After the Baltimore Ravens knocked off the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII by three points, both Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and wide receiver Michael Crabtree talked about the bad call at the end when the 49ers were trying to score to take the lead. NFL.com reported on Feb. 4 that Crabtree has now backed off on the claims and said the officiating wasn't to blame.
The non-call was holding by Jimmy Smith on Crabtree that didn't allow the receiver to make the touchdown catch that could have won the game for the 49ers. After sleeping on it, Crabtree simply said "it is what it is." He said that he was held, and the call wasn't made, but you have to take it like a man and not whine about it. He mentioned that calls go both ways in a game.
The game was one of the best, and more bizarre, Super Bowls in recent memory. Baltimore looked like they were headed towards a blowout and then, after a power outage in the Super Dome, they came back on and the 49ers came back to life.
With under two minutes remaining, the 49ers had one last chance to put the ball in the end zone when they moved inside the ten. Baltimore stopped them, and ran the clock down to under three seconds after taking an intentional safety. That left a free kick and the game was over, with the Ravens as the new champions. The one controversial aspect was the holding on that last San Francisco offensive play.
"I don't even want to say this, but if the ball had been a little lower, giving me a chance to make a play, I'm sure they would've called it," Crabtree said of the play. "But it happened like that, man. I've got a lot of confidence in my offensive line and quarterback; we fought back. It was a comeback, and we gave it our all."
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