The NFL admitted this week to the 49ers that they blew at least three calls in the game against the Eagles, a league source said Friday.

Niners coach Mike Nolan showed some restraint Friday when I asked him about his communication with the league office.

"I got answers back," Nolan said of the questionable calls the team turned into the league office for explanations.

When asked what those answers were, Nolan turned to 49ers director of public relations Aaron Salkin and asked him, "Where should I stand on this?"

Salkin reminded Nolan that he would be subject to a fine if he divulged any information. "You're not supposed to report on it," Salkin told Nolan.

"Conversations between the officiating department and the clubs are confidential," NFC information manager Michael Signora wrote in an email after I left him a voice message seeking comment.

Of course, the confidential admission from the league that referee Terry McAulay's crew made some mistakes should not come as a big surprise. TV replays clearly showed the errors.

Nolan made it clear that whatever the league told him, the officials did not cost the 49ers the game. But the calls in question resulted in 207 yards in the second half of Sunday's game:

--The 49ers challenged the ruling on the field that Eagles DT Mike Patterson was not down after recovering running back Frank Gore's goal-line fumble. Replays appeared to show Patterson, with possession of the ball and both knees on the ground, in contact with 49ers tackle Kwame Harris.

The correct call would have given the Eagles possession on their 2-yard line. The source said McAulay did not have access to a replay angle from the end zone that would have enabled him to overrule the call on the field.

--The 49ers had gotten to within 14 points early in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles bumped the lead back to 21 points with a touchdown. The big play was QB Donovan McNabb's short pass to TE Matt Schobel for a 60-yard gain.

On the play, Eagles WR Reggie Brown clearly blocks 49ers FS Mike Adams, who was in man coverage against Schobel, before the pass was caught. The illegal pick play was not called and the play stood.

--On the 49ers' next possession, WR Antonio Bryant's 49-yard reception to the Eagles' 8-yard line was nullified when 49ers RB Michael Robinson was called for an illegal chop block. The 49ers failed to get any points from the possession.

Although Nolan did not address the play Friday, he spoke about it Monday at his press conference. A chop block is when a defensive player is in engaged with a blocker and another blocker makes a block below the waist on the defender.

"On that play, Michael is chopping, and after he's chopping him, then Jonas (Jennings) falls on top of the guy," Nolan said. "That's not a chop, from my understanding. So, I'm going to get the rule explained to me."

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The NFL fined Eagles LB Dhani Jones $5,000 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on QB Alex Smith. It's the second time this season an opponent has been fined for a hit on Smith. Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett was docked $7,500 for a hit out of bounds on Smith.

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Smith enters Sunday's game against the Chiefs with a streak of 132 consecutive passing attempts without an interception. Said Nolan (jokingly), "I'm pretty certain they will get one this week. There's been enough talk about it, so I'm pretty sure we have solidified that. Whatever the gods are that make that happen have raised the question enough times."

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Here's a story I wrote that appeared in Friday's paper on 49ers DL Bryant Young and outstanding Chiefs RG Will Shields.

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I received two disturbing emails Wednesday in regards to the Terrell Owens situation from companies wondering if I were interested in interviewing experts in different fields on the subject. Even though I did not plan to write anything about Owens, there were at least two companies that apparently wished to gain some publicity through the unfortunate event. Because it's attention they crave, I've X'd out their names.

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The Chiefs featured starting FB Ronnie Cruz (6-0, 237) who ranked second in the state in rushing his senior season at Clear Lake High. He went to Mendocino College in Ukiah before transferring to Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D.

Cruz was nicknamed "Yukon" by former Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil. Upon making Kansas City's 53-man roster last sesason, Cruz told Vermeil he had always wanted to purchase a GMC Yukon and now he could. And a nickname was born.

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Here's one:

While TO is denying a suicide attempt, as an employer, the Dallas Cowboys "have an obligation to ensure he is not a danger to himself or other players and at the very least must demand he pass a 'fitness for duty certification' before allowing back on the team," said labor attorney (name deleted).

For more information about the team's responsibilities and potential liabilities, please contact me at (phone number deleted).

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And here's the other:

Terrell Owens, the Dallas Cowboys' star wide receiver and drama magnet du jour, is in the news again - and not for crossing the goal line-

Dallas authorities this morning reported that T.O. has allegedly attempted suicide. What implications will this have on his career and future marketability?

(Name deleted), CEO of (Unnamed Marketing Group) is available to speak with you on the subject.

"I don't think this incident will hurt T.O.'s marketability at all," says (name deleted). "If anything, it shows his human side. Dennis Rodman attempted suicide in 1994 and he is still a very sought after entity today."

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Finally, I received an email that had a noble purpose:

In light of recent highly publicized events, the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN USA) and Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), two of the nation's leading suicide prevention organizations, urge members of the media to report safely about suicide and suicide attempts.

Suicide claims the lives of more than 30,000 people each year, more than homicide or HIV/AIDS. Despite the high number of suicides, there remains a considerable amount of stigma around suicide and mental illnesses, and many people do not understand that suicides can be prevented.

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