The 49ers face the Seattle Seahawks on 1979-10-07 at Candlestick Park. Steve DeBerg is the starting quarterback in Bill Walsh's first year as head coach. O.J. Simpson is in the running back rotation in his thirteenth NFL season. Freddie Solomon and Paul Hofer are the receivers.
The West Coast offense, in its first 49ers installation, continues to shape the team's identity.[1]
The Walsh first year as the 49ers head coach continues through Week 6 with the home matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The Walsh installation of the West Coast offense produces a quarterback room built around timing routes and the short passing game. Steve DeBerg is in his fifth NFL season as the starter. The Sunday is the kind of home game where the rebuilt offensive line has the matchup the staff has been pointing toward all week.
Around the conference Week 6 continues to shape the playoff race. The Cowboys, Eagles, and Redskins share the NFC East projection. The Rams remain the NFC West projected leader. Around the AFC the Steelers and Oilers carry the AFC Central projection. The home matchup with the Seattle Seahawks is the calendar's sense-check on the rebuilt 49ers roster's pacing.
Through 5 games the 49ers are tracking the Walsh first-year pace. DeBerg's passing line continues to anchor the offensive identity. O.J. Simpson is in the rushing rotation. Freddie Solomon leads the receiver room. The Seattle Seahawks are tracking their own divisional standing. Vegas opens the lines accordingly. A figure to follow: the West Coast offense's third-down conversion rate.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 4-1 | L1 |
| Houston Oilers | 4-1 | W3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4-1 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 0-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 4-1 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3-2 | W2 |
| New England Patriots | 3-2 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 2-3 | W1 |
| Baltimore Colts | 0-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers | 4-1 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 3-2 | L1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 3-2 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2-3 | W1 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 1-4 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Rams | 3-2 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-3 | L3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-3 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-0 | W5 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3-2 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 2-3 | L3 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2-3 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 1-4 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-1 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 4-1 | W3 |
| Washington Redskins | 4-1 | W4 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 1-4 | L3 |
| New York Giants | 0-5 | L5 |
49ers 7, Seattle Seahawks 1449ers 10, Seattle Seahawks 2149ers 10, Seattle Seahawks 2849ers 24, Seattle Seahawks 3549ers 24, Seattle Seahawks 35[1]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 1421283535 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 710102424 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | Dan Doornink 13 yard rush ( Efren Herrera kick) | 7-0 |
| 49ers | O.J. Simpson 3 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 7-7 |
| Seahawks | Dan Doornink 3 yard rush ( Efren Herrera kick) | 14-7 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | Sherman Smith 7 yard rush ( Efren Herrera kick) | 21-7 |
| 49ers | Ray Wersching 25 yard field goal | 21-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | Sammy Green 91 yard interception return ( Efren Herrera kick) | 28-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Lenvil Elliott 8 yard rush ( Ray Wersching kick) | 28-17 |
| Seahawks | Jim Zorn 2 yard rush ( Efren Herrera kick) | 35-17 |
| 49ers | Ken MacAfee 1 yard pass from Steve DeBerg ( Ray Wersching kick) | 35-24 |
San Francisco lost 24-35 at home over the Seattle Seahawks on 1979-10-07. DeBerg threw for 306 and a touchdown to Ken MacAfee. O.J. Simpson ran for 71 with a touchdown. The Seahawks scored 21 second-quarter points to take a 28-10 halftime lead. Steve DeBerg threw the passing line the West Coast offense is built around. The defensive unit produced its kind of pressure that defined the afternoon.[1]
San Francisco lost 24-35 against the Seattle Seahawks. DeBerg threw for 306 and a touchdown to Ken MacAfee. O.J. Simpson ran for 71 with a touchdown. The Seahawks scored 21 second-quarter points to take a 28-10 halftime lead. The Sunday's outcome maps to the kind of first-year game-script Bill Walsh has been working through. Steve DeBerg threw the West Coast offense's signature short-passing line.
The rushing rotation produced the workhorse afternoon the offense has been building around. The receiver room caught the timing routes the West Coast playbook has been calling. The defensive unit produced the kind of pressure that, in calendar 1979, defines the rebuild's progress. The Sunday's outcome sets the next week's posture.
49ers 24, Seattle Seahawks 35. Margin: minus 11. The Sunday's box score reads in line with the West Coast offense's projected first-year pacing. DeBerg's passing line came through clean. The rushing rotation produced the workhorse line. The defensive unit produced its pressure.
A 24-35 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers' first Walsh-year calendar continues to shape across the kind of game-script the staff has been projecting.
How it unfolded
DeBerg threw for 306 and a touchdown to Ken MacAfee. O.J. Simpson ran for 71 with a touchdown. The Seahawks scored 21 second-quarter points to take a 28-10 halftime lead. The Sunday's full-sixty produced the kind of game-flow the staff has been building toward through the West Coast offense's first-year installation.
The turning point
The in-game adjustment that, in calendar 1979, decided the closing two quarters. The defensive front's pressure on the third-down dropbacks produced the kind of pass-rush volume the rebuild has been generating across the year.
By the numbers
Steve DeBerg's passing line came through clean against the West Coast playbook's projected timing routes. The rushing rotation ran the workhorse line. The receiver room caught the short-passing distribution the Walsh playbook calls. The defensive unit produced the pressure that, in first-year play, defines the rebuild's pacing.
Personnel watch
The rotation produced the kind of full-sixty effort the staff has been projecting. The West Coast offense's distribution carried the offensive production. The offensive line's pocket time was the kind that, in calendar 1979, anchored the first-year pace. The defensive unit's pressure was the central element of the afternoon.
What it means
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Steve DeBerg #17 | 31/40 | 306 | 1 | 1 | |
| SEA | |||||
| Jim Zorn | 13/20 | 162 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| O.J. Simpson | 15 | 71 | 1 | 10 |
| Wilbur Jackson | 8 | 33 | 0 | 14 |
| Lenvil Elliott #35 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 11 |
| Phil Francis | 4 | 19 | 0 | 10 |
| Paul Hofer | 2 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| James Owens | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| SEA | ||||
| Dan Doornink | 19 | 58 | 2 | 13 |
| Sherman Smith | 9 | 57 | 1 | 13 |
| Jeff Moore | 4 | 16 | 0 | 7 |
| Al Hunter | 3 | 15 | 0 | 7 |
| Jim Zorn | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Freddie Solomon #88 | 6 | 81 | 0 | 24 |
| Ken MacAfee | 4 | 69 | 1 | 50 |
| Wilbur Jackson | 9 | 60 | 0 | 20 |
| Phil Francis | 3 | 32 | 0 | 16 |
| James Owens | 2 | 27 | 0 | 17 |
| Lenvil Elliott #35 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 10 |
| Mike Shumann | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| O.J. Simpson | 2 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| Paul Hofer | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| SEA | ||||
| Steve Largent | 4 | 83 | 0 | 32 |
| Steve Raible | 3 | 26 | 0 | 10 |
| Dan Doornink | 3 | 22 | 0 | 15 |
| Sam McCullum | 2 | 20 | 0 | 10 |
| Sherman Smith | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
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