Given about 40 hours to reflect, Jim Harbaugh would acknowledge only the obvious Tuesday: Why, yes, he wishes the 49ers had called a play that gained 5 yards during the last two minutes of the Super Bowl.

Harbaugh, predictably, wasn't in the mood for public self-flagellation when asked about San Francisco's much-scrutinized play-calling at the end of its 34-31 loss to the Ravens on Sunday.

Facing 2nd-and-goal at the 5-yard line, Colin Kaepernick tossed three straight incompletions that were intended for wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Kaepernick said he called an audible on fourth down when he saw Crabtree in single coverage against Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith.

Baltimore, which was without injured Pro Bowl nose tackle Haloti Ngata, allowed 129 rushing yards and 9.2 yards per carry in the second half.

"Certainly, knowing how it ended up, how it finished, we didn't get the ball in, yeah, would've liked to have tried a different play call, a different scenario," Harbaugh said. "That's the way I always feel. If you do something and it doesn't work, yeah, would've liked to have done something different, at least tried it. But you can't."

Harbaugh then trotted out one of his standard lines when a coaching strategy is second-guessed by the media: "The would've, could've, should've is undefeated," he said. "That's never failed."

On Sunday, though, it was some of Harbaugh's players who were doing the second-guessing.

"That's the one thing we talked about: 'Why didn't we run it?' " tight end Delanie Walker said. "We don't know. We were running the ball on them all day."

Poor effort? The ball sailed, but Randy Moss didn't soar along with it.

The 49ers' wide receiver has been criticized for a perceived lack of effort on Kaepernick's interception in the second quarter Sunday. Kaepernick's pass was high and Moss, who stopped his route, didn't jump for the ball, which was grabbed by Ravens safety Ed Reed.

With defenders in the area, it might have been act of self-preservation for Moss, who has flopped to the ground to avoid being tackled this season. It was noted during Harbaugh's news conference that Moss has been criticized for his effort on the play. Was the criticism fair?

"I think the ball was thrown too high on that particular play," Harbaugh said.

And what was Moss doing?

"He was running a crossing route," Harbaugh said. "I told you how I felt. I felt the ball was thrown too high. It wasn't catchable."

Justin Smith's surgery: Defensive tackle Justin Smith will have surgery this week to repair his partially torn triceps tendon, an injury he sustained Dec. 16. Harbaugh estimated his rehabilitation is expected to take two to three months.

After missing the final two games of the regular season, Smith had 12 tackles in three postseason contests while playing with a bulky brace on his left arm.

Sideline histrionics: On Sunday, Harbaugh fired his baseball cap to the ground and began screaming in protest when Jimmy Smith made contact with Crabtree on the 49ers' final offensive play.

In the NFC Championship Game, Harbaugh had a similarly apoplectic reaction when a crucial completion to Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas wasn't overturned by replay.

Not surprisingly, Harbaugh said he doesn't plan to alter his sideline demeanor.

"We fight to win," he said. "And if you're asking, does my personal etiquette need to be changed, more catatonic on the sideline? I don't anticipate that happening."