Did Patrick Willis save the NaVorro Bowman touchdown?

No way Drew Davis would have gone through Whitner, who was right behind Bowman pretty much the whole way down the field.

Originally posted by Ether:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap2000000303631/WK-16-Can-t-Miss-Play-Lighting-up-Candlestick

This is an honest observation and question. Watch the video of the Bowman return @ 0:12-0:13. #19 Drew Davis is chasing after Bowman with Willis in front and Ahmad Brooks closing in on him from the back. Ahmad Brooks comes from behind and pretty clearly pushes Drew Davis in the back. With the momentum Davis was carrying, if Brooks shoves him and Davis, without Willis there to inadvertently prop him up, falls over... would that have been a block in the back, and penalty on the return?

I noticed that immediately. I thought, "WTF is brooks doing! " Willis pretty much held up davis. Had davis flopped to the ground, refs probably would've thrown the flag.

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Meh it was a swipe in the back. The Bow was going to score anyway.

This. I did see the contact but that wasn't a block in the back.

Originally posted by Ether:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap2000000303631/WK-16-Can-t-Miss-Play-Lighting-up-Candlestick

This is an honest observation and question. Watch the video of the Bowman return @ 0:12-0:13. #19 Drew Davis is chasing after Bowman with Willis in front and Ahmad Brooks closing in on him from the back. Ahmad Brooks comes from behind and pretty clearly pushes Drew Davis in the back. With the momentum Davis was carrying, if Brooks shoves him and Davis, without Willis there to inadvertently prop him up, falls over... would that have been a block in the back, and penalty on the return?

That was VERY dumb by Brooks. When it comes to dumb penalties he leads the team although I don't think he jumped offsides this week which is rare. Willis almost let Davis get by him. He should have just stayed right behind Bowman. Either way it doesn't change the end result of the game. It just robs Bowman of his pick 6.

Good call!

I really thought they were going to call a penalty on Brooks. Talk about stupid!

Originally posted by SportsFan:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
Meh it was a swipe in the back. The Bow was going to score anyway.

This. I did see the contact but that wasn't a block in the back.

I could see it being called with those refs, but I do think it was probably more shoulder than anything so it would have been legal.

Originally posted by blizzuntz:

Originally posted by Imfasterthanur:

Originally posted by Sims84:

Originally posted by 808niner4lyphe:
Yep!! He did, I saw exactly the same thing and I was saying the same thing to my wife. Boneheaded play by Brooks but luckly P.Willis was there to save the play. But we would've won anyway, the offense would probably punched it in or just run out the clock.

Definitely would have more than likely punched it in. ATL, similar to the NFC Championship game last year, had no answer for our offense in the 2nd half. We did what we wanted, when we wanted and that pick demoralized them and pumped us up. So had they threw the flag there, I have no doubt in my mind that our offense still would of just ran the rest of the clock out and/or scored.

That train's never late. Mike Nolan's defenses are known for two things: (a) "exotic" DB blitzes and (b) melting in the second half of football games.

Bend but don't break, until the 4th quarter

Fixed

If you really want to know what saved the play it was the fact that Eric Reid was the one that got to Ryan first. Reid was smart enough to notice that Ryan threw the ball and kind of just pushed him (really no way not to make contact at the speed he was coming in at). A more undisciplined player, say a Brooks or a Whitner, would have put everything out there to cracked Ryan. If that happened you know damn well it would have been called back. I was waiting for a flag when everything happened. Something always goes wrong when Niners make big plays.

I thought the same thing OP. Would've changed a legendary play to just a great one. Was a stupid play by Brooks, but it looked like he realized it right after he started pushing him.

Lol! Yeah I saw that and was remarking to my buddy what a bonehead Brooks was. Physically gifted, but Int. Challenged.

People remarking that Davis would have never caught Bowman or that it was nowhere near Bowman, etc., are of course missing the point. We have often seen penalties called for contact nowhere near the play, There was no need for Brooks to come barrelling through, and as bad as the officiating was, I almost expected a flag.

Originally posted by Dr_Bill_Walsh:
Illegal block in the back, #55 defense, TD nullified...1st & goal Atlanta

LOL. The way the officials were calling the game I would not have been surprised if that happened at all.

I thought the exact same thing. As they say though, no harm, no foul.

we still would of had the ball and would of ran out the clock. The falcons had like 1 or no timeouts.

Originally posted by JustinNiner:
we still would of had the ball and would of ran out the clock. The falcons had like 1 or no timeouts.

this. Even without the touchdown we could have killed the rest of the clock and won. We were still up by 3...