49ers' roughing the punter penalty draws scrutiny in intense NFC Championship

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NFL fans wondered whether officials on the field during the NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers missed another call on Sunday night.

This time, the issue came in the third quarter as the Eagles were going to punt the ball away. Brett Kern received the snap and kicked it away and was run into by Jordan Mason. Officials threw a flag to penalize Mason for roughing the punter.

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Jan 29, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on the sidelines against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)

The penalty gave the Eagles 15 yards and a new set of downs. Three plays later, Jalen Hurts scampered to get into the red zone and was pushed from behind late, which caused another penalty. Hurts would finish the drive with a quarterback-sneak touchdown to help make the game 28-7.

However, fans wondered again whether Mason was pushed into Kern on the punt by Jack Stoll. If he was, there wouldn’t have been a penalty and San Francisco would’ve been down only three scores.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts gestures during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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NFL officials missed a DeVonta Smith drop in the first quarter, which also led to a touchdown. The Eagles also had complaints when it appeared that a Kern punt earlier in the game may have hit a TV wire overhead.

Philadelphia Eagles punter Brett Kern reacts to a punt during the first half of the NFC Championship NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Regardless, Philly was up 28-7 through three quarters.