San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of a wild card game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

49ers' Kyle Shanahan defends Arik Armstead over missed safety vs. Cowboys

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 1/23/23

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan understands why defensive end Arik Armstead didn't go for a game-clinching safety of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott late in Sunday's 19-12 win.

Seen this numerous times this season where a QB goes to throw, the defender pulls up thinking he threw the ball because they never know if they'll get flagged for a late hit, and the QB throws it after. I don't blame Armstead one bit for pulling back. pic.twitter.com/T84rli6eIX
— Rich (@richjmadrid) January 23, 2023

"I think he thought Dak was going to throw it, so I think he was going in there with the mindset to get his hands up to try to tip it. And then Dak didn’t and it caught him off guard and then he was afraid the position he was in, he was about to hit him high and get a penalty," Shanahan told reporters on Monday, as shared by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "When you’re approaching a quarterback, it’s so hard for these guys to hit in that target area and not get a penalty that you really have to approach it the right way...He didn’t want to get that 15-yard penalty."

Shanahan added he "can totally see why" Armstead played things safe in that situation.

According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Armstead admitted during his post-game comments that he "wasn’t trying to get a penalty" but nevertheless thought after the fact he "should have just smacked" Prescott. In the end, Armstead made the right business decision, as Dallas failed to even flirt with tying the game before time expired:

The final play that sends the @49ers to the NFC Championship! #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Du5KruFQ3q
— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2023

Armstead also addressed the matter via Twitter:

Gosh darn rouging the passer calls I’m sick shoulda just hit him ‍♂️
— Arik Armstead (@arikarmstead) January 23, 2023

Perhaps the biggest takeaway regarding Armstead's comments and tweet is that the topic of roughing the passer is generating headlines for the second straight week during the playoffs. In the wild-card round, roughing penalties called on Akiem Hicks of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence perplexed and annoyed fans and analysts, alike. Hall of Famer Deion Sanders said live during the ESPN2 "Manningcast" that the penalty against Hicks was "ridiculous."

It's unknown if making roughing the passer penalties reviewable as soon as for the 2023 season would positively impact pass-rushers. Whatever happens, this offseason as it pertains to the rule, Sunday's action served as the latest reminder that at least some defensive players such as Armstead are thinking about drawing flags whenever they approach quarterbacks even in the biggest and final games of the ongoing campaign.

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