Bobby Wagner’s field goal block vs. Vikings should have been a penalty. Here’s why

Bobby Wagner was at the center of a controversial play in the fourth quarter of the Seahawks’ 21-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings. With under six minutes to go, the Seahawks were leading 6-0 when the Vikings attempted a 47-yard field goal. Then Wagner jumped over the line of scrimmage before blocking Dan Bailey’s kick.

The officials initially threw a flag on the play, but picked it up and let the block stand, saying that Wagner legally jumped over the line of scrimmage. However, it looks like Wagner used the bodies of his teammates Shamar Stephen and Jarran Reed to launch himself over the Vikings’ line. That’s a violation of the rules.

Here’s the rule that pretty clear outlaws what Wagner pulled off to get the block.

Placing a hand or hands on a teammate or opponent to gain additional height to block or attempt to block an opponent’s kick or apparent kick, or in an attempt to jump through a gap to block an opponent’s kick or apparent kick.

The leverage aspect is what’s important here. Wagner used his teammates to help himself get over the line of scrimmage.

According to Football Zebras, the umpire who usually makes these calls couldn’t get a clear view of Wagner’s hands because they’ve changed the alignment of where the umpire stands on field goal attempts.

On the Monday Night Football broadcast, rules analyst Jeff Triplette noted that Wagner’s use of his hands was illegal — even on his own teammates.

“He can’t put his hands on even his own player or anyone else. He puts both hands down. That’s leverage, as we call it. Goes across the top, then goes up with his hands. That is a 15-yard penalty.”

All the other NFL rules analysts were in unanimous agreement with Triplette:

After the game, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters that he had asked the officials if he could use a coach’s challenge for the play. They told him “no.”

Zimmer also said that he didn’t quite see the play as it happened.

Quite honestly, I didn’t see it. I didn’t see what happened. I was told what happened but I don’t know ...

You’re not supposed to be able to pull guys down if that’s what they did.

Bobby Wagner noted that the Seahawks had practiced for this opportunity after watching film on the Vikings’ field goal unit.

“We seen on film, think it was last week, we watched a guy jump over,” Wagner said after the game. “So we felt like we had something, and we knew if there was an opportunity [when] they were on the right hash, we were going to call it. And so we called it. So I tried to time it up and I got over and made the block.”

Wagner said at the end of the day, it’s on the officials to make the call. Via Pro Football Talk:

“That’s really up for them (the officials) to decide. It’s not really on me,” he said.

“But I think not a lot of people are aware of the rules and aware of the changes. So there’s a loop-hole in there where if you start on the line you can jump over. I’m not stressing about that. I made the play. They called what they called.

But Wagner is talking about a different rule here. In 2017, the NFL created an anti-leaping rule to benefit player safety. The current version of that reads there should be a penalty for “running forward and leaping across the line of scrimmage in an obvious attempt to block a field goal or Try Kick, or apparent kick, unless the leaping player was in a stationary position on the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped.”

Wagner was on the line when the ball was snapped and timed his leap correctly to block the kick and not land on another player.

That’s not the same thing as what happened against the Vikings — what Wagner did was leverage himself over the line instead of straight-up leaping.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters that they spent time practicing it during the week, but Wagner wasn’t touching anyone during his practice reps.

“We practiced it all week with Bobby jumping over the guys. Never touched anybody. I don’t know what happened in the game, but that’s the way he was doing it. He was able to clear the line of scrimmage without touching anybody. That was the plan,” Carroll said.

“And very few people can do that, but he had pulled it off beautifully during the week and so that’s what the officials called. But I don’t know if there was some controversy about that.”

The Seahawks have history when it comes to jumping over the line to block field goals. Former safety Kam Chancellor jumped over the Panthers line twice during a playoff game in 2015.

Bobby Wagner also leapt over the Cardinals’ line in 2016, which angered then-Cardinals coach Bruce Arians and is what spurred the league’s rule change about leaping.

Seattle has also hosted several eventful Monday Night Football games in recent years. In 2012, the Seahawks beat the Packers on the infamous “Fail Mary” call from the replacement refs. Three years ago, the refs didn’t penalize the Seahawks for illegally batting the ball out of the end zone, preserving their win over the Lions.

This time, the officials’ screwup didn’t happen on the final play of the game, though it still mattered.

The play might not have had a big impact on the final outcome, but it did set the Seahawks up with good field position. They started their next drive at their own 37-yard line and marched right down the field in seven plays for a touchdown to go up 14-0.

Minnesota couldn’t do anything on offense until there were under two minutes left in the game, scoring its first and only touchdown. The missed call might not have propelled the Vikings to victory — they had, after all, been stood them up at the goal line on their previous possession. But the Vikings still would’ve had a first down at the Seahawks’ 14-yard line down 6-0 with 5:50 left in the fourth quarter. That’s a very different ballgame than being held scoreless and giving the ball back to Seattle.

Even with the outcome of the game, the playoff picture didn’t change. Seattle is still the fifth seed while Minnesota remains the sixth seed, but this did put a bit more pressure on the 6-6-1 Vikings to win their final three games of the season. Seattle can lock up a wild card spot next with a win over the 49ers — a team they beat 43-16 just a week ago.