1948 San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers began their third season, the 1948 AAFC season, hoping to improve upon their 8-4-2 output from the previous season. They began the season 10-0, and finished 12-2, both losses coming to the eventual season champions Cleveland Browns, by a combined total of 10 points. The 49ers scored 495 points this season (averaging over 35 points per game), which was more than 100 points more than the next best output (389 points by the Browns). Despite their 12-2 record, the 49ers did not qualify for the playoffs, due to the Browns going 14-0. To add insult to injury, Baltimore and Buffalo finished tied atop the Eastern Division with 7-7 records, which meant the Niners finished five full games ahead of Cleveland's opponent for the AAFC Championship.

Top Players
Frank Albert has possibly his finest year as a professional, completing 58.3% of his passes for 1,990 yards, 29 touchdowns and a rating of 102.9, and rushed for 349 yards and eight touchdowns. But he was only the leader of the Forty Niner offensive machine. Johnny Strzykalski rushed for 915 yards and 4 TDs, and caught 26 passes for 487 yards and seven TDs. He also intercepted three passes on defense. Rookie Joe "The Jet" Perry rushed for 562 yards and 10 touchdowns. Alyn Beals led the receiving corps with 46 catches, 591 yards and 14 touchdowns. And coverage specialist Eddie Carr intercepted seven passes.

Week 1: vs Buffalo
Sunday, August 29 at Kezar Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * SF - Hal Shoener unknown yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Jim Cason unknown yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Buf - Chet Mutryn unknown yard rush (Graham Armstrong kick)
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 48 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Joe Perry 57 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * Buf - Bill O'Connor 5 yard pass from George Ratterman (Graham Armstrong kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * SF - Jim Cason unknown yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)

Week 2: vs Brooklyn
Sunday, September 5 at Kezar Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * Brk - Bob Chappuis 3 yard rush (Hardy Brown kick)
 * SF - Hal Shoener 3 yard pass from Frank Albert (kick failed)
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Alyn Beals 49 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Hal Shoener 8 yard pass from Frank Albert (kick failed)
 * SF - Joe Vetrano 33 yard field goal
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 4 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Brk - Mickey Colmer 41 yard pass from Bob Hoernschemeyer (Hardy Brown kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * SF - Frank Albert 25 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Brk - Mickey Colmer 1 yard rush (kick failed)

Week 3: vs New York
Sunday, September 12 at Kezar Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * SF - Len Eshmont unknown yard fumble return (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Paul Crowe 16 yard pass from Frank Albert (kick failed)
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Alyn Beals 13 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 22 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Frank Albert 17 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * SF - Paul Crowe 39 yard interception return (Joe Vetrano kick)

Week 4: vs Los Angeles
Sunday, September 19 at Kezar Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * SF - Alyn Beals 19 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Joe Perry 4 yard rush (kick failed)
 * LA - Joe Aguirre 17 yard pass from Glenn Dobbs (Ben Agajanian kick)
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 49 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * LA - Herm Wedemeyer 5 yard pass from Glenn Dobbs (Ben Agajanian kick)
 * SF - Safety, Glenn Dobbs punt blocked out of end zone
 * Fourth Quarter
 * SF - Frank Albert 9 yard rush (Ned Maloney pass from Frank Albert)
 * SF - Bob Sullivan 14 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)

Week 5: at Buffalo
Sunday, September 26 at War Memorial Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * Buf - George Ratterman 1 yard rush (Vic Kulbitski kick)
 * SF - Alyn Beals 29 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Second Quarter
 * Buf - Bob Stueber 47 yard rush (Vic Kulbitski kick)
 * SF - Jim Cason 59 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Buf - Chet Mutryn 30 yard pass from George Ratterman (Vic Kulbitski kick)
 * SF - Joe Vetrano 28 yard field goal
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 1 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Verl Lillywhite 4 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * Buf - Al Baldwin 14 yard pass from George Ratterman (Graham Armstrong kick)
 * SF - Frank Albert 20 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)

Week 6: at Chicago
Friday, October 1 at Soldier Field

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * SF - Alyn Beals 15 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Norm Standlee 10 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Joe Perry 14 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Chi - Ray Kuffel 46 yard pass from Chuck Fenenbock (Jim McCarthy kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 45 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Joe Vetrano 16 yard field goal
 * Fourth Quarter
 * Chi - Floyd Simmons 10 yard rush (Jim McCarthy kick)

Week 7: At Baltimore
Sunday, October 10 at Memorial Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 7 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Bal - Bob Pfohl 7 yard pass from Y. A. Tittle (Rex Grossman kick)
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Verl Lillywhite 28 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 18 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Frank Albert 1 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Joe Perry 3 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Eddie Carr 54 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * SF - Ned Maloney 29 yard pass from Bev Wallace (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Eddie Carr 31 yard interception return (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Bal - Lu Gambino 39 yard rush (Rex Grossman kick)

Week 8: at New York
Sunday, October 17 at Yankee Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 25 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Frank Albert 2 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * NY - Spec Sanders 3 yard rush (Harvey Johnson kick)
 * SF - Joe Perry 1 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)

Week 9: vs Baltimore
Sunday, October 24 at Kezar Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * Second Quarter
 * Bal - Rex Grossman 20 yard field goal
 * Bal - Billy Hillenbrand 17 pass from Y. A. Tittle (Rex Grossman kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 29 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * SF - Joe Perry 19 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Nick Susoeff 43 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)

Week 11: vs Chicago
Sunday, November 7 at Kezar Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * SF - Forrest Hall 65 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Joe Vetrano 41 yard field goal
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Joe Perry 3 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Alyn Beals 18 yard pass from Frank Albert (kick failed)
 * SF - Len Eshmont 1 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Norm Standlee 57 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * Chi - Bob Jensen 12 yard pass from Jesse Freitas (Jim McCarthy kick)
 * Chi - Fay King 14 yard pass from Jesse Freitas (Jim McCarthy kick)
 * Chi - Fay King 12 yard pass from Jesse Freitas (Jim McCarthy kick)

Week 12: at Cleveland
Sunday, November 14 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * Cle - Otto Graham 14 yard rush (Lou Groza kick)
 * SF - Joe Perry 1 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * Cle - Edgar Jones 4 yard rush (Lou Groza kick)

Week 13: at Brooklyn
Sunday, November 21 at Ebbets Field

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * SF - Frank Albert 4 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Brk - Saxon Judd 4 yard pass from Bob Hoernschemeyer (Hardy Brown kick)
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 21 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Frank Albert 1 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Alyn Beals 15 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Brk - Ray Ramsey 50 yard pass from Bob Chappuis (Hardy Brown kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Alyn Beals 6 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Alyn Beals 4 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Brk - Mickey Colmer 37 yard pass from Bob Chappuis (Hardy Brown kick)
 * SF - Joe Perry 87 yard kickoff return (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * Brk - Bob Hoernschemeyer 10 yard fumble return (kick failed)
 * Brk - Mickey Colmer 1 yard rush (kick failed)
 * SF - Norm Standlee 4 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Brk - Mickey Colmer 78 yard pass from Bob Chappuis (Hardy Brown kick)
 * SF - Forrest Hall 63 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)

Week 14: vs Cleveland
Sunday, November 28 at Kezar Stadium

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * Cle - Dante Lavelli 41 yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
 * Cle - Lou Groza 24 yard field goal
 * Second Quarter
 * SF - Joe Perry 2 yard rush (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Alyn Beals 4 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Alyn Beals 29 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Cle - Marion Motley 6 yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
 * Cle - Dub Jones 20 yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
 * Cle - Edgar Jones 33 yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * SF - Joe Perry 41 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)

Week 15: at Los Angeles
Sunday, December 5 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Scoring Summary
 * First Quarter
 * SF - Joe Vetrano 30 yard rush (Joe Vetrano
 * SF - Johnny Strzykalski 59 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * SF - Alyn Beals 7 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * Second Quarter
 * LA - Len Ford 7 yard pass from Glenn Dobbs (Ben Agajanian kick)
 * Third Quarter
 * SF - Joe Perry 7 yard rush (Joe Vetrano
 * SF - Joe Vetrano 47 yard field goal
 * LA - Len Ford 11 yard pass from Glenn Dobbs (Ben Agajanian kick)
 * Fourth Quarter
 * SF - Alyn Beals 35 yard pass from Frank Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
 * LA - John Kimbrough 18 yard pass from Glenn Dobbs (Ben Agajanian kick)