NBC rules analyst Terry McCauley immediately criticized officials in Sunday Night's Falcons-49ers game for missing a consequential pulling penalty to give Christian McCaffrey a TD
00:08 ET, 20 Oct 2025Updated 00:08 ET, 20 Oct 2025
Christian McCaffrey
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Christian McCaffrey benefited from a no-call in the fourth quarter of the 49ers' SNF win(Image: Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers managed to hold off the Atlanta Falcons 20-10 on Sunday Night Football despite missing a litany of starters like Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Rickey Pearsall, and others.
San Francisco received a huge boost in the fourth quarter when officials missed a "pulling the runner" call on 49ers offensive linemen for dragging the star running back into the end zone.
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Shortly after the play was ruled a touchdown, NBC rules analyst Terry McCauley hopped on the broadcast — slightly under fire for continuing to show "context-less PFF grades" — with Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth. “I mean, we’ve talked about this during the break a bit, Terry, and clearly there is a pulling the runner happening on this play, right?" Collinsworth asked.
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McCauley agreed. “It is, Cris. It’s illegal to lift or pull the runner in any direction, and No. 75 (Connor Colby) clearly grabs him and pulls him into the end zone," he said. “This should have been a foul for helping the runner, 10 10-yard penalty from the spot of the foul.”
Pushing a ball carrier is legal — think the "tush-push" in Philadelphia. Pulling players has been illegal since 2005 and should have resulted in a 10-yard penalty.
"Like 3 separate 49ers blockers were pulling McCaffrey into the EZ there, we're just gonna be cool with that, NFL Officiating?" tweeted prominent PFF analyst Sam Monson.
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A flag would have not only ruled out a touchdown, but it would have pushed the 49ers' offense further from the goal line. McCaffrey's touchdown came with San Francisco up 13-10 and inside the seven-yard line with under three minutes to play.
Had the ball been moved back, the Falcons could have used each of their three time-outs and potentially held the 49ers to a field-goal attempt while giving their own offense a chance to win the game.
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The Atlanta defense struggled to defend McCaffrey all night. The 49ers star brushed off an early-season slump to rush for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 24 attempts. He also added 72 yards on seven receptions.
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According to the NFL, McCaffrey recorded 100+ rushing yards and 70+ receiving yards for the seventh time in his career to become the sole leader for that double (besting Marshall Faulk and Priest Holmes).
There were few other standout performances on the offensive side of the ball. Despite it being the first incarnation of "National Running Backs Day," Falcons rusher Bijan Robinson gained just 40 yards on his 14 caroes (he added 52 receiving yards).