1956 San Francisco 49ers season
| 1956 San Francisco 49ers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Frankie Albert |
| Home field | Kezar Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–6–1 |
| Division place | 3rd NFL Western |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 1956 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's seventh season in the National Football League (NFL), and was coming off a 4–8–0 record, finishing in 5th place in the Western Conference.
San Francisco brought in a new head coach for the second straight season, as Red Strader was replaced with former 49ers quarterback Frankie Albert, who played with the team from their AAFC days in 1946 until 1952.
The Niners got off to a rough start, winning only 1 of their first 7 games to sit in last place in the Western Conference. San Francisco went unbeaten in their final 5 games, and finished the year with a 5–6–1, and in 3rd place in the Conference.
Offensively, Y.A. Tittle threw for a team-high 1,641 yards and 7 touchdowns, and had 56.9% of his passes completed. Hugh McElhenny rushed for a team-best 916 yards and 8 touchdowns, while Billy Wilson caught a club-high 60 receptions for 889 yards, along with 5 touchdowns. Bob St. Clair blocked ten Field Goal attempts. [1]
Offseason
NFL Draft
| Pick # | NFL Team | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | San Francisco 49ers | Earl Morrall[2] | Quarterback | Michigan State |
Regular season
Schedule
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | September 30 | New York Giants | 38–21 | San Francisco 49ers | 0–1–0 | 41,751 |
| 2 | October 7 | Los Angeles Rams | 33–30 | San Francisco 49ers | 1–1–0 | 56,489 |
| 3 | October 14 | San Francisco 49ers | 31–7 | Chicago Bears | 1–2–0 | 47,526 |
| 4 | October 21 | San Francisco 49ers | 20–17 | Detroit Lions | 1–3–0 | 55,662 |
| 5 | October 28 | Chicago Bears | 38–21 | San Francisco 49ers | 1–4–0 | 52,612 |
| 6 | November 4 | Detroit Lions | 17–13 | San Francisco 49ers | 1–5–0 | 46,708 |
| 7 | November 11 | San Francisco 49ers | 30–6 | Los Angeles Rams | 1–6–0 | 69,828 |
| 8 | November 18 | San Francisco 49ers | 17–16 | Green Bay Packers | 2–6–0 | 17,986 |
| 9 | November 25 | San Francisco 49ers | 10–10 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2–6–1 | 19,326 |
| 10 | December 2 | San Francisco 49ers | 20–17 | Baltimore Colts | 3–6–1 | 37,227 |
| 11 | December 8 | Green Bay Packers | 38–20 | San Francisco 49ers | 4–6–1 | 32,433 |
| 12 | December 16 | Baltimore Colts | 30–17 | San Francisco 49ers | 5–6–1 | 43,791 |
Standings
| NFL Western Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 8–2 | 363 | 246 | W2 | |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 8–2 | 300 | 188 | L1 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 6 | 1 | .455 | 5–5 | 233 | 284 | W3 | |
| Baltimore Colts | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 3–7 | 270 | 322 | W1 | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 291 | 307 | W2 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 264 | 342 | L2 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.