The NFL is admitting yet another mistake in the aftermath of the most emotional moment in Sunday's showdown between the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports that NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino reviewed the fracas between the two teams following Clay Matthews' late hit and determined that 49ers tackle Joe Staley should not have been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. In other words there never should have been offsetting penalties on Matthews and Staley in the first place. It should have been first and goal from the three yard line.
Head referee Bill Leavy also admitted after the game that he made a mistake in applying the offsetting penalties which gave the 49ers an extra down. Blandino said on Monday's NFL AM that a mistake like that will not happen again. And now Blandino is saying that Staley's penalty never should have been called. 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh agrees
Joe did exactly what we coach him to do Harbaugh said. When somebody's taking a cheap shot or trying to do something after the whistle we teach them just to lock up. He did that and then Matthews throws two punches at him.
We agree with Harbaugh. Staley didn't appear to do anything wrong. So even though the 49ers were lucky to get an extra down after the offsetting penalties the 49ers should never have been put in that spot.
Blandino can only hope that his officials' mistakes won't become a weekly Monday morning talking point.
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