GREEN BAY, Wisc. — Coach Kyle Shanahan had a disagreement with referee Craig Wrolstad about the legitimacy of the first of back-to-back penalties for 12 men on the field.
But the second one, there was little room for interpretation. The 49ers blew it.
The rare sequence took place in the middle of the second quarter and led to a Green Bay touchdown.
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Shanahan’s reaction after the 49ers were flagged for consecutive 12 men on the field penalties 😳 pic.twitter.com/dCh4dYbBeF
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 24, 2024
Shanahan said Wrolstad did not give the 49ers an opportunity to substitute in order to match the Packers’ changing lineup. Originally, Green Bay had one back and two tight ends in the huddle.
“They sent another receiver on the field to sub, which, when they sub, they are supposed to let us sub,” Shanahan explained following the 49ers’ 38-10 loss at Lambeau Field.
“We started to change our personnel, and then they rushed up to the line and snapped it. It was a strategic play by them, but one I don’t feel should have been allowed.”
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The Packers snapped the ball before the 12th defensive player could get to the sideline, in essence, giving quarterback Jordan Love a free play.
“They didn’t give us time to sub on that, and that’s why I was upset on that,” Shanahan said. “And then the next one, because they got away with the first one, they tried to do it again the next play.”
Love ended up throwing into the end zone, where San Francisco safety Malik Mustapha made the interception. Offsetting penalties nullified the 49ers’ takeaway.
Shanahan was upset and made his objection known to Wrolstad.
Then, San Francisco's defensive coaches did not get the proper substitutions for the next play. The 49ers were called for another penalty for having 12 men on the field.
“I was out there screaming the whole time, so I’m not exactly aware of what happened with the 12 guys,” Shanahan said. “But obviously we had 12 guys out there. They gave us time to sub, and we didn’t get one off. So the second one was on us.”
That penalty moved the ball to the 49ers’ 5-yard line. Two plays later, running back Josh Jacobs scored on a 1-yard run to give the Packers a 17-0 lead.
Green Bay would score a touchdown two plays later, extending their lead to 17-0.