Last night, NBC Sports Network ran their weekly show NFL Turning Point. If you have never seen the show, it breaks down various games each week and looks at significant moments in the game. They have access to NFL Films coverage and microphones, so it allows for some interesting coverage.
Naturally they discussed the 49ers 34-28 win over the Packers. They broke down several aspects of the game, but one of the most interesting parts came early on. We saw more footage of Clay Matthews illegal hit on Colin Kaepernick, and the ensuing scuffle with Joe Staley. However, NFL Turning Point then had some footage of the 49ers sideline after the Anquan Boldin touchdown.
You can check out the video above. The audio isn't perfect, but you can make out a couple great comments. First, we hear Alex Boone say "That ain't gonna be tolerated, AT ALL", and then we get this exchange between Staley and Kap:
Staley: We're setting a precedent.
Kap: I know what you're saying.
Staley: No one is [site decorum] hitting you late.
Kap: I know what you're saying.
In case you were wondering, Kap knows what Staley's saying!
There was all sorts of chatter this offseason about getting that extra hit in on the quarterback to make teams think twice about running the read option. We really did not see a lot of read option runs yesterday, and the few times we did see it, it was not particularly successful. There was some excellent play action work off it, but the running portion did not do much.
As the 49ers move forward, it would seem they have indeed set a precedent about any shenanigans on defense. And given that the NFL cleared Staley after the fact, the 49ers do have some important precedent on their side. And considering the emotion 49ers-Seahawks can bring, the timing is pretty good.