NEW ORLEANSIt was Schadenfreude Sunday for Chris Culliver.
After the Niners corner made offensive comments at Tuesdays media day about how hed receive a gay teammate, the second-year player was grilled and vilified.
On Sunday, anyone wishing to see him taken down another notch got their wish.
Asked about Culliver's play after San Francisco's 34-31 loss, Niners coach Jim Harbaugh said, "I think he did fine."
The tape may yield a different conclusion.
The most notable instance of Cullivers Travails came in the first half when Culliver lost Jacoby Jones on a third-and-10 moonball with 1:58 left in the first half.
As Jones circled back to make a play on the underthrown ball, Culliver sailed pastlike a kid jumping after an escaping balloon.
New England Patriots
Jones caught the ball, tumbled to the ground inside the 5 and was able to get to his feet, run across the field and score to give the Ravens a 21-3 lead.
It was the most conspicuous play involving Culliver but it wasnt the only one.
Earlier in the first half, Flaccorunning for his life as he rolled to his right on a third-and-7 playfound Anquan Boldin for a 30-yard gain down to the Niners 34-yard line. It was a pass seemingly thrown up for grabs and it was between Boldin and Culliver to come down with it. Boldin pulled it in. Then yakked in Cullivers face after the catch.
The other play on which Culliver got caught up in the wash was a 23-yard dart to tight end Ed Dickson on which Culliver got stuck going for the ball andor the tackle and wound up getting neither. Three plays later, the Niners were in the end zone with a 14-3 lead.
In the fourth, Culliver was flagged for a questionable pass interference on a third-and-9 play, extending a Ravens drive that ended with a field goal.
Asked about that play, Harbaugh opined, "I didn't think that was an interference. You're talking about the one that extended their drive when they made their second-to-last drive with the ball? Didn't see that as (pass interference)."
It was an inauspicious ending to a week Culliver would no doubt like to forget. But its worth wondering if hell soon be able to.