The 1978 San Francisco 49ers season was their 29th season in the National Football League. The team began the season hoping to improve upon their previous output of 5-9. Instead, the team started the season 0-4 for the second straight year. The team also suffered a nine game losing streak.[1]
During the off-season, the 49ers acquired running back O.J. Simpson from Buffalo. Although Simpson had been one of the best backs in the league over the previous decade, he was in poor physical condition and had recently undergone knee surgery. As a result, his playing ability was limited.
The 49ers finished with the worst record in the league and scored only 219 points[2] the fewest in the league in 1978. The team set an NFL record with 63 turnovers.
Schedule [edit]
| Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Attendance |
| 1 |
September 3, 1978 |
at Cleveland Browns |
L 24-7 |
68,973
|
| 2 |
September 10, 1978 |
Chicago Bears |
L 16-13 |
49,502
|
| 3 |
September 17, 1978 |
at Houston Oilers |
L 20-19 |
46,161
|
| 4 |
September 24, 1978 |
at New York Giants |
L 27-10 |
71,536
|
| 5 |
October 1, 1978 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
W 28-12 |
41,107
|
| 6 |
October 8, 1978 |
at Los Angeles Rams |
L 27-10 |
59,337
|
| 7 |
October 15, 1978 |
New Orleans Saints |
L 14-7 |
37,671
|
| 8 |
October 22, 1978 |
Atlanta Falcons |
L 20-17 |
44,235
|
| 9 |
October 29, 1978 |
at Washington Redskins |
L 38-20 |
53,706
|
| 10 |
November 5, 1978 |
at Atlanta Falcons |
L 21-10 |
55,468
|
| 11 |
November 12, 1978 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
L 16-10 |
33,155
|
| 12 |
November 19, 1978 |
Los Angeles Rams |
L 31-28 |
45,022
|
| 13 |
November 27, 1978 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
L 24-7 |
51,657
|
| 14 |
December 3, 1978 |
at New Orleans Saints |
L 23-14 |
50,068
|
| 15 |
December 10, 1978 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
W 6-3 |
30,931
|
| 16 |
December 17, 1978 |
at Detroit Lions |
L 33-14 |
56,674
|
Standings [edit]
References [edit]
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