Why punt late in the game? Jim Tomsula said he didn't want to fall down by three scores.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - After the Seattle Seahawks scored on Thomas Rawls's 31-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter made it a 29-13 game, 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula elected to punt on three consecutive fourth downs.
The thinking was, Tomsula said Monday, he didn't want to fall behind by three scores, making a comeback virtually impossible. He punted on fourth-and-12 (10:42 remaining), fourth-and-13 (5:45), and fourth-and-8 (3:09).
"It was a two-score game.