You are picking up 3rd downs all drive long really playing championship football and you just give up right there? Either way it stayed a 2 possession game if we get a FG or they pick it off. a TD and it is game over.
Horrible play call there just destroyed what had been a great drive that was finally starting to show some killer instinct... A rollout with no pass option even worse after the Panthers called time out and the Niners had all day to come up with an idea...
If your main worry or if one of your main thoughts is to have SOMETHING to keep the clock going then how about ANY kind of screen? Granted you could risk having to throw the ball at a receiver's feet, but I'd have much rather had a short dumpoff or anything similar over that.