Which feeling is worst? Losing like the 49ers in Superbowl 47 or the Bills in Superbowl 25?

[skinsarethebest]

I think the epic fail of failing to punch it in from the 5 yard line, with 4 tries no less, is objectively a more frustrating scenario.

But that being said, I think the 49ers loss was overall less brutal, since frankly, I think they probably realized they had basically NO business even being in that position (i.e, to win) to start with, as they were frankly outplayed the entire game, and only were able to mount a comeback because of a totally unexpected and fluke occurrence, i.e., the blackout...

The Bills, on the other hand, were consistently competitive throughout the game... I'm not sure if they ever led at any point in that game, but certainly they were never getting blown out

[Busch1724]

A nfl kicker should be making a 47 yarder in his sleep...especially in a mild environment.

20 some odd years ago, that was not the case like it is now.

[pjfootballer]

losing super bowl 18 in which we looked like crap

Ugh...no worse feeling than that one. I still hate Marcus Allen and Jim Plunkett.

Once Marcus Allen ran 74 yards, the game was over. We were down 28-9. I actually thought we could come back in the 2nd half. We were the highest scoring team in the league and had put up 37 on this defense in the regular season. We did come out on our first drive of the 2nd half, marched down and scored. Then we had the PAT blocked and that seemed to take the wind out of our sails. I think if Mosley hits the PAT, it's 21-10 and our mindset is that we reached double digits and were only 2 scores out of it. I know there was no 2 pt conversion back then, but 1 TD and it's 21-17 and we're back in the game.

[MattFancy]

Definitely #2. People miss FGs all the time and alot of things happen that can force you to miss. Bad snap, bad hold, etc.

To have the ball with 4 tries to get 7yds and not get in, that's way worse.

[ldysknzfn1]

I think the 1st & goal at the 7 and failing would be the killer here...like someone else said a 47 yarder isn't a given in that situatiion...but 4 downs to get in from the 7 and you fail? I couldn't believe what I was seeing...RUN RUN RUN RUN...why they insisted on passing after that first failed run was beyond me...Kaepernick or Gore should've ran that in...Gore was gouging them in that last series...he could've got in straight up the middle most likely...coach went stupid and cost them that game..and the receiver was held...no question...

[Momma There Goes That Man]

This! I couldn't believe that kap refused to throw it to one of the best jump ball receivers in the game. Absolutely ridiculous.

I don't know, he did observe Moss' jump ball ability or jump ball effort, I should say, on the interception that Moss wanted no part of attempting to grab. He also saw countless other lackluster efforts from Moss during the game.

---------- Post added February-5th-2013 at 11:50 AM ----------

I understand the idea of not wanting to give the ball to Baltimore with time on the clock if you get the lead' date=' but you need to get the lead first. And you don't want this to be your last chance to get the lead.

Harbaugh played that entire sequence like he needed a field goal instead of a TD. And that is so out of character for him. If I were a 49er fan, I would be wondering, "Why did he choose that moment to get stupid?"[/quote']

I disagree. When you get to the 7 you are expecting to score a TD especially with the Super Bowl on the line. If that is what you are assuming, you can't be concerned with saving time on the clock because it will backfire every time.

SF had the ball at the 7 and their mindset should have been, the game is over and it will end in our hands, do or die, right here. I would have killed the clock as much as possible while still calling better plays.

The last thing they would want in that situation is score and then to give Flacco 2 minutes with a couple TOs to get into FG range because you were planning just in case you didn't get a TD. You extend the game as long as possible until you can win it, which the 49ers did.

[London Kev]

Couldn't decide.

Although the play calling was questionable when inside the 10, I would appreciate that we gave it our best shot, and just came up short. The drive did start on their own 20. But there would be a lot of what-ifs and if-onlys haunting me for a while.

Missing the game winning kick seems a more gut-wrenching way of losing, but I suppose that you could just cut "That kicker what cost us the Super Bowl" and move on.

I guess how you lose a close game doesn't really matter, you've lost, it hurts, deal with it.

[roanoker]

#2 is worse.

[Laron Burgundy]

I hate that they make so big a deal about that no-call on 4th down. It's just dumb to rely on a call that I find pretty ticky-tack as the receiver ran into the corner. Imagine if they got that call and the 49ers won it. Ravens fans would be furious, and now it's not just that call but the power outage too.

[youngestson]

I would think the second option is the worst.

Having four opportunities to score and failing... It makes the whole team start to second guess the other players, coaching, play calling, everything.

A shank, and you can just chalk it up to the "kicker" who pretty much everyone hates anyway.

[DCSaints_fan]

I don't know, he did observe Moss' jump ball ability or jump ball effort, I should say, on the interception that Moss wanted no part of attempting to grab. He also saw countless other lackluster efforts from Moss during the game.

---------- Post added February-5th-2013 at 11:50 AM ----------

I disagree. When you get to the 7 you are expecting to score a TD especially with the Super Bowl on the line. If that is what you are assuming, you can't be concerned with saving time on the clock because it will backfire every time.

SF had the ball at the 7 and their mindset should have been, the game is over and it will end in our hands, do or die, right here. I would have killed the clock as much as possible while still calling better plays.

The last thing they would want in that situation is score and then to give Flacco 2 minutes with a couple TOs to get into FG range because you were planning just in case you didn't get a TD. You extend the game as long as possible until you can win it, which the 49ers did.

SF had all thee of their TOs left Plus, they were down by 5 ... if they get the TD and score the two point conversion, a FG would just send the game into OT. And they ended up getting the ball back anyway. If they had not burned that time out, they would have had enough time to try for a TD again.

[SuperBash]

Ray's last stand...how fitting of a way to end a great defensive career.

[artmonkforHOF]

Missed FG, only because it was the end of the game. SF had made a huge comeback, and still had time to score, albeit not that much but anything could happen in that amount if time. For Buffalo, they would have beaten the Giants at their own game, slow grind it out football & no one expected Norwood to miss, the guy was a decent kicker up until that point & had made clutch kicks before. That just sucked the life right out of Bills fans, in a much bigger way than bad playcalling 1st & goal on the 5 with time left in a game most thought they where out of only 20 minutes before. Had there been like 30 seconds on the clock with 1st down at the 5 & they lose, yeah that would be worse, but they had time, the missed FG was the last play of the game.

[Wrong Direction]

The missed field goal was a game winner. This time the 49ers just had a chance to go ahead with plenty of time and timeouts for the Ravens to come back and win the game.

I think the call at the end of this super bowl was only consequential if your head was in the sand too far to recognize the 3 calls that cost the Ravens actual points in that game (well, 2 calls - bomb to Torrie Smith and missed field goal "running into the kicker" penalty - plus a third that could have resulted in more points - late hit on Flacco).

The game shouldn't have even been that close to allow a missed call to make a difference, and the Ravens probably win anyway if the 49ers actually score a TD at the end. Conversely, if Norwood kicks it 1 yard to the left, the Bills defeat the Giants and their history is totally rewritten.