Big games often come down to a few plays.
The 49ers came up just short Sunday in Super Bowl LIV, losing 31-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs at Hard Rock Stadium.
The end of the first half saw one of the game’s most controversial calls, as tight end George Kittle was whistled for offensive pass interference, negating a 42-yard completion that would have set the Niners up in Kansas City territory in ideal position for a field goal.
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SIGN UP HERE “Ref made the call, I gotta live with it,” Kittle told reporters following Sunday’s loss at Hard Rock Stadium.
Replays clearly showed Kittle fully extending his right arm and create separation from the defender, which by definition is a penalty.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was seeing a lot of contact from both teams in the passing game.
"I don't get to see it very good from the sideline,” Shanahan said. “But I was definitely surprised the way they were letting them play defense."
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Fans claiming the officiating cost San Francisco the game seem to forget that Shanahan burned almost an entire minute off the clock before deciding to run a two-minute drill, which left the 49ers with almost no time to adjust following the penalty.
This loss will sting for all of the 49ers Faithful for years to come, but the blame doesn’t belong anywhere outside of the San Francisco locker room.
