Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26) didn't actually grab 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk's (44) facemask, but that didn't stop the refs from throwing a flag. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Watch: 49ers benefit from bad facemask penalty call vs. Titans

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 12/24/21

Shawn Hochuli’s officiating crew badly blew a facemask penalty call in Thursday night’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans.

The Niners were leading 7-0 late in the first quarter and had a 2nd-and-7 in their territory. Jimmy Garoppolo dumped off a pass for Kyle Juszczyk, who turned it into a 26-yard gain. But they got even more yardage than that thanks to a bad facemasking penalty that was called on Kristian Fulton.

Face mask… pic.twitter.com/PLmFIL5m11

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) December 24, 2021

The penalty tacked 15 yards on to the end of the play. The Niners got the ball at the 25 after that, in field-goal range. Maybe justice was served after the possession ended with an interception.

But that was a badly missed call, and one that was made solely based on how the play looked. It’s much easier to call things in replay than real-time, that’s for sure.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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