The Blame Game

the double reverse..................

when the conditions are what they were, you want the ball having to change hands as little as possible. We tried to get too cute with the playcalling. This was a game we could've just pounded out and won.

Originally posted by SacRock14:
He was hardly being pulled back. It was literally probably a second, and you see far worse cases of guys holding up runners allowed to continue without whistle. Bradshaw was falling to the ground and got ripped. Should have been a fumble.

Completely ridiculous call, but what would you expect from a Hochuli crew?

This.

It wasn't like he was being driven back by 4 players while they all tried to strip the ball. He was being tackled, and in the process of falling to the ground when the ball came out, he went backwards like 1/2 a yard while falling. That is a fumble all the way, ref just blew the whistle too early. With that being said though, the Niners still had plenty of opportunities to win the game.

Originally posted by Janitor:
We lost the game. The offense simply didn't produce.

Yep, true dat..plus, that was a fumble! Crap call.

Yup. THe ref blew the whistle way too early. As soon as he saw them ripping at the ball, he blew it. Like he had money on the game or something.

Originally posted by Montana:
Alex and Kyle played a big part in the loss. Trade them both..JMHO. I've not been jazzed about Alex Smith..ever really..sorry..Jmho.

fire williams

Ted Ginn

Originally posted by SofaKing:
It was the correct call. Even Mike Periera (former head of officiating) said forward progress was stopped, and it was not a fumble. You can take issue with the rule, but not the call. Officials got it right.

If the rule is called to the letter then, no one could ever fumble if their body was going backwards because their forward progress would have been stopped. But thats not how the rule is called. QBs fumble while getting hit and going backwards all the time. Just look at the SF v Pitt game. Ben gets hit by Aldon, he's going backwards towards the ground and the ball comes out. How come they didn't pull out the forward progress rule then?

That rule is only ever really applied when a runner wont go down, he's surrounded by 4 or 5 defenders who are all pushing him backwards and trying to strip the ball. Not simply because a guy is hit and is falling down backwards while the ball is stripped out. Complete BS.

I hate kyle williams

the whistle blew faster than a kardashian at an NBA party.

Originally posted by Montana:
Alex is not a good QB..sorry, but he's just not. Never has been. No animosity..he just isn't good. Sorry, but his time has been up for a while. Not the popular opinion..but it's JMHO.

If Alex Smith did not stay with the 49ers this year, we don't have a 13-3 season, and then beat the Saints in the playoffs. Step back for a minute and think about everything Alex Smith had to deal with this year (not to mention the 6 years before this season) and you will find that he has done an amazing job quarterbacking this team.

The entire team had everything going against it this year, and yet they still managed to have a great year. The 2011 49ers had very low expectations, especially from the national media, and all they did this year was go out and win. They had some really great games and won in the clutch when they had to. How many 4th quarter comebacks did Alex Smith have this season, four or five? I'm not sure exactly, but he played his heart out for this team and Coach Harbaugh when he could have just walked away.

Your opinion is wholly misinformed and misguided if you put this loss squarely on Alex Smith. Open your eyes and look at the facts. You are allowing your emotions to influence you, and that only makes you look foolish.

Dan
49ers Fan in NC

That was a tremendous game by both teams. It was a perfectly reasonable call.

If you think this is what lost us the game....watch the game again. Turnovers cost us this game.

Originally posted by ChazBoner:
the double reverse..................

when the conditions are what they were, you want the ball having to change hands as little as possible. We tried to get too cute with the playcalling. This was a game we could've just pounded out and won.

agreed.

Originally posted by 12b6demurrer:

He was up...the play was ruled dead because of forward progress...it was the right call.

The rule isn't great, but the refs made the right call in the constraints of the rule.

This.

Let's give Williams some break. A couple of punts got caught in Candlestick wind and changed course drastically in the air. On the punt where he had to dive, the ball was blown about 10 yards off course. I was sitting in the stands directly behind Williams on that punt and I was surprised he caught it.