49ers pick up key first down with ‘normal shift'

SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers have struggled on third downs, but the New York Giants awarded them a gift Sunday to keep an important fourth-quarter drive alive.And Giants coach Tom Coughlin angrily objected on the sideline to a well-timed Delanie Walker shift off the line of scrimmage that drew defensive lineman Dave Tollefson into the neutral zone before the snap of a third-and-2 play.A week earlier, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was incensed when his team penalized for "simulating a snap," ruled referee Gene Steratore. Harbaugh argued that it was a legal shift.
Harbaugh spoke to the league for a clarification. While Harbaugh said the communication with the league office is confidential, he confirmed the 49ers did not have to change a thing in order to make the play legal.When tight end Justin Peelle was called for the penalty against the Redskins, quarterback Alex Smith was in the midst of a hard count. But Harbaugh said the penalty did not have anything to do with Smith's bobbing his head while shouting out the cadence.
"We feel like we know what to tell our players," Harbaugh said. "It's not vague. It's not arbitrary. It's a shift. It's a normal shift. And we do it all the time. We do it on first down. We do it on second down. We do it on third down. Teams have seen that we do it on third down."It's not the intent to draw the other team offsides. The intent is to change the strength of the formation. I don't see how anybody could have a problem with it. Shifting is a part of football and they've seen it every game that we played."Referee Tony Corrente's crew ruled in favor of the 49ers on Sunday. The penalty gave San Francisco a first down at the Giants' 37-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Alex Smith hit tight end Vernon Davis for a 31-yard touchdown. After the two-point conversion, the 49ers led 20-13.