NFL will address Packers-Seahawks controversy
The league will have to explain whether referees were correct in awarding Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate with a game-winning touchdown. The touchdown was originally justified under the NFL's Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 5, which reads:
“If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control.”
If you haven’t seen the play, Seattle’s Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary pass as time was expiring, with the Seahawks trailing by five points. Several Packers defenders went up for the ball in addition to Tate.
Two referees who were close to the play signaled different calls: One ruled that Tate had caught a touchdown. The other simultaneously indicated that Green Bay defender M.D. Jennings had caught the ball, thus resulting in a touchback.
After review, the play was ruled a touchdown, and Seattle won the game.
For more news, notes and analysis from around football, check out SB Nation’s NFL news hub.
