Week 3: St. Louis Ties another one on
In a game more frustrating than New England weather in winter, John Brodie was virtually unstoppable with short passes against a short pass, double-cover defense, with his receivers going deep into the red on usage early in the game. Brodie continually hit his targets on short tosses that wound up 15-20 yards downfield. In playing to a kiss-your-sister tie, the Cards were just lucky the Niners' didn't have long-gain receivers catching those 2-yard passes.
The Niners went for it on fourth down five times in the game, but when the Cards followed suit late in the game, it cost them a win.
On the opening drive, St. Louis marched 66 yards on 11 plays, consuming almost 8 minutes, on the opening possession. However, reaching the 1-yard line wasn't good enough, as the Cards were flagged for a 15-yard holding penalty on the running play. Two plays later, St. Louis had to settle for a measly field goal and a 3-0 lead.
St. Louis learned what kind of fruity day it would be on San Francisco's fifth play, when big, slow
Ted Kwalick rambled 29 yards on an end around. However, St. Louis' seemingly only break came when Willard fumbled away one of his 9 pass receptions at the Cards' 23. Unbelievably, Kwalick would pick up another 18 later in the game.
Midway through the 2Q, the Niners booted a field goal to make it 3-3.
Hart was intercepted on the next drive, and the Niners marched in 25 yards for a TD to make it 10-3.
The Cards responded with a drive to the 49, where Lane did the rest on a 51-yard burst to make it 10-10.
The first Niners' gamble came late in the 2Q. With 1st and goal at the STL 3, :48 and 1 timeout left, San Fran threw incomplete, then hit a flare for -1 yard, then Brodie gunned it out of bounds to set up 4th and goal from the 4 with :24 left. Brodie gave it to Willard, who was stuffed for a 1-yard loss, leaving it a 10-10 game at the half.
The Niners' next gamble came on the 3Q's opening possession. SF drive to the STL 19. On 2nd
and 2, Brodie misfired to Willard. On 3rd and 2, Willard gained nothing. On 4th and 2, Brodie hit Witcher for -2 yards and STL had held again.
Hart went right to work, finding Gilliam for 45 yards, keying a 6-play, 79-yard drive capped by Lane's 1-yard run for a 17-10 St. Louis lead with 5:21 left in the 3Q.
SF responded with an 80-yard TD drive. The drive stalled at the SF 42, but on 4th and 13, Spurrier faked the punt and hit Isenbarger for 22 yards, SF's third fourth-down gamble. Brodie hit who else, Willard, for a 9-yard TD to make it 17-17 early in the 4Q.
The Cards moved 64 yards behind Lane, Edwards, and timely passes by Hart, reaching the SF 8 with 8:22 left. Two plays netted a yard, but on 3rd down, Edwards picked up six yards to the SF 1. For reasons no one will ever understand, St. Louis bit on the fourth-down gamble bug and gave it to Lane, who was stuffed at the line.
SF punted from its 35 with 4:03 left. The Cards went three-and-out, punting it back to SF at the SF 28 with 3:22 left. The 'Niners picked up a quick 16, but soon faced 4th and 5 from their 49 with 1:52 left. The gambling Mike Nolan gambled on a pass to Kwalick, who was double-covered and could not pull down the aerial.
The Cards gained nothing on two plays, but a screen to Williams netted 11 to move to the SF 38. Two plays again netted nothing, and Edwards then picked up 9 on a draw, setting up 4th and 1 from the SF 29 with :30 left. The Cards wasted no time sending out the reliable Bakken, with a 63% chance of success, and he booted it nicely into the left half of the end zone seats, maybe 20 feet outside the goal posts. Thanks, Jim. Thanks a lot, you bum.
The Niners could not cover 80 yards in the last :20. A Brodie sack at the 11 prompted the Cards
to call their last timeout. The next pass, an incompletion, slipped right through St. Louis' hands (roll of 99, normally an interception, but not against St. Louis. Brodie also rolled a 100 and a 98 earlier, none of which resulted in INTs. Unbefreakinglievable.) Brodie then got a pass interference penalty on the SF 27 as time expired, and Brodie hit Windsor for 16 to end the game.
"I'm just stupid," remarked St. Louis coach Charley Winner after the game. "S-T-U-P-I-D."
The Niners went for it on fourth down five times in the game, but when the Cards followed suit late in the game, it cost them a win.
On the opening drive, St. Louis marched 66 yards on 11 plays, consuming almost 8 minutes, on the opening possession. However, reaching the 1-yard line wasn't good enough, as the Cards were flagged for a 15-yard holding penalty on the running play. Two plays later, St. Louis had to settle for a measly field goal and a 3-0 lead.St. Louis learned what kind of fruity day it would be on San Francisco's fifth play, when big, slow
Ted Kwalick rambled 29 yards on an end around. However, St. Louis' seemingly only break came when Willard fumbled away one of his 9 pass receptions at the Cards' 23. Unbelievably, Kwalick would pick up another 18 later in the game.Midway through the 2Q, the Niners booted a field goal to make it 3-3.
Hart was intercepted on the next drive, and the Niners marched in 25 yards for a TD to make it 10-3.The Cards responded with a drive to the 49, where Lane did the rest on a 51-yard burst to make it 10-10.
The first Niners' gamble came late in the 2Q. With 1st and goal at the STL 3, :48 and 1 timeout left, San Fran threw incomplete, then hit a flare for -1 yard, then Brodie gunned it out of bounds to set up 4th and goal from the 4 with :24 left. Brodie gave it to Willard, who was stuffed for a 1-yard loss, leaving it a 10-10 game at the half.
The Niners' next gamble came on the 3Q's opening possession. SF drive to the STL 19. On 2nd
and 2, Brodie misfired to Willard. On 3rd and 2, Willard gained nothing. On 4th and 2, Brodie hit Witcher for -2 yards and STL had held again.Hart went right to work, finding Gilliam for 45 yards, keying a 6-play, 79-yard drive capped by Lane's 1-yard run for a 17-10 St. Louis lead with 5:21 left in the 3Q.
SF responded with an 80-yard TD drive. The drive stalled at the SF 42, but on 4th and 13, Spurrier faked the punt and hit Isenbarger for 22 yards, SF's third fourth-down gamble. Brodie hit who else, Willard, for a 9-yard TD to make it 17-17 early in the 4Q.
The Cards moved 64 yards behind Lane, Edwards, and timely passes by Hart, reaching the SF 8 with 8:22 left. Two plays netted a yard, but on 3rd down, Edwards picked up six yards to the SF 1. For reasons no one will ever understand, St. Louis bit on the fourth-down gamble bug and gave it to Lane, who was stuffed at the line.
SF punted from its 35 with 4:03 left. The Cards went three-and-out, punting it back to SF at the SF 28 with 3:22 left. The 'Niners picked up a quick 16, but soon faced 4th and 5 from their 49 with 1:52 left. The gambling Mike Nolan gambled on a pass to Kwalick, who was double-covered and could not pull down the aerial.The Cards gained nothing on two plays, but a screen to Williams netted 11 to move to the SF 38. Two plays again netted nothing, and Edwards then picked up 9 on a draw, setting up 4th and 1 from the SF 29 with :30 left. The Cards wasted no time sending out the reliable Bakken, with a 63% chance of success, and he booted it nicely into the left half of the end zone seats, maybe 20 feet outside the goal posts. Thanks, Jim. Thanks a lot, you bum.
The Niners could not cover 80 yards in the last :20. A Brodie sack at the 11 prompted the Cards
to call their last timeout. The next pass, an incompletion, slipped right through St. Louis' hands (roll of 99, normally an interception, but not against St. Louis. Brodie also rolled a 100 and a 98 earlier, none of which resulted in INTs. Unbefreakinglievable.) Brodie then got a pass interference penalty on the SF 27 as time expired, and Brodie hit Windsor for 16 to end the game."I'm just stupid," remarked St. Louis coach Charley Winner after the game. "S-T-U-P-I-D."
-contributed by Chris Howell-
posted by distantreplay.org @ 1:08 PM
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People should read this.
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