The 49ers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 1978-12-10 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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive line.
Around the conference Week 15 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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the calendar's sense-check on the rebuilt 49ers roster's pacing. The Sunday closes a week where the playoff race continues to clarify across the divisional standings.
Through 14 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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tracking their own divisional standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 12-2 | W3 |
| Houston Oilers | 9-5 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-7 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2-12 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 10-4 | L1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 9-5 | W1 |
| New York Jets | 8-6 | W2 |
| Baltimore Colts | 5-9 | L3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4-10 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 9-5 | W1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 8-6 | L2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-6 | W3 |
| San Diego Chargers | 7-7 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-10 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 11-3 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8-6 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 6-8 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-13 | L9 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 8-5-1 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8-5-1 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 5-9 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 5-9 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-9 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 10-4 | W4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8-6 | L1 |
| Washington Redskins | 8-6 | L3 |
| New York Giants | 5-9 | L6 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5-9 | W1 |
49ers 0, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 049ers 3, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 349ers 3, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 349ers 6, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 349ers 6, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 03333 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 03366 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 28 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Buccaneers | Dave Green 35 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 30 yard field goal | 3-6 |
The 49ers won 6-3 at home over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 1978-12-10. The second 49ers win of the year. The defensive unit held the Buccaneers to one field goal across the full sixty minutes. Ray Wersching kicked two field goals. The 49ers' offense produced six points. 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 49ers won 6-3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second 49ers win of the year. The defensive unit held the Buccaneers to one field goal across the full sixty minutes. Ray Wersching kicked two field goals. The 49ers' offense produced six points. 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 6, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3. Margin: plus 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 6-3 home win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 49ers' transition-year calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
The second 49ers win of the year. The defensive unit held the Buccaneers to one field goal across the full sixty minutes. Ray Wersching kicked two field goals. The 49ers' offense produced six points. 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 | 10/17 | 98 | 0 | 2 | |
| Steve DeBerg #17 | 11/15 | 89 | 0 | 2 | |
| TAM | |||||
| Mike Rae | 13/27 | 140 | 0 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Paul Hofer | 17 | 56 | 0 | 14 |
| Bob Ferrell | 9 | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| Scott Bull | 3 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| Steve DeBerg #17 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Dave Williams | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Greg Boykin | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TAM | ||||
| Louis Carter | 15 | 60 | 0 | 10 |
| Johnny Davis | 7 | 24 | 0 | 11 |
| Mike Rae | 2 | 14 | 0 | 9 |
| Larry Mucker | 2 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| Charlie White | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Kenny Harrison | 6 | 78 | 0 | 21 |
| Paul Hofer | 7 | 65 | 0 | 13 |
| Greg Boykin | 3 | 18 | 0 | 8 |
| Jack Steptoe | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Bob Ferrell | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Dave Williams | 3 | 7 | 0 | 11 |
| TAM | ||||
| Frank Grant | 3 | 47 | 0 | 20 |
| Louis Carter | 4 | 32 | 0 | 17 |
| Jim Obradovich | 2 | 26 | 0 | 20 |
| Jimmie Giles | 2 | 14 | 0 | 8 |
| Larry Mucker | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Morris Owens | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1978 W15 - 49ers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Game Thread
