Yep, He Got the Foot Down

Sometimes the play comes to you—in the Niners-Panthers game, photographer Simon Bruty got an up-close look at the Vernon Davis TD that was originally ruled out. Here’s the sequence • PHOTOGRAPHS BY SIMON BRUTY/SI

Yep, He Got the Foot Down

49ers ball, 2nd-and-goal, 14 seconds left in the first half. Colin Kaepernick had rolled to his right.

Tight end Vernon Davis got free of linebacker Luke Kuechly in the back corner.

As the ball arrived, his right foot was planted.

And he dragged the left foot just inside the corner.

Indisiputable visual evidence?

An instant after the catch, Davis’s left foot appears to touch the white stripe.

The official, standing just behind the pylon, immediately signaled incomplete.

The tight end braced for the fall.

Davis rolled directly toward photographer Simon Bruty . . .

. . . who had been perfectly positioned for the shot.

And for the aftermath, which was just as fun.

Davis landed . . .

. . . popped to his feet . . .

. . . had a look over at the official . . .

. . . and clearly saw the signal.

Say what?

Let’s have a look.

Kaepernick joined in, pointing to the torn-up turf.

Dispute that!

By this point the Niners were certain the ruling would be reversed.

But coach Jim Harbaugh had run onto the field to dispute the original call.

So while San Francisco got the TD and a 13-7 lead . . .

. . . the Niners had to kick off from their own 20.

Luckily for them the penalty was harmless—Ted Ginn’s 15-yard kickoff return ended the half.