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

[joeybee12]

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

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/10/18/officials-gave-49ers-five-free-yards-on-game-winning-drive/related

[trumad]

1. Well---if the game was won on a field goal...then maybe..

otherwise---no BFD

[Auggie]

2. I think that's huge

This was a very hard-fought game in which the 49ers offense had to claw for every yard.

Detroit nearly won this game, BTW -- the winning score was decided by a matter of inches which also happened to be fourth down. The replay was close enough IMO that it could have been overturned.

I really salute the Lions. It was an awesome game that either team could have won.

[madinmaryland]

3. Ruh-Roh!!...

Satan peed on house...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2141317&mesg_id=2141317

In GD, no less!!! :crazy:

[bluedigger]

4. It may have been a hard fought game, but NFL Marketing won't be using it to promote the league.

[RagAss]

5. Considering the winning TD was 1/2 inch over the line....this should be getting more airplay !

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. More Seahawk anti-officiating*!

:grr:





*Jets, Steelers