TUESDAY TIDBITS: "No Matter What You Do, It's Gonna Grab Ahold On You"

By TJ Troup 

John Brodie

There are weeks when writing this column feels more inspired than others, and this is one of those weeks. When you get to write about your favorite rivalry in all of sports, in this case the Rams vs. 49ers, Yippee! Gonna start with the passing of Bob Trumpy. Purchased his book at a flea market for a dollar, and found his insightful and at times comedic book a joy to read. 

His formative years in high school in both track & field and basketball to being teammates with Butkus at Illinois, to being drafted by the expansion Bengals in '68 and the success he had with different quarterbacks under the guidance of Bill Walsh. Enjoyed him as an analyst on broadcasts since he really understood the game and would not shy away with his cryptic comments. RIP Bob! 

Since the Bengals were mentioned, for a moment lets take a look at the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals and more specifically the direction they are headed? I would relish it if any of you could share your thoughts on whether you believe this porous defense will allow more than 500 points this year. 

Watching the Bears rally? Well that's the word I'll use, and win in the Queen City on Sunday was amazing. How so, you ask? Everyone who has ever played defensive back can share stories about pursuit and tackling in a game; and most importantly, tackles made and tackles missed. 

Stone & Battle complete abject failure on the winning touchdown pass to Loveland will be replayed many times. Out of position? Poor tackling? Wrong pursuit angle? or d) all of the above. Which takes me back to Mike Brown and Bengal management, as Mike Brown was 15 years old when the Browns won the title in 1950, and 40 when the Bengals with Trumpy earned a playoff berth in 1975. Will Joe Burrow seek a trade? 

Dick Nolan, 49ers' coach

The San Francisco 49ers, under the direction of Dick Nolan, made progress in 1968 in the Coastal Division, and after seven games in 1969, have won only one game. Kermit Alexander earned a Pro Bowl berth in 1968 and paired with Jimmy Johnson at left corner the Niners should be able to play rock-solid pass defense, but with Alexander injured, second-year man Johnny Woitt starts the November 9th game in the Coliseum against the undefeated Rams. Since Randolph & Phillips, the two starting safeties lack speed, the Niners trade excellent guard Howard Mudd to the Bears for Roosevelt Taylor (another George Allen favorite who was in "Dooley's Dog House". 

Taylor will start late in the season and earn the Len Eshmont award in 1970, but that is a story for another time. Back to November 9th. First offensive play for the Rams, Wendell Tucker is wide open, and I mean wide damn open and scores on a 93-yard play from Roman Gabriel. San Francisco, led by veteran "gun slinger" John Brodie, takes the Niners on a nine-play 79-yard drive to score as Brodie reads right linebacker Jim Purnell's blitz and delivers a pass to a wide-open Ken Willard. Merlin Olsen blocks the extra point attempt. 

The Rams advance 89 yards in just six plays to score on a 35-yard pass from Gabriel to Les Josephson on a circle route and increase the lead to 14-6 (key play was Gabriel to Snow for 57 yards). Niners can't move and punt, and here come the white & blue clad Rams down the field with the Los Angeles running game pounding away for 42 yards, and on 4th and five from the San Francisco seven, Gossett kicks a 15-yard field goal. Second and seven at his own twenty-seven and Brodie finds rookie Gene Washington open and rifles a pass to him, which gains 52 yards. 

Gene Washington

When the drive stalls, Gavric splits the uprights from 32 yards. Rams 17--49ers 9. Gabriel again moves the Rams on a sustained march to Niner twenty-three and on 4th and sixteen, Gossett drills home a 39-yard field goal. Brodie will not be deterred today, even against a defense as strong as the Rams. San Francisco is finally stopped at the Los Angeles seventeen-yard line when David "Deacon" Jones deflects Brodie's pass and veteran strong safety Richie Petitbon intercepts. 

Richie Petitbon

There is no further scoring in the first half, and as the teams head to their respective locker rooms in the Coliseum, the Rams lead 20 to 9. San Francisco has gained just 27 yard rushing in the first half (Rams gained 55), but the key to this game is going to be which quarterback can be the best "gunslinger" as Gabriel gained 209 passing, and Brodie 190 with the strong offensive line of the Niners protecting the veteran passer so well, nary a sack by the Ram pass rush. 

San Francisco goes three and out first possession of the 3rd quarter, but so do the Rams. Second down and three to go when Brodie's errant pass is pilfered by Eddie Meador, and the veteran All-Pro safety weaves, twists and fights his way into the end zone to up the ante to 27-9. No doubt the Niners are finished. No team can come back against a George Allen defense down by 18, right? Oh, John Brodie can? 

Here come the Niners advancing 80 yards in eight plays. Tight end Bob Windsor gains 30 before Petitbon can knock him out of bounds. Willard scores from the three going off right tackle. Rams 27-- 49ers 16. Late in the quarter, Los Angeles begins another touchdown march which culminates on an 8 yard strike to Snow who easily beat Johnny Woitt's coverage on a square-in. Rams 34-49ers 16. 

Brodie has the hot hand today and twice in the 4th quarter led the Niners into the end zone with short touchdown tosses to Windsor & running back Bill Tucker. Los Angeles 34 San Francisco 30. Can the Niners get the ball back for Brodies one more time, and pull off the road upset at the hands of the undefeated Rams? 

The league MVP in 1969 will be Roman Gabriel, and offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda has schooled Gabe into using his backs as receivers and on 1st and ten from his own seventeen, he flips to Tommy Mason in the right flat (on the NFL Films weekly highlight show, the "old pro), and he dashes and weaves 55 yards to the 49er twenty-eight-yard line before a hustling Dave Wilcox hauls him down. Gabriel on a rollout right (one of his most productive plays), runs 9 yards for the final touchdown of the game. Brodie's final drive ends with him being sacked by Olsen & Brown on 4th down at his own twenty-seven. 

Three times at this point in the rivalry, the Rams scored at least 41 points against the 49ers and in all three games, a Ram had returned at least one interception for a touchdown. The compelling drama between these two teams, no matter the record, is spelled out in that going into this game, the Rams had won 12, the Niners had 11 with one tie, the last 24 times they had played. To this day, when these two teams lock horns, there is an impact on the standings. Hopefully, this will happen this Sunday the 9th of November, 2025!

Bet you can guess who will be watching the game.