The 49ers' 19-17 loss to the Browns did not lack controversy, as a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty on Tashaun Gipson Jr. extended what ultimately proved to be the game-winning drive for Cleveland.
During an appearance Tuesday on KNBR's "Murph and Mac" show, 49ers team captain Arik Armstead was asked about his thoughts on the contentious call that gave the Browns new life.
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"Well, it's frustrating, and obviously you don't necessarily see it in the moment," Armstead said. "On the field, we were just supporting [Gipson] and being like, 'Yo, we got your back.' I didn't see the hit in the game, obviously, but it's like, 'Yo, it is what it is.' Next play, we've got to find a way to get a stop regardless. But then you look at it after, and what can you do? It's not really in your control. What I always try to do is control the things that we can control, which is how we play, how we execute, our effort, playing to our standard, and those things.
After emphatically stating he and the rest of the 49ers were unwavering in their support of Gipson, Armstead reiterated some things that occur on a football field are beyond your control.
"You can't really control what the refs do," Armstead said. "Sometimes that's just how football goes. Some things don't always go your way, but as long as you have the mindset to first, individually control what you can control, which is doing your job at a high level and playing with great effort. Then as a team, everybody doing that as well too, that's all you can ask for."
On Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if the NFL had provided any feedback on Gipson's hit.
San Francisco 49ers
"No, not at all," Shanahan said. "We will eventually. We always send in stuff we disagree with and they'll tell us whether they agree with our disagreement or not, but regardless of what happens, it really doesn't matter. That's what happened on Sunday, and that's what you've got to live with and that's why you got to play better football so it doesn't come down to those calls."
Rather than facing a do-or-die fourth-and-10 from the Cleveland 26-yard line, the call awarded the Browns a fresh set of downs at their 41-yard line. Cleveland took advantage of the opportunity, marching downfield to take the lead with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Regardless of the disputable call on Gipson, penalties were an issue for the 49ers throughout their loss to the Browns. San Francisco was flagged a season-high 12 times, racking up 105 penalty yards in the process.