The San Francisco 49ers barely held on against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, snagging a 36-30 win, but honestly, it felt way too close for comfort thanks to some late-game antics from George Kittle. As the Cardinals geared up for their onside kick attempt, every fan out there had to be asking: What in the world was Kittle thinking running that final touchdown into the end zone? Yeah, a touchdown is always nice, especially after Brock Purdy’s near 50-yard scramble TD was totally nullified just two downs earlier by a holding call on Kittle himself. But this one? Totally unnecessary.
That Unnecessary Touchdown That Almost Blew It
Look, the game clock was well below the two-minute warning, and the Cardinals were completely out of timeouts. If Kittle had just taken a knee at the 1-yard line, the 49ers could have run the clock out, game over, 29-27. No sweat, no drama, everybody heads home feeling good. Instead, we got Kittle extending the lead to 36-30 and leaving everyone glued to their screens, heart rates spiking. Seriously, he even had a perfect opening to just step out of bounds, which would’ve stopped the clock but still let them bleed it down so the Cardinals could never even see the field again. But nope, Kittle just did what Kittle does, running it in. Talk about self-inflicted anxiety!
“No One Told Me To!” The Blame Game Kicks Off
So, whose fault was this unnecessary nail-biter? Kittle was pretty clear after the game, telling reporters, “Probably should have gone out of bounds. We could have just kneeled it out. But no one told me to, so that’s their fault, not mine.” Yikes. Not exactly taking personal responsibility there, huh? But then head coach Kyle Shanahan stepped up, owning the mistake like a pro. “That was on me,” Shanahan admitted. “I didn’t remind him in the huddle and I don’t expect him to be paying attention to the clock. But I definitely wish I did.” It’s wild to think a simple instruction like “take a knee” could be forgotten in such a high-stakes moment, leaving everyone on edge.
What followed was the Cardinals desperately trying to move down the field with about a minute left. They kicked a 49-yard field goal on 2nd and 10 with just 34 seconds remaining. That’s a tiny sliver of time to pull off an onside kick, recover it, and then score a touchdown. Luckily for the 49ers, the plan fizzled out when the kicked ball rolled right into the waiting arms of Deebo Samuel, finally, mercifully, ending the game.
It just goes to show you how much attention to detail matters, even when you’re up. This almost-catastrophe is a major wake-up call for the coaching staff and players alike. You gotta stay sharp for all four quarters, down to the very last second.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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