Punters don't get much chance to have the glory, but for a brief moment Mitch Wishnowsky was the hero for the San Francisco 49ers, only to have the coolest play of his career wiped away by a penalty.
With the Niners punting from their own 41 on their first drive of the second half, Wishnowsky made a seemingly instinctive decision to fake and surge up the right sideline for a 30-yard gain, with 15 more yards set to be tacked on by a late hit out of bounds.
However, another flag was thrown at the Seattle 41-yard line, with rookie Ronnie Bell flagged for an illegal block below the waist, with those personal foul calls offsetting and forcing the 49ers to punt again instead of being set up at the Seahawks' 14-yard line.
Replays showed that Bell slipped, leading to him inadvertently taking out a defender, making the penalty even more heartbreaking.
#49ers Punter Mitch Wishnowsky with amazing awareness! pic.twitter.com/EdtWvj7UPO
— Alex Tran (@nineralex) December 10, 2023
Because of that misfortune, the play did not count, but Wishnowsky will always have those few seconds where he thought it did.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!