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Come Fan with UsTuesday, August 4, 2026

Super Bowl XLVII: Michael Crabtree laments final chance

The 49ers star receiver had Colin Kaepernick’s final pass thrown to him, but they could not connect.

It's impossible to understand how Michael Crabtree feels right now unless you played on a Super Bowl team that lost in the final seconds. Chances are, you have probably never been in that position.

The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver had a terrific game, catching five balls for 109 yards and a touchdown, but that will never be remembered. What will never be forgotten is the site of Crabtree's outstretched arms, the ball sailing out of bounds and with it, a chance at a championship.

Over at Niners Nation, Dylan DeSimone wrote a tremendous piece about some of what Crabtree must have been feeling in the aftermath of Super Bowl XLVII.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh also thought there should have been a pass interference or holding infraction, according to WEEI.com.

The worst part is that Crabtree and the 49ers should have had four more chances at the end zone after Baltimore Ravens corner Jimmy Smith just about assaulted him on fourth down. Crabtree was held the entire way, and in a league where everything gets called against the corner, no flag came.

It was one of the most brutal non-calls in the history of the NFL, if not the most brutal. Who could possibly blame Crabtree for being sad, bitter?

No matter how a Super Bowl is lost it has to be extremely difficult, but you add in the circumstances for the 49ers and it’s gutwrenching beyond belief. Down 28-6 in the third quarter, San Francisco stormed all the way back to trail 34-29 and have the ball first and goal, only to come up short.

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