Joe Namath, Game by Game: the Complete Professional Football Career by Bryan L. Yeatter

Author:Bryan L. Yeatter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Published: 2012-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

Week 11—Sunday, November 28, 1971

Shea Stadium, New York (attendance: 63,936)

When they talked about his availability to play in week 11, Namath and Ewbank both agreed that, in fairness to Bob Davis, it should be Davis who got the start. Since replacing Al Woodall at quarterback, Davis had led the Jets to three wins against three losses, making the Jets’ overall record 4–6 going into week 11 (the team had begun the year 1–3 with Woodall). Still, when word got out that Woodall had been taken off the roster and that Namath had been activated, some 63,936 people turned out at Shea. Ewbank planned on having Davis play the first half before giving way to Namath in the second. That would change, of course, if the game got out of hand early and the Jets found themselves trailing badly. If such were the case, then Namath would see action sooner. The other possibility was that Namath would enter the game sooner if Davis should fall to injury.

The Jets’ opponents, the San Francisco 49ers, were 6–4 and in a fight with the Los Angeles Rams for the lead of the NFC’s Western Division. The 49ers very much needed a win to maintain their tenuous half-game lead over Los Angeles. For the Jets, a loss would pretty much close the door on any post-season aspirations.

In the first-ever meeting between the two teams, the Jets received the opening kickoff, but other than a good run by John Riggins on the first play from scrimmage, they were unable to make much headway and had to punt quickly. By contrast, San Francisco’s first possession found them moving the ball almost at will, mostly on the ground. While the Jets were considered fairly sound defensively against the run, their secondary had for years been their soft spot. The 49ers, however, established their running game early against the Jets, with backs Vic Washington and Ken Willard carrying the ball often and far. The 49ers ran nine plays in the series—eight of them runs—and drove deep into New York territory, but came away empty-handed when Washington fumbled the ball inside the New York 15-yard line.

The Jets’ next series again came to nothing, as they were unable to match San Francisco’s ground attack. In their first two offensive series, the Jets would gain just two first downs. Again they punted, and when punter Steve O’Neal dropped the snap from center and then found a heavy rush bearing down on him, he got off a weak kick that allowed San Francisco to start their next series from midfield. As the first quarter gave way to the second, the 49ers were deep into New York territory again with Washington having carried the load, getting the call on seven of the drive’s eight plays. Fittingly, it was Washington who carried the ball across to score from two yards out to give the 49ers a 7–0 lead.

On the Jets’ next series Davis finally seemed to get something started. After a run by Riggins, Davis threw to Rich Caster for 17 yards to the San Francisco 47-yard line.

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