Officials gave 49ers five free yards on game-winning drive

[crash]

We deserved the extra five yard cause of the bullshit calls the refs were calling on us in the game....

Officials gave 49ers five free yards on game-winning drive | ProFootballTalk


The bad blood between Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz has so overshadowed Sunday’s 49ers-Lions game that we’ve barely even discussed what the players on the field for these two 5-1 teams did on Sunday.

Unfortunately, we’ve now got another controversy coming out of this game that has nothing to do with the players: At the start of the 49ers’ game-winning drive, they were given five free yards when the officials spotted the ball in the wrong place.

It all started with the Lions leading 19-14 and punting from their own 36-yard line with five and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter. San Francisco’s Ted Ginn fielded the punt at his own 25 and got off a good return, crossing midfield before getting pushed out of bounds at the Lions’ 40-yard line.

And then, when they came back from the commercial break, the officials spotted the ball at the Lions’ 35-yard line, putting the 49ers five yards closer to the goal line. There wasn’t a five-yard penalty, it was simply that the officials put the ball on the wrong yard line following the break in the action. The Lions didn’t notice, the TV announcers didn’t notice, and if any members of the media noticed, it got drowned out in the Harbaugh-Schwartz hubbub. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com appears to have been the first reporter to mention the issue; he was alerted to it by a fan on Twitter.

It took the 49ers eight plays to go 35 yards, and they eventually scored on a fourth-down pass from Alex Smith to Delanie Walker. Obviously, it’s entirely possible that they would have scored if they had needed to go 40 yards, too. But the Lions would have preferred not to give the 49ers a free five yards on a crucial drive.

The 49ers were called for 15 penalties on Sunday, and they were the ones doing most of the complaining about the officiating after the game, with receiver Michael Crabtree saying referee Mike Carey had an “attitude,” and cornerback Chris Culliver saying the officials were “Detroit fans.” But on balance the bad calls seem to have hurt the Lions more: There was also a questionable ruling that Matthew Stafford’s forward progress had stopped in the end zone on a safety, and a bad horse-collar tackle call against the Lions helped to set up a 49ers field goal.

Maybe instead of yelling at Harbaugh to learn the rules, Schwartz should have been yelling at Carey to learn the rules.

 

[Giantsmojo]

If Schwartz was paying attention he could have thrown the challenge flag, instead he was probably yelling at Harbaugh or taunting Ginn about something.

 

[Mozart'sGhost]

I didn't catch that one. I'm surprised someone on the Lions staff didn't.

 

[MW49ers5]

An interesting, or perhaps even peculiar thing about the spot of the ball on Ginn's return, is the announcer (Albert) said he went out at the 36 yard line (it was actually closer to the 41).

We caught another break on the third play of the ensuing drive, (Hunter's second run), when Kendall's elbow hit the ground at the 24 but he kept running to the 20 where he was tackled and the ball was spotted.

Regarding, Schwartz, at what point did we all realize we had a lunatic for a HC in Singletary? The Lions fans may have just had a similar moment; however, the big difference being that Schwartz has the Lions winning.

 

[freaak]

Interesting. I'll look out for this as I watch the replay on NFLN tonight

 

[tallglassofwater007]

An interesting, or perhaps even peculiar thing about the spot of the ball on Ginn's return, is the announcer (Albert) said he went out at the 36 yard line (it was actually closer to the 41).

We caught another break on the third play of the ensuing drive, (Hunter's second run), when Kendall's elbow hit the ground at the 24 but he kept running to the 20 where he was tackled and the ball was spotted.

Regarding, Schwartz, at what point did we all realize we had a lunatic for a HC in Singletary? The Lions fans may have just had a similar moment; however, the big difference being that Schwartz has the Lions winning.

That's a good point, but its also on the Lions staff to challenge if his elbow was down. Schwartz should hire Singletary as his DC or something and start a reality show. Could be worth watching.

As for the 5 free yards... I look at it this way... fuck the Lions.

 

[NinersFan80]

Makes sense. After the punt and I saw where he went out of bounds I said "we only need 40 yards to go" then I saw where they spotted it and then said "o wait just 35"
I knew I wasnt an idiot lol

 

[MW49ers5]

That's a good point, but its also on the Lions staff to challenge if his elbow was down. Schwartz should hire Singletary as his DC or something and start a reality show. Could be worth watching.

As for the 5 free yards... I look at it this way... fuck the Lions.

I do believe that is the correct way to look at it.

 

[threelittleturds]

I watched this again on me Game Rewind at NFL.com, and it's true. Ginn got forced out at around the 40, but the official immediately marked it at the 35. With the announcers saying before commercial break that it was marked at the 36. This all happened on the Lions sideline, so I guess this is one of those things of missing something right in front of your nose.

Real play-by-play
1-10-DET 35 (5:29) 32-K.Hunter right end to DET 26 for 9 yards (54-D.Levy; 55-S.Tulloch).
2-1-DET 26 (4:51) 75-A.Boone and 90-I.Sopoaga reported in as eligible. 21-F.Gore right tackle to DET 25 for 1 yard (90-N.Suh; 55-S.Tulloch).
1-10-DET 25 (4:09) 32-K.Hunter left tackle to DET 16 for 9 yards (26-L.Delmas).
2-1-DET 16 (3:35) 90-I.Sopoaga and 75-A.Boone reported in as eligible. 21-F.Gore right tackle to DET 7 for 9 yards (99-C.Williams).
1-7-DET 7 (2:58) 21-F.Gore right tackle to DET 10 for -3 yards (99-C.Williams; 91-Sa.Hill).
2-10-DET 10 (2:15) (Shotgun) 11-Alex Smith pass short left to 15-M.Crabtree to DET 6 for 4 yards (21-E.Wright).
Two-Minute Warning
3-6-DET 6 (2:00) (Shotgun) 11-Alex Smith pass incomplete short left to 10-K.Williams [94-L.Jackson].
4-6-DET 6 (1:56) 11-Alex Smith pass short right to 46-D.Walker for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Assistant challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld.

Adjusted Play-By-Play?
1-10-DET 40 (5:29) 32-K.Hunter right end to DET 31 for 9 yards (54-D.Levy; 55-S.Tulloch).
2-1-DET 31 (4:51) 75-A.Boone and 90-I.Sopoaga reported in as eligible. 21-F.Gore right tackle to DET 30 for 1 yard (90-N.Suh; 55-S.Tulloch).
1-10-DET 30 (4:09) 32-K.Hunter left tackle to DET 21 for 9 yards (26-L.Delmas).
2-1-DET 21 (3:35) 90-I.Sopoaga and 75-A.Boone reported in as eligible. 21-F.Gore right tackle to DET 11 for 9 yards (99-C.Williams).
1-10-DET 11 (2:58) 21-F.Gore right tackle to DET 14 for -3 yards (99-C.Williams; 91-Sa.Hill).
2-13-DET 14 (2:15) (Shotgun) 11-Alex Smith pass short left to 15-M.Crabtree to DET 10 for 4 yards (21-E.Wright).
Two-Minute Warning
3-9-DET 10 (2:00) (Shotgun) 11-Alex Smith pass incomplete short left to 10-K.Williams [94-L.Jackson].
4-9-DET 10 (1:56) 11-Alex Smith pass short right to 46-D.Walker for 6 yards.

Now, you can look at this and say, oh the Lions would have held. But that's bullshit. chances are Delanie at the very least still picks up the 1st down as the defender is guarding the endzone, not the 1st down marker. And what's to say the 49ers even run the same exact plays when they can still pick up another 1st down?

In my opinion, this mistake by the refs is unimportant. In all likely hood the 49ers pick up a 1st and goal at the 1... and instead of Alex Smith and Walker making up for their previous mistakes, Frank Gore pounds it in for the TD in one of the possible 4 attempts of the 49ers to get it in.