January 12, 2014

49ers Smother Panthers: Colin Kaepernick threw one touchdown pass and ran for another score as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Carolina Panthers 23-10 to advance to the NFC title game for the third straight season. The 49ers held the Panthers scoreless in the second half of the extremely chippy game. Kaepenick celebrated his rushing touchdown by mocking Cam Newton's touchdown gesture and said after the game that he "'will never forget" being selected 35 spots behind Newton, the 2011 draft's top selection.

posted by rcade to football at 01:06 PM - 19 comments

Riverboat Ron strikes again.

posted by Bonkers at 01:46 PM on January 12, 2014

Oh baby what a catch.

posted by phaedon at 01:50 PM on January 12, 2014

Bah, I knew Steve Smith was sandbagging with his leg.

posted by NoMich at 01:52 PM on January 12, 2014

I guess Carolina figures if they try the same thing over and over again on the one yard line it will eventually work.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:12 PM on January 12, 2014

Boldin could be getting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties every time he's thrown the ball right now. The refs are being beyond generous with the rope they're giving him.

posted by dfleming at 02:38 PM on January 12, 2014

Yeah, I think the pass interference penalty that put it on the one should have had an offsetting offensive unsportsmanlike penalty after Bouldin slapped the coverage guy's helmet. So soon after the headbutt, I mean the ref must have warned him, right?

posted by Hugh Janus at 02:42 PM on January 12, 2014

...which brings me to a question. If an end zone pass interference call goes against the defense that puts the ball on the 1 yard line, and on the same play the offensive player is assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, do the penalties offset each other, or does the line of scrimmage move to the 16-yard line?

posted by Hugh Janus at 02:53 PM on January 12, 2014

I can't watch this game anymore. I hate the 49ers way too much. I might break my television. Clearly Harbaugh does this intentionally, and I already have a hit out on Pumpernickel.

posted by phaedon at 03:03 PM on January 12, 2014

Another in a long line of horrible calls by the officials on the "roughing the passer" call on SF at the 5 minute mark. The interception a few plays after that made it pointless, though.

posted by dyams at 03:48 PM on January 12, 2014

See, what did I say in the pick 'em thread? If the Panthers d-line doesn't have the perfect game where they keep Kaperspellcheck on his ass all game long, they will lose.

posted by NoMich at 07:58 PM on January 12, 2014

Can't argue with the NFC results. The best two teams in the conference, division rivals, facing off to earn a trip to New Jersey (I should say Super Bowl; New Jersey sounds as if the winner will be penalized).

posted by dyams at 08:51 PM on January 12, 2014

The best two teams in the conference

Make that the 2 best teams in the league.

posted by cixelsyd at 09:44 PM on January 12, 2014

Uh, look I know you're high off your 7 point dominance in week 2 of the pick 'em, but there are teams in Denver and New England who might dispute that claim.

posted by hincandenza at 11:39 PM on January 12, 2014

I can't watch this game anymore. I hate the 49ers way too much.

Seconded. It stinks because I like the Niners players (though Boldin is really making it hard to root for him as a grizzled veteran) but the frères Harbaugh and their Vaudeville act make it impossible to root for the teams. I liked that the ref didn't even bother to look or to explain anything on the unsportsmanlike flag. He just dropped it at Harbaugh's feet and kept doing his job.

posted by yerfatma at 12:00 PM on January 13, 2014

I was pondering this weekend while I watched the playoffs where all my team hatreds went. I'm the Jim Lehrer of NFL fandom.

I think the pathetic run the Jaguars and Cowboys are on makes it harder to hate the teams that otherwise might be blamed for keeping them down. The world of NFL excellence is so far removed from them now that I can view it objectively.

posted by rcade at 12:17 PM on January 13, 2014

But don't you feel a momentary swelling of pride when you see Del Rio, now at altitude, flash a fleeting glimpse of his Rodney Dangerfield face as he senses he's on the verge of being associated with another victory?

posted by beaverboard at 12:24 PM on January 13, 2014

I guess the converse of that is if the team you hate has been on a pathetic run for such a long time that you kind of forget about it, like I have with the Raiders.

posted by LionIndex at 12:26 PM on January 13, 2014

Jack of the River will always be remembered in these parts for encouraging his team to play with an ax in the locker room. Our Pro Bowl punter Chris Hanson took a swing of the ax and managed to cut his non-kicking foot, missing the rest of the season.

posted by rcade at 12:36 PM on January 13, 2014

But don't you feel a momentary swelling of pride when you see Del Rio

I realized last night the one shred of comfort I will be able to draw if the Broncos both beat the Pats and win the Super Bowl is that before the champagne has even dried del Rio will be editing his resume to say "Interim head coach of Super Bowl winner" and that will definitely lead to him getting to take another franchise for a ride. I just wish it could be in the AFC East so the Pats were guaranteed two wins a year rather than one every few seasons.

posted by yerfatma at 01:24 PM on January 13, 2014

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