It got so bad a few years ago that I cancelled my ST and just stopped watching the NFL because officiating had taken over both the games and broadcasts.
A thousand times, yes
Yeah, it might be a coinflip regarding which of the two is going to hurt you less.
Could be a case of a coach just taking the conservative option as a default so he doesn't get blamed for making the riskier decision.
It's a good point but you gotta think the 9ers are just playing the vet that is more likely to protect the ball and manage the game so they can keep their very good D/ST's involved in the outcome.