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What do you mean the Niners tied?

There is that awkward feeling which follows an unexplained scenario, like that really weird silence in an elevator full of people. Or when you walk up behind someone you know in a bar and give them a bear hug, only to find out the person is a total stranger and doesn’t have a problem glaring at you in your moment of embarrassment.

That awkward feeling is pretty akin to how I felt at the end of yesterday’s 49ers-Rams game.

SFGate described the scene at the ‘Stick: fans stayed in their seats, and players walked around the field aimlessly, half-expecting a sixth quarter to start up.

Me? I was pacing in front of my TV set, unsure if I should flip over to the start of the Bears-Texans game, for fear I might miss something.

As early as Wednesday of last week, I already had a feeling that Sunday afternoon’s game was going to be a little weird.

Some of my fellow sportswriters were convinced that the Niners were going to bulldoze Sam Bradford and visiting St. Louis Rams. I, though, had this very weird, clairvoyant-like “I-Can-See-For-Miles-and-Miles” feeling that said game was not going to be that simple.

I did not foresee Alex Smith getting concussed and leaving the game, that’s for darn sure.

And for all of you that made fun of Señor Harbaugh’s “gobble gobble turkey” comment, he was right. Sunday was proof that the Niners aren’t as comfortable with Colin Kaepernick at the helm.

Don’t get me wrong, Kaeperkick played well given the circumstances. But had he seen how wide open Kyle Williams had been instead of throwing a near-pick in the second quarter, the Niners might have scored enough points to actually win.

But what I really couldn’t believe was the three lead changes within the last nine minutes of regulation, even as they unfolded before my eyes. And then I really really couldn’t believe that neither team could muster up a game-winning field goal in overtime.

It’s not as if there’s never been a tie in an NFL game before; the last one was one in an Eagles-Bengals matchup back in 2008.

The last time a Niners game ended in a tie was in October of 1986 at the Atlanta Falcons. (Which I don’t remember because I was barely a month old, but I’m sure fans were just as confused at the end of that game as they were yesterday.)

Harbaugh told the press post-game that he “didn’t know how to feel.” Trust us big guy, you’ve got a whole nation of 49er faithful who feel the exact same way.

Just don’t let next Monday night’s showdown against the Chicago Bears get that weird, and I think we can move forward.

Last modified August 3, 2014 3:28 am

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