For the Broncos run defense, they stopped the Pat's "Power Run" and they stopped Woodhead just fine last week and Jamal Charles was limited in those 2 meetings also.
The 49ers stuff opposing teams rushers all year yet Lynch piled up 98 and 109 yards.
The bad ref calls are the only thing that saved Seattle against San Francisco. It was suppose to be a Kaepernick vs. Manning Super Bowl.
Broncos all the way.
There was more than one bad call and you know it. You aren't ignorant, please don't pretend to be.
But looking at the game-thread it is also unfair to say, as many are, that the calls were clearly biased against San Francisco (some even think it cost them the game). I think outside the Bowman play there were a LOT of missed called, on both sides, and the refs just let them play. Not the best officiated game but I don't see a glaring unbalance that forced a SF lost.
Nothing need be said about the Bowman strip/fumble recovery. Clearly SF ball. Disastrous play immediately rectified, in San Fran's favor, with the fumble the next play. This could have been an unfortunate game changer and is unacceptable. The refs need to do a better job. That said from side angles there are bodies obscuring the view of the ball, thus replay needs to change on this as I can see why the refs missed it. Glad the call was irrelevant.
They also missed a face mask on Richardo Locket against LeMichael James when Locket blew James up on the punt return. This should have been called. I was ticked with they missed it last week when a Saint ripped off Baldwin's helmet and this is no different. They have to call this stuff.
The punt foul is more of a grey area based on how that is often interpreted/called. The sequence is also important as those penalties do NOT apply if the player is pushed. In this play 42 (Maragos) was pushed out and backwards as he was releasing to jump for the block. The resulted in him traveling back more than cross ways. When 42 landed the punter was still in the air. There is an arguement this should have NOT been called.
But let's not pretent all the calls went against the 49ers.
Kaepernick
kicking the ball, preventing a nearly certain Seattle fumble recovery, was egregious in my opinion. This was a huge play as it prevented a turnover; the loss of down and penalty yards would have made the touchdown pass much less likely.
On a number of Kaepernick's long runs there was blatant holding. One example is a Seattle lineman was hugged and in another held from behind and brought down. Ridiculous no calls that aided huge runs by San Fran. Yet somehow a Seattle player has the smallest flinch gets a false start yet the SF Offensive line wiggled constantly.
How about Jeremy Lane getting clobbered on the San Fran sideline? Worse yet is why he wasn't running in the white stripe: there were 49 coaches in the zone. That should be a penalty. Heck, Harbaugh was on the field throughout the game throwing monster tantrums. One time his flailing arms nicks a ref.
Boldin forearm push off on Earl Thomas on his TD catch. Thomas even mentioned it, in a flattering way, during the press conference. Boldin is known for getting away with OPI as he loves to use his forearms.
Other calls are the annoying, "One team can do it, but not the other." e.g. Sherman holding call (I believe on Crabtree) when the previous play was clearly worse when, iirc it was Boldin, was all over him. And yet when Jermane Kearse caught his touchdown before the ball even gets there the DB (pretty sure it was Rodgers) had his right hand around Kearse pulling him. Blatant PI. No flag.
I don't think Aikman helped with the impression of biased officiating as he made comments throughout the broadcast. But in one example he was dead wrong. The hit on Luke Wilson is absolutely a penalty. There are things you cannot do as a defender: Launch, as in leave you feet. Lead with the crown of your helmet. Strike the head or neck of a defenseless receiver--"strike" includes the defenders helmet or shoulder pads. Wilson was clearly defenseless. Hitner/Witner clearly hit him in the head.
San Francisco lost for a lot of reasons, but it wasn't the officiating. Don't get me wrong, the refs were not great. But outside the one egregious play, which was nullified, the ref calls were pretty equal.
San Fran lost because they did not contain Lynch in the 2nd half and allowed him to get 100+ yards. Seattle out coached them in the 2nd half, especially with the move to more zone coverage to prevent Kaepernick from running wild. San Fran lost because Seattle was able to turn a 3-25 into a touch down. Seattle won because they forced 3 turnovers on San Fran's last 3 drives. After being down 10-0 Seattle won because the outscored San Francisco 23-7. Seattle won because outside Kaepernick's run SF could not run the ball and Kaepernick didn't break 100 yards passing until the very last drive. And of course San Fran lost the game because they had 2 timeouts, 1-10 on the 18 yard line and Kaepernick locks onto Crabtree matched up against Sherman. The same Sherman who lead the league with the best INT/Target ratio and a ton of defended passes.
Kap had not shown all game he could throw against Seattle.
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