The NFL admits, they screwed up the ending of the Lions/Seahawks Monday night game that would have given Detroit another chance to take the lead.
After Kam Chancellor knocked the ball out of the hands of Calvin Johnson just inches away from the goal line the ball bounced out of the back of the end zone resulting in a touchback for the Seahawks and the game.
However what was missed was Seahawks linebacker KJ Wright batting the ball out of the end zone which if intentional would have penalized the Seahawks half the distance to the goal from where Johnson last possessed the ball resulting in a first and ten for the Lions at the half yard line.
And after ESPN, Trent Dilfer and Steve Young pointed out the mistake at the conclusion of the game, the NFL’s head of officiating Dean Blandino went on the NFL Network to admit the officials got this one wrong.
“You can’t bat the ball in any direction in the end zone — either end zone — so K.J. Wright batted the football, that is a foul for an illegal bat,” Blandino said. “The back judge was on the play and, in his judgment, he didn’t feel it was an overt act. So he didn’t throw the flag. Looking at the replays, it did look like a bat.”
NFL VP of Officiating Dean Blandino comments on the Lions-Seahawks ending. http://t.co/BO90lIlUl8
— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2015
If you want to add any further insult to injury for Lions fans, here’s the official rule from the NFL:
SECTION 4 ILLEGAL BATS AND KICKS
ARTICLE 1. ILLEGAL BAT. It is an illegal bat if:
(a) any player bats or punches a loose ball in the field of play toward his opponent’s goal line
(b) any player bats or punches a loose ball (that has touched the ground) in any direction, if it is in either end zone
(c) an offensive player bats a backward pass in flight toward his opponent’s goal line
[…]
Penalty: For illegal batting or punching the ball: Loss of 10 yards.
Judgement probably had nothing to do with this call though. What seems pretty self evident is no one knew the rule. Not the refs, Wright, Seahawks or Lions. If the refs knew the rule the penalty would have been called and the Lions probably score to take the lead. If Wright knew the rule he probably doesn’t bat it out of the end zone and instead covers it up for the touchback.
The conclusion is so typical Lions though.