1972 San Francisco 49ers season
| 1972 San Francisco 49ers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Josephine Morabito Jane Morabito |
| General manager | Louis Spadia |
| Head coach | Dick Nolan |
| Home field | Candlestick Park |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–5–1 |
| Division place | 1st NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Cowboys) 28–30 |
| Pro Bowlers | C Forrest Blue G Woody Peoples WR Gene Washington TE Ted Kwalick OLB Dave Wilcox CB Jimmy Johnson |
The 1972 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 23rd season in the National Football League and their 27th overall.. The 49ers appeared in the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
After an early-season injury to quarterback John Brodie, Steve Spurrier stepped in and turned things around with brilliant performances to get the 49ers back in the playoff picture by going 5–2–1 over eight games. In the last game of the season, Brodie returned in the 4th quarter and threw two touchdown passes to lead the 49ers to a 20–17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, as the 49ers won their third straight division title with an 8–5–1 record. In the divisional playoffs at Candlestick, the 49ers looked poised for a return to the NFC Championship game, leading the Dallas Cowboys 28–13 at the start of the 4th quarter. However, the Cowboys scored 17 unanswered points to defeat the 49ers. This was the third consecutive season that the 49ers lost to the Cowboys in the playoffs, and marked the 49ers' last postseason appearance until 1981.
Offseason
NFL Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Terry Beasley | WR | Auburn |
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
Practice squad
| ||||||
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17 | San Diego Chargers | W 34–3 | 59,438 |
| 2 | September 24 | at Buffalo Bills | L 27–20 | 45,845 |
| 3 | October 1 | at New Orleans Saints | W 37–2 | 69,840 |
| 4 | October 8 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 31–7 | 77,382 |
| 5 | October 15 | New York Giants | L 23–17 | 58,606 |
| 6 | October 22 | New Orleans Saints | T 20–20 | 59,167 |
| 7 | October 29 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 49–14 | 58,850 |
| 8 | November 5 | at Green Bay Packers | L 34–24 | 47,897 |
| 9 | November 12 | Baltimore Colts | W 24–21 | 61,214 |
| 10 | November 19 | at Chicago Bears | W 34–21 | 55,701 |
| 11 | November 23 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 31–10 | 65,124 |
| 12 | December 4 | Los Angeles Rams | L 26–16 | 61,214 |
| 13 | December 10 | Atlanta Falcons | W 20–0 | 61,214 |
| 14 | December 16 | Minnesota Vikings | W 20–17 | 61,214 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Standings
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 8 | 5 | 1 | .607 | 3–2–1 | 6–4–1 | 353 | 249 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–5 | 269 | 274 | L2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 7 | 1 | .464 | 4–2 | 5–5–1 | 291 | 286 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2 | 11 | 1 | .179 | 1–4–1 | 2–8–1 | 215 | 361 | L3 |
Playoffs
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 23 | Dallas Cowboys | L 28–30 | 0–1 | Candlestick Park | 61,214 |
Awards and records
Milestones
References
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