49ers benefited from key missed call late in win vs. Eagles

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They are hopping mad in Philadelphia this morning. More so than usual.

And it's not just because Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni's "Philly Special" call fell flat on the fourth-and-goal Sunday in the 49ers' 17-11 win over the Eagles.

The furor many Eagles fans are channeling right now comes from the fact that the 49ers benefited from a late missed delay of game call.

With the 49ers leading 17-11 with 2:35 remaining and facing a third-and-1 at their own 24-yard-line, Jimmy Garoppolo let the play clock expire before hiking the ball.

A flag would have made it third-and-6 from the 19-yard line and given Philadelphia, which was out of timeouts, a better chance at getting a stop and getting the ball back to Jalen Hurts with a chance to win the game. 

Of course, referees often give the offense a second or two on the other side of zero to snap the ball. There almost never is a flag as soon as the clock hits zero.

Not that anyone who bleeds green and silver wants to hear that.

RELATED: Schrock's observations: 49ers in search of more explosive offense

Missed call aside, the Eagles had every opportunity to knock off the 49ers on Sunday.

Philadelphia had a 47-yard field goal blocked in the first half and wasted a 91-yard completion from Hurts to Quez Watkins. The catch-and-run set the Eagles up with first-and-goal at the 49ers' 6-yard line. Then, a subsequent pass interference penalty on Josh Norman gave the Eagles first-and-goal at the 49ers' 1-yard line, but Philadelphia was unable to punch it in, with Sirianni's failed fourth-down "Philly Special" leading to a turnover on downs.

Coulda. Shoulda. Woulda.

The Eagles had their chances, but it couldn't put away the 49ers, and that falls on Sirianni -- not a flag that never was thrown.

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