Daily Madden: 49ers Can't Blame Refs For Second Half Collapse
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - The 49ers again fell apart in the second half of a game, letting the Arizona Cardinals overcome a 14-6 half time deficit to win 23-14. Some players and fans blamed the officials.
"I don't think officiating beat them," John Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew. "I think those second half woes beat them, and I think the Arizona Cardinals beat them."
The 49ers were penalized six times for 86 yards in the second half.
"You're going to have penalties and you're going to have penalties at inopportune times. But you have to play through it. You have to be better than the penalties. You have to play higher than that. And just because you get penalties, that doesn't mean that you have to lose. Now you'd like to get rid of those penalties if you could. That's another thing you have to correct. But if you can't, you have to outplay them and you still have to win."
The 49ers have been outscored 52-3 in the second half this season.
"You can't turn just turn your back on that," Madden said. "Is it a physical let-down? Is it where you have a game plan, and you start out and what you're trying to do you can't do for a whole game, so you have to have a first half game plan and a second half game plan?... That has to be addressed because it's something that is real. And you have to find out why is it happening, and you have to evaluate how it happens, and you have to correct it." (6:50)
Daily Madden
(Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 and Monday and Friday mornings at 9:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.)
