The 49ers face the New Orleans Saints on 1978-12-03 at the visitors' stadium. 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 New Orleans Saints 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.
Scott Bull is the listed starter. The Sunday's biggest unknown is the front rotation against the New Orleans Saints' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been working through.
Around the conference Week 14 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 New Orleans Saints 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 13 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 New Orleans Saints are tracking their own divisional standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 11-2 | W2 |
| Houston Oilers | 9-4 | W4 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-6 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1-12 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 10-3 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8-5 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 7-6 | W1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 5-8 | L2 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4-9 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 8-5 | L1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 8-5 | L1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 7-6 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 6-7 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-10 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 10-3 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8-5 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5-8 | L4 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-12 | L8 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 7-5-1 | T1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-5-1 | T1 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-8 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 5-8 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-8 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 9-4 | W3 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8-5 | W4 |
| Washington Redskins | 8-5 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 5-8 | L5 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4-9 | L1 |
Video missing for this game. If you find one, please report it.
49ers 3, New Orleans Saints 349ers 10, New Orleans Saints 1749ers 13, New Orleans Saints 1749ers 13, New Orleans Saints 2449ers 13, New Orleans Saints 24[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 310131313 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 317172424 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 45 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| Saints | Steve Mike-Mayer 50 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | Chuck Muncie 6 yard rush ( Steve Mike-Mayer kick) | 3-10 |
| Saints | Wes Chandler 58 yard pass from Archie Manning ( Steve Mike-Mayer kick) | 3-17 |
| 49ers | Paul Seal 41 yard pass from Scott Bull ( Ray Wersching kick) | 10-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 42 yard field goal | 13-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Saints | Wes Chandler 12 yard pass from Archie Manning ( Steve Mike-Mayer kick) | 13-24 |
The home effort came up short 13-24 on the road against the New Orleans Saints on 1978-12-03. Bob Ferrell ran for 90 on 20 carries. Bull threw for 147 with one touchdown. The Saints scored 17 second-half points to seal the road loss. 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]
San Francisco lost 13-24 against the New Orleans Saints. Bob Ferrell ran for 90 on 20 carries. Bull threw for 147 with one touchdown. The Saints scored 17 second-half points to seal the road loss. 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 13, New Orleans Saints 24. Margin: minus 11. 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 13-24 road loss at the New Orleans Saints. The 49ers' transition-year calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Bob Ferrell ran for 90 on 20 carries. Bull threw for 147 with one touchdown. The Saints scored 17 second-half points to seal the road loss. 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
The 49ers' transition continues across the kind of game-script the staff has been calling. The next-week matchup is the calendar's next sense-check. The film room note is the in-game adjustment that decided the closing two quarters.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Scott Bull | 9/27 | 147 | 1 | 1 | |
| NOR | |||||
| Archie Manning | 22/34 | 199 | 2 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Bob Ferrell | 20 | 90 | 0 | 13 |
| Paul Hofer | 15 | 54 | 0 | 11 |
| Scott Bull | 3 | 15 | 0 | 11 |
| NOR | ||||
| Chuck Muncie | 14 | 87 | 1 | 26 |
| Mike Strachan | 9 | 44 | 0 | 21 |
| Tony Galbreath | 11 | 38 | 0 | 11 |
| Kim Jones | 3 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| Archie Manning | 2 | 11 | 0 | 12 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Kenny Harrison | 3 | 63 | 0 | 47 |
| Paul Seal | 2 | 51 | 1 | 41 |
| Bob Ferrell | 4 | 33 | 0 | 14 |
| NOR | ||||
| Wes Chandler | 6 | 103 | 2 | 58 |
| Tinker Owens | 5 | 39 | 0 | 21 |
| Rich Mauti | 3 | 24 | 0 | 9 |
| Tony Galbreath | 3 | 13 | 0 | 11 |
| Chuck Muncie | 4 | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| Mike Strachan | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1978 W14 - 49ers at New Orleans Saints - Game Thread
