No one this season has encroached as spectacularly as 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks encroached last week against the Panthers.
And he said it was absolutely on purpose.
Brooks said his flying leap over his defensive line, the Panthers offensive line and quarterback Cam Newton (who flopped like Vlade Divac, only without the cigarette) was by design.
Since the 49ers had stopped the Panthers on a previous goal-line snap, the penalty just cost them inches, but had the potential to be a huge play if it had been timed better.
“That idea right there - NaVorro [Bowman] was telling me, ‘Ahmad, jump over the line. Wreak havoc,’” Brooks said, via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “Then the second time they got down there, I was going to do the same thing, but I was offsides.”
The 49ers then stopped fullback Mike Tolbert on third down, forcing a field goal on the next snap, since running Newton had been stuffed twice.
“I told him that if the ball got inside the 1 that he had to be ready for the quarterback sneak, and that’s what he was anticipating and he jumped the gun a little bit,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “I told him if the quarterback goes up high, you’ve got to go up with him.”
Brooks showed he’s capable of elevating, even if his timing’s a little off.