Nearly two weeks after San Francisco's 23-20 loss to New Orleans, the 49ers still believe that something was taken away from them. Safety Donte Whitnerdoesn't agree with the costly penalty called against teammate Ahmad Brooks. The linebacker was called for a personal foul on Saints quarterback Drew Brees that kept a crucial drive alive.
"That's not right because he did everything that he was supposed to do," Whitner said Wednesday, via CSN Bay Area, about Brooks' eventual fine from the NFL. "It's not his fault that Drew Brees is a little guy and can't really take a hit.
"He can't take a hit. Ahmad is, what, 260 pounds? (Brees is), what, 6-foot, 190? (He's listed at 209 pounds.) Just because it looks bad, because this guy's in the weight room and does his job. (Brooks) rushes the quarterback and put a hit on him, which is part of the game of football. He can't take a hit."
Whitner relished the idea of a rematch with the Saints down the line.
"Drew Brees and those guys are over there celebrating," Whitner added. "We kind of have a formula against those guys and hopefully we'll see them again in the playoffs."
The formula on defense wasn't bad. But Whitner should be similarly frustrated with his offense, which couldn't move the ball all day against New Orleans. Whitner said that he wants replay for questionable calls, but replay wouldn't help him in this case. The right call was made according to the rule book. Whitner, like many defensive players, hasn't come to terms with the rules.
"Come and win a football game," Whitner said. "Don't take that one. They didn't earn that football game. We felt like we had an opportunity to win it, we felt like we outplayed them and we felt like we should have won. So hopefully, we'll see them again."
Don't be surprised if it happens. It's easy to imagine the 49ers heading back to the Superdome for the divisional round.
*We stuck a fork in three teams in the most recent "Around The League Podcast." *
