The 49ers face the Detroit Lions on 1978-12-17 at the visitors' stadium. Freddie Solomon 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 Detroit Lions 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.
Freddie Solomon is the listed starter. The Sunday's biggest unknown is the front rotation against the Detroit Lions' offensive line. The week of preparation produced the kind of game-plan continuity the staff has been working through.
Around the conference Week 16 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 Detroit Lions is the calendar's sense-check on the rebuilt 49ers roster's pacing. Around the conference the slate continues to clarify the playoff seeding picture across the closing weeks.
Through 15 games the 49ers are tracking the kind of pace that, in calendar 1978, defines the roster transition under Joe Thomas. Freddie Solomon's passing line is the offensive identity. O.J. Simpson is in the rushing rotation. The Detroit Lions are tracking their own divisional standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 13-2 | W4 |
| Houston Oilers | 10-5 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 8-7 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3-12 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 11-4 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 10-5 | W2 |
| New York Jets | 8-7 | L1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 5-10 | L4 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4-11 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 10-5 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 8-7 | L3 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8-7 | W2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-7 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-11 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 11-4 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 9-6 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 6-9 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2-13 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 8-6-1 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8-6-1 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 6-9 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 6-9 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-10 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 11-4 | W5 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8-7 | L2 |
| Washington Redskins | 8-7 | L4 |
| New York Giants | 6-9 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5-10 | L1 |
49ers 7, Detroit Lions 349ers 7, Detroit Lions 2049ers 7, Detroit Lions 2749ers 14, Detroit Lions 3349ers 14, Detroit Lions 33[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7771414 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 320273333 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Benny Ricardo 19 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| 49ers | Jack Steptoe 35 yard pass from Steve DeBerg ( Ray Wersching kick) | 7-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Benny Ricardo 40 yard field goal | 7-6 |
| Lions | Dexter Bussey 4 yard rush ( Benny Ricardo kick) | 7-13 |
| Lions | Dexter Bussey 1 yard rush ( Benny Ricardo kick) | 7-20 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Jimmy Allen 64 yard defensive fumble return ( Benny Ricardo kick) | 7-27 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Freddie Solomon 11 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 14-27 |
| Lions | Benny Ricardo 31 yard field goal | 14-30 |
| Lions | Benny Ricardo 22 yard field goal | 14-33 |
San Francisco lost 14-33 on the road against the Detroit Lions on 1978-12-17. Freddie Solomon took the snaps at quarterback in the regular-season closer. Paul Hofer ran for 96 on 15 carries. Solomon threw for 85 with no touchdowns and one interception. The Lions scored 27 second-half points to seal the 2-14 finish. Freddie Solomon 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 team lost 14-33 against the Detroit Lions. Freddie Solomon took the snaps at quarterback in the regular-season closer. Paul Hofer ran for 96 on 15 carries. Solomon threw for 85 with no touchdowns and one interception. The Lions scored 27 second-half points to seal the 2-14 finish. The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of game-script the calendar's transition year has been working through. Freddie Solomon 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 14, Detroit Lions 33. Margin: minus 19. The Sunday's box score reads in line with the calendar's transition-year pacing. Freddie Solomon's passing line came through. The rushing rotation produced the workhorse line. The defensive unit produced its pressure.
A 14-33 road loss at the Detroit Lions. The 49ers' transition-year calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
Freddie Solomon took the snaps at quarterback in the regular-season closer. Paul Hofer ran for 96 on 15 carries. Solomon threw for 85 with no touchdowns and one interception. The Lions scored 27 second-half points to seal the 2-14 finish. 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
Freddie Solomon'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 | 3/3 | 97 | 1 | 0 | |
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 5/9 | 85 | 0 | 1 | |
| Scott Bull | 0/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bruce Threadgill | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| DET | |||||
| Gary Danielson | 15/30 | 180 | 0 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Paul Hofer | 15 | 96 | 0 | 40 |
| Greg Boykin | 12 | 57 | 0 | 23 |
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 9 | 42 | 1 | 12 |
| Bob Ferrell | 8 | 26 | 0 | 9 |
| Scott Bull | 3 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| Dave Williams | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Earl Carr | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| DET | ||||
| Dexter Bussey | 19 | 51 | 2 | 13 |
| Lawrence Gaines | 8 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| Rick Kane | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| David Hill | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Gary Danielson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Luther Blue | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 1 | 50 | 0 | 50 |
| Paul Seal | 2 | 35 | 0 | 20 |
| Jack Steptoe | 1 | 35 | 1 | 35 |
| Kenny Harrison | 1 | 30 | 0 | 30 |
| Dave Williams | 2 | 20 | 0 | 13 |
| Bob Ferrell | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| DET | ||||
| David Hill | 4 | 63 | 0 | 30 |
| Luther Blue | 6 | 55 | 0 | 13 |
| Dexter Bussey | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Rick Kane | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Freddie Scott | 2 | 17 | 0 | 15 |
| Lawrence Gaines | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
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