It was “clearly a fumble” only for those that don’t “clearly” understand the rules of the game.

Not liking a rule is one thing – that’s fine. Not agreeing with a rule is also OK – there are plenty of rules I don’t agree with.

But not understanding a rule and making a conclusion based on that misunderstanding is sad. Here’s a hint:

The timing of the whistle (ultimately) did not matter on this play. See if that helps get you on the right path.

The NFL got exactly what it wanted with the two East Coast teams. The NFL’s East Coast biased is more prevalent then ever. Even the announcers have the East Coast biased, it disgusts me.

Lets see Brady get his revenge over Manning. Boring!

You said…… I truly believe 49ers won this game in the same fashion they did all year. Score enought to win, stout defense

But you also said…..Ok there is a lot of talk on here and Absolutly no facts being shared.

Fact is, 49ers DIDN’T score more points.

Fact is, they did get it right.

BTW, i’m neither a 9er or Giants fan.

As a Niner fan, I say the Niners lost, no excuses. They abandoned the running game in the fourth and the Kyle Williams fumble should not have decided the game if the play calling wasn’t more efficient in the fourth quarter. Did Bradshaw fumble? Doesnt matter anymore.

To call Niner fans the worst fans of the NFL is ignorant. The last eight years, when they finished no better than 8-8 in any one of those years, the so called “worst fans in the NFL” still sold out 99% of their games. Do the Niners have unclassy fans? Of course, but what teams fan base doesn’t??

Niner fans get irritated by their team finally being good again, all people say is how they’re lucky and overrated blah blah blah. They’re are teams I dislike, but if they are good, I’ll be the first to give them credit and respect.

I apologize for rambling and feel free to thumbs down all you want Good luck to the Patriots and Giants, should be a great game

If the offensive player gets knocked backward, stopped or forced to move parallel to the line of scrimmage, he still has the opportunity to regain composure/momentum and surge forward again.

However, if the defense makes a play while he’s moving backward, stopped or parallel, the whistle is blown and their opportunity to make a difference is removed.

Like most of the rules in the NFL, it seems to unfairly benefit the offense.

If it was meant to be truly equal, the play would stop completely the moment an offensive player ceases to advance up the field for any reason other than his own choice.

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In 2010 the Packers were playing the Vikings, Adrian Peterson was being carried backwards by a mob of Packers. After being carried back back five yards, the ball was stripped out as Perterson finally managed to start to go to the ground. No whistle. No forward progress.

Which is it?

Instant stop at forward progress?

Or never blow the whistle until the player is down on the ground no matter how much he is pushed back?

Or is it that they choose which way to apply the inconsistent rule depending on which team the league office would like to have win the game?

I think the problem lies with the refs of the NFL not being full time. Goodell says their just isn’t enough for them to do throughout the week when us as fans see things that could be better almost every game throughout the season.

This play, although I agree was the right call by the rules, was brought up in the off season and the end result was that the officials were going to allow the play to go on a bit longer for such strips and such. The big problem is that once again it’s a judgement call as to how long is that time frame.

A few things I believe the NFL could do to make the gfame much more even for all teams.

#1) no more instant replay at the game stadiums. Instead have a group of people sitting in a room in say New York and when they see a questionable call they buzz the officials or ref on the field and tel them they need to look at the play. The field ref doesn’t need to go under a hood and take so much time because ALL calls will be handled by the SAME group EVERY week. EVERYTHING is reviewable.

#2) All refs are fit with cameras on their hats so what they are looking at or not looking at is reviewable. Not a man alive can tell me there is bias with some of the refs in the NFL.

#3) ALL refs will meet in a room each and every week and go over all games from start to finish and work on what is not being called and what is being called. FULL TIME refs.

#4) Crews are broken up each week and everyone works with everyone throughout the season. Again, no bias.

Let me know what you think.

I am more of a “changing the way football has been played for decades” hater. That I will attest to.

Anytime a QB is touched while standing in pocket, he should immediately be marked down. His forward progress is stopped.

The DC leads me to believe you’re a Giants hater, but “troll” can’t be ruled out completely.

The officials got the call right, but the rule is ridiculous and defies logic. They need to revise this “play is dead when the whistle blows” rule. I don’t know what they can do, but that’s why I hope the people who work at the NFL are way smarter than just an NFL diehard.

It’s kind of like the ref in a combat sports match (i.e. mma, boxing). Some might say the ref stopped the fight too early. Others will say too late. And another group might say it was a good stoppage. When the ref calls the fight over, it’s over. And the lesson is don’t leave it in the ref’s hands.

However, I think that adage is incredibly dumb. Going back to football, the Niners and the NYFB were neck-and-neck. I mean, the game was going to come down to a mistake by either team, let’s face it. With teams having so much parity in the NFL, due to free agency and salary cap, it’s difficult NOT to leave it in the hands of the officials.

I have watched football games where the pile gets pushed back with 8 guys then the whistle blows, while his “foward progress was stopped,” his knee wasn’t down.I think that was a quick whistle.

I know its a judgement call and I totally didn’t care who won, and it was a great game. I would just like see a little more consitant on something like that.

#1) the ball did come loose
#2) the ref did throw a bean bag signifying that the ball came loose
#3) bradshaw’s progress had been stopped prior to the ball coming loose
#4) the ref’s whistle clearly blew prior to the ball coming loose.

With all of these happening and with the rules in the NFL the way they are, this means that they did in fact get the call right.

1st and foremost the NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry and for them not to have full time ref’s that work 5 days a week to get everything closer to 100% is a travesty in itself.

Next, with all of the technology in this World and the NFL why is it that the ref’s DO NOT have cameras on their hats showing what they did see or did not see? There is no way that there are not biased ref’s in the NFL and either throw flags for their own personal reasons or do not throw flags. Same with fumbles and anything else that could be a judgement call.

C’mon NFL, get it right!!!

They would have won that challenge – because that is precisely what happened.

The ball was ripped out after his forward progress stopped and he was moving backwards.

Refs get calls wrong plenty – but let’s not get on them when they get one right.

Clearly a fumble the ball was stripped before the whistle even blew I don’t understand, but whatever it is what it is

Clearly you don’t have a DVR. The whistle clearly was blown before the strip. You can argue the whistle was quick, but he was being gang tackled by the 49ers and his progress was clearly stopped. The refs had every right to blow it when they did…

Of course it went the Giants way. Just like the dropped INTs and the backup punt returner single handedly handing them the game….

And the hail mary and all the Green Bay drops and Aaron Rodgers just plain missing wide open guys for touchdowns and every fumble in that game bouncing right into their hands…

and the victor cruz “fumble” vs the cards, the brandon marshall “pass interference”, the ryan fitzpatrick interception, the pass interference vs new england to end the game…

and the tyree play where 3 holding calls were missed, the dropped asante samuel interception, the brett favre interception, the scott norwood miss, the roger craig fumble……

must be nice to always get the perfect play at the perfect time. you guys should put a 4 leaf clover on the side of your helmet.

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This comment, especially coming from a Redskins fan, is very interesting.

For one, he clearly pays attention to Giants game more than he does Skins games (maybe he should switch teams).

For him to boldly say that the Giants are the luckiest team in the history of the league is, not even idiotic, but downright dumb. And I think a lot, Giants and even non-Giants fans, will agree to that.

I will not go into any specifics as he has as this will get really long but I don’t think this guys knows anything about football. The football, as with other sports that uses a ball, bounces and it is up to the teams to take advantage, if an advantage presents itself, of the bounce that the ball takes.

OK, here’s something simple, maybe you and another Redskin fan or maybe some Eagles or Cowboys fan have the same ASSumption. But when it comes down to it, and I am not discounting the blown calls, the Giants are playing for another Super Bowl while you and your counterparts are sitting at home deciding on who to draft.

Come on, seriously! You decide to break down the questionable calls in Giants games during the regular and post-season rather than looking at what’s wrong with your team.

Good job!!! Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure the Redskins will get an honorable mention for occupying the cellar, AGAIN, this past season and making, not just the Giants, but also the Cowboys and the Eagles, look good.

Go Big Blue!

You mean the same team that threw three straight passes at the end of the 4th only taking :18 off the clock when we knew full well it could give you another chance with plenty of time? The Niners have played to win all season.

This game was no different.

The 49ers got beat because Eli made more plays on third downs and in the red zone and the 49ers abandoned the run down the stretch. The fumble that Bill Levy blew last week in GB was far worse than that call and the Giants still beat GB.

Harbo complains about every call even non calls-last week when a Brees shovel pass fell incomplete you could read his lips saying it should be a fumble? A former NFL starting QB like Harbo should know that’s not a fumble it’s an incomplete pass.