'76 Forty Niners

[74_75_78_79_]

I just watched the NFL Films review, "An All New Era", narrated by Facenda. Enabling me to look a bit closer at this team, it made me regret boxing them out of my top-12 regular season PRs simply due to that 2-5 finish. Then again, watching a '76 Broncos and '76 Browns review may make me, perhaps, not regret it (who knows?).

After that 6-1 start, SF lost two OT games in a row; first at StL and then back home to Washington (Mosely kicking winning FG, Theismann holding; both celebrating). A simple Forty Niners beating them both - and rest of season playing out as it did - and they get the wild card spot instead. Not saying they actually make the Super Bowl (making it a...'Bay Bowl'), but interesting to see how the '76 NFC playoffs play out had they actually been there with Vikings, Cowboys & Rams.

Quite an interesting "island" SF squad. If I were a Forty Niners-fan, I'd probably consider it my favorite non-SB season of theirs. Four long years since their last playoff-appearance (Brodie era); and 3 and 5 long years respectively until Bill Walsh's arrival and their SBXVI triumph in Pontiac.

The half-hour piece starts out actually by introducing Eddie D as new owner for upcoming '77 season. I'm not sure if John's pronunciation of his name ('tolo' sounding like 'Rollo') is the actual one or not. Shows he and his family in their new house in the Bay Area (same footage they would later show in 'A Football Life'); and their giant bathtub that his little daughter can "ride a boat" in. He isn't kidding when he says, "Absentee ownership; I don't believe in that."

Funny how during this entire piece that neither Monte Clark nor (his right-hand-man) Sarge's name is mentioned at all. Just simply the new GM, Joe Thomas, and new HC Ken Meyer ("we hope they'll bring this city their first championship"). I'm sure this has been mentioned on this site before but what was the reason that Bart fired Clark after SF's first winning season in four years (and a promising one at that)? I'm guessing it was a Thomas move.

I didn't know that the early 16-0 triumph at LA (Rams) was a MNF game. Ten sacks in that game! Tommy Hart recording six of them! What a 'sack-exchange' that DL was! 32 sacks in a four-game stretch. 61 total for the year for a grand total loss of 573 yards! Perhaps Hardman getting injured late in season may have helped hurt their playoff chances. As for the two DTs in the middle, Webb making such a blocker-eater (a la Alex Karras) out of himself, he helped Elam (14.5 sacks) make the Pro Bowl (he'd make it again in '77).

16 sacks for Hart! They also showed Tommy stuffing 'Sweetness' on, not one, but two plays (ONE of them for...a SAFETY)! Again...(in addition to not mentioning Monte)...why wasn't FLOYD mentioned in this?? Back to the win at Rams, and 6-1 start in general, I can now understand why when SF destroyed Dallas 5 years later to start 4-2 why Cosell and Co during the MNF halftime highlights the following evening weren't quick at all to praise them. Memories of that in-vain '76 start as well as the also-in-vain 3-0 start in '80 could be the reasoning.

On the other side of the ball, Gene Washington had himself a career-year in '76 and a real shame Willie McGee got injured early - another thing that hurt SF in the end. However, the leader in receptions was actually their fullback...Wilbur Jackson. In their late (also a Monday Nighter) win vs NFC-champ-to-be Vikings, both he and Delvin Williams each put up 150+ yards. Don't let the white jerseys fool you, the game was at home; SF played at home in whites all year apparaently.

What a remarkable year Delvin had! 1203 yards (in 14 games)! The first SF 1,000 yard rusher since '59 as well as topping Joe Perry's all-time single-season best! Forty Niners' special-teams was also mentioned fondly. And by the way...is Bruce Rhodes related to Ray? I am aware of the tragedy he later suffered.

The NFL Films special all-but said (without actually saying it) that '77 ahead was Jim Plunkett's "make-or-break" year (I'm sure Jim doesn't MISS the '70s). They show him on the practice field listening to new HC Ken Meyer's advice while wearing his 'Forty Niners' white practice t-shirt with font in red. It was said about he "allowing" himself to get sacked too much to the fans' dismay even though it "was not all his doing".

His job was beginning to not be all-too secure with two other QBs vulturing in. This especially went for rookie, Scott Bull, who actually was the starter in SF's final two wins vs Minn and also in the finale at NO. Guess he never panned out. All I know was that he and new kid, Joe Cool, were together on same squad in '79. However, back to Plunkett, it did show his scrambling ability (actually juking-out Claude himself vs Falcons) along with he staying in pocket just long enough to make the big play (forecasting his later success as well as showcasing why he was a Heisman Trophy winner/very promising NFL prospect in the first place).

Yes, a very great NFL Films piece! I love their version of Vicki Sue Robinson's "Turn the Beat Around" (a hit earlier in '76) included in the music. They even managed to show on the sideline (without mentioning his name) a rookie center who we would get to know better in the following decade. By Bart firing Monte Clark hence Sarge upon taking over the team, SF would suffer much more the next four years than they would have had the two still stayed onboard. '77 may have very well been a playoff year had the change not been made. And I'm with you, BD, on picking both of them as my OL-coach and DL-coach respectively for my "all-time" coaching staff.

However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise for had that happened it may have chain-reactioned 'the Genuis' himself from ever hopping onboard. A couple-steps-back, MANY-steps-forward apparently was the best way for it to happen in SF even though Clark/Peters may have ended up a winning combo just the same in that immediate time. I have read elsewhere someone blaming Mike-Mayer missing key FGs second-half of season for '76 not being a playoff year. How much truth to that?

[SixtiesFan]

Monte Clark wanted total control, draft, trades, etc. Joe Thomas wouldn't allow anybody but himself to be in charge of those areas. Ken Meyer took the HC job replacing Clark knowing Thomas was in control.

[JWL]

I In their late (also a Monday Nighter) win vs NFC-champ-to-be Vikings, both he and Delvin Williams each put up 150+ yards. Don't let the white jerseys fool you, the game was at home; SF played at home in whites all year apparaently.

The 49ers played all 14 of their regular season games in white jerseys.

Future Major League Baseball player Pete Incaviglia participated in the Punt, Pass, and Kick competition during halftime of the Monday night game vs Minnesota.

[lastcat3]

Wonder if they got some key players/player hurt that season. They started off the year 6-1 but only won two games in the second half of the season. Surprisingly one of those two wins was against the Vikings. Granted they didn't have a real tough schedule in the first half of the year but they also had some poor teams later in the year that they started losing against.

Edit....Take that back. The second half schedule was significantly tougher than the first half. The total opponents record in the first half was 35-62-1 and the second half opponents record was 55-41-2.

49ers may have had the toughest second half schedule in the league that season. Still managed to beat the Vikings though.

[BD Sullivan]

The win over the Vikings came after Minny had their division clinched, which may have dulled their motivation.

The Niners finished 8-6, but could have very easily been 12-2:

*They lost two games (at STL and at SD) in OT
*They got caught looking ahead to a matchup against the Rams and lost 21-16 to the 2-7 Falcons.
*They lost 24-21 to the Redskins, with Mike-Mayer missing a 32-yard FG attempt and having a 39-yard effort partially blocked. The SF pass rush had problems with Theismann's scrambling, only getting to him once.