calendar's transition year has been working through. Scott Bull 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 28, Los Angeles Rams 31. Margin: minus 3. The Sunday's box score reads in line with the calendar's transition-year pacing. Scott Bull's passing line came through. The rushing rotation produced the workhorse line. The defensive unit produced its pressure.
A 28-31 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers' transition-year calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Paul Hofer ran for 104 on 20 carries with three touchdowns. The Rams won on a closing field goal. Bull threw for 113 with no touchdowns. The 49ers led 21-14 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
Scott Bull'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 | |||||
| Scott Bull | 9/15 | 113 | 0 | 1 | |
| RAM | |||||
| Pat Haden | 17/25 | 267 | 2 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Paul Hofer | 20 | 104 | 3 | 39 |
| Bob Ferrell | 19 | 47 | 0 | 17 |
| Scott Bull | 6 | 14 | 0 | 5 |
| RAM | ||||
| Lawrence McCutcheon | 15 | 55 | 0 | 11 |
| John Cappelletti | 12 | 40 | 1 | 9 |
| Pat Haden | 3 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Rod Phillips | 2 | 11 | 0 | 8 |
| Cullen Bryant | 5 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Paul Seal | 3 | 60 | 0 | 38 |
| Ken MacAfee | 3 | 23 | 0 | 13 |
| Paul Hofer | 2 | 21 | 0 | 16 |
| Bob Ferrell | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| RAM | ||||
| Ron Jessie | 6 | 116 | 1 | 47 |
| John Cappelletti | 4 | 68 | 0 | 37 |
| Charle Young | 2 | 32 | 0 | 17 |
| Willie Miller | 1 | 25 | 0 | 25 |
| Rod Phillips | 2 | 14 | 0 | 7 |
| Lawrence McCutcheon | 2 | 12 | 1 | 7 |
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 W12 - 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams - Game Thread
