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49ers players admit they didn’t know NFL’s new playoff OT rules originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers’ decision to start overtime with the ball in their Super Bowl LVIII loss confused several fans around the world, and they weren’t alone.
After winning the coin toss, San Francisco elected to receive the ball first when the matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs went into overtime Sunday at Allegiant Stadium — but that might have been the wrong choice.
And just like fans, players, too, were confused and clueless about the league’s overtime rules.
Several 49ers players admitted they weren’t aware that the overtime rules are different in the playoffs than they are in the regular season.
“I didn’t even know about the new playoff overtime rule,” defensive lineman Arik Armstead told reporters after the 25-22 loss. “It was a surprise to me. I didn’t know what was going on, in terms of that. They put it on the scoreboard and everyone was thinking, even if you score, they get a chance still.”
San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk was just as perplexed.
“You know I didn’t even realize that the playoff rules were different in overtime,” Juszczyk said. “So I just assumed you won the ball, you score a touchdown and you win. But I guess that’s not the case.
“So I don’t totally know the strategy there.”
The 49ers and Chiefs were tied at 19 points at the end of regulation when the former won the coin toss and opted to start with the ball, which ultimately resulted in a Jake Moody field goal to give them a 22-19 lead. But Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes led a game-winning, 75-yard touchdown drive in response to secure back-to-back championships for Kansas City.
After the loss, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan explained the decision.
“That’s just something we talked about, none of us have a ton of experience with it, but we went through the analytics and talked to those guys and thought it would be better,” Shanahan said. “We wanted the ball third, but both teams…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-players-admit-didnt-know-165614737.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-02-12 16:56:14
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