A late hit from Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews on 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick resulted in a brief skirmish along the sideline and offsetting penalties on both clubs in the second quarter of Sunday’s Packers-49ers game in San Francisco.
The incident occurred as the 49ers faced a 3rd-and-6 at the Green Bay 10. Kaepernick scrambled to his left and headed out of bounds. Matthews left his feet and hit Kaepernick around the shoulders after the quarterback was clearly out of the field of play.
Matthews was flagged for that play, and 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley drew an unsportsmanlike conduct foul for confronting the Packers’ outside linebacker. (A replay of the Matthews-Staley confrontation on Fox showed Matthews contacting Staley in the facemask area twice, but the replay was only a partial one.)
The result was a replay of third down from the 10, and the 49ers would take care of business, with Kaepernick hitting Anquan Boldin for a touchdown to give San Francisco a 14-7 lead.