NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino @nflnetwork on Harbaugh's concerns about hitting the QB: "When the quarterback puts the ball in the running back’s belly, the referee doesn’t know who has the football, the defender doesn’t know who has the football, so if it’s a bang-bang split second, than yes, he can hit the quarterback. But if the quarterback has clearly handed off the football, and he’s standing still, of fading backwards, he cannot be unnecessarily contacted, and that doesn’t matter if it’s a read-option quarterback or a classic drop-back quarterback. If they’re standing still or fading backward after the ball has left their hand, they cannot be unnecessarily contacted.”

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