Should the 49ers lose the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan is going to strongly regret at least one decision he failed to make.
Shanahan could have saved the 49ers seven pivotal points Sunday had he challenged what was ruled to be catch by Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith. At first glance, it seemed as though Smith made a remarkable grab on fourth-and-3 at the San Francisco 35-yard line. He shifted his body, leaped into the air and seemingly made the reception with one hand. "WHAT A CATCH" quickly started trending on Twitter.
However, minutes after the Eagles scored a 6-yard touchdown two plays later, there was another angle of the play and it looked as if the ball hit the ground before Smith could secure it. FOX Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira said on the broadcast he believed if Shanahan challenged the play that San Francisco would have won the challenge and the catch would have been overturned.
It thus would have meant a turnover on downs for the Eagles and no touchdown two plays later. That score helped Philadelphia take a 7-0 lead after its first offensive possession.
While it is imperative NFL officials get those sorts of calls correct on the field, especially given the situation, it's also something Shanahan might want to be more in tune with.
That was just one incident of a wild first quarter between the 49ers and Eagles. San Francisco starting quarterback Brock Purdy then was deemed questionable to return after he suffered an elbow injury.
