Tomsula: No second-guessing 49ers' late-game punt

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SANTA CLARA – Coach Jim Tomsula has no regrets about punting the ball away late in the fourth quarter while the 49ers required two touchdowns and two two-point conversions to tie the game.

Down by 16 points and with two timeouts remaining against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the 49ers decided to punt from their own 11-yard line on a fourth-and-8 with 3:09 remaining in the game.

The Seahawks picked up two first downs and ran out the clock after the two-minute warning for their 29-13 victory at CenturyLink Field.

“My point, if we were close, if we got up there in a fourth-and-short, OK, then there was going to be a decision for me,” Tomsula said on Monday.

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“If something happens, it’s a three-possession game. So we wanted to punt it, use the two timeouts, get to the two-minute drill and onside kick and try to win the game. That’s what I thought. That’s what I still think.”

Tomsula said he did not make the decision to impact the final score. He said it was not his thinking that he would rather lose by fewer points.

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“Oh, God, no,” Tomsula said. “You win or you lose – absolutely not.”

On the 49ers’ previous possession, they punted on a fourth-and-13 situation from their own 25 with 5:45 remaining.

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When asked about punting in those situations, several 49ers players did not offer an opinion.

"Those are coaching decisions," left tackle Joe Staley said. "We were in a situation there when we were down two scores. Hopefully, you get a quick three-and-out with the ball back in better field position."

Said quarterback Blaine Gabbert, "It's tough. Coach had to make a call, and we've just got to roll with it. Fourth-and-13's are tough in the NFL, especially against a defensive front like that."

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