The NFL admitted that the offsetting penalties on Clay Matthews' late hit on Colin Kaepernick and Joe Staley's retaliation should have still allowed the result of the down to take place instead of replaying it, which led to a San Francisco 49ers' touchdown.

But the NFL said that Staley should not have been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"Joe did exactly what we coach him to do," Jim Harbaugh said. "When somebody's taking a cheap shot or trying to do something after the whistle, we teach them just to lock up. He did that, and then Matthews throws two punches at him."