SEATTLE — In a bizarre ending that capped a tough weekend for replacement officials, the Seattle Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers 14-12 on Monday night.
Russell Wilson threw a disputed 24-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate on the final play of the game, a game that finally ended 10 minutes later when both teams were brought back on the field for the extra point.
Wilson scrambled from the pocket and threw to the corner of the end zone as the clock expired. Tate shoved Green Bay’s Sam Shields out of the way, then wrestled with M.D. Jennings for possession. It was ruled on the field as a touchdown and after a lengthy review, referee Wayne Elliott came out from under the hood and announced “the ruling on the field stands” and CenturyLink Field erupted in celebration.
It was 10 minutes before the teams were brought back for the extra point.
The final decision is only going to fuel debate about the replacement officials coming off a weekend filled with disputed calls.
“Don’t ask me a question about the officials,” Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said. “I’ve never seen anything like that in all my years in football.
“I know it’s been a wild weekend in the NFL and I guess we’re part of it now.”
And the last game of the weekend will debated more than any other.
Seattle (2-1) won its second straight, while Green Bay (1-2) and saw its streak of wins in six straight road openers snapped.
Wilson’s heave came at the end of a final frantic drive after Seattle had previously missed on a fourth-down attempt from the Green Bay 7 with 2 minutes left. The turnover on downs appeared to end Seattle’s hopes and cap an impressive second-half comeback by the Packers and Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked eight times — all in the first half.
Green Bay averted disaster when John Kuhn fumbled on the Packers first play following the change of possession but center Jeff Saturday recovered. The Seahawks held and forced Green Bay to punt from the 4 with 57 seconds left. The 41-yard punt set Seattle up at the Green Bay 46 with 46 seconds remaining.
Wilson hit Sidney Rice for 22 yards on a slant then went for Tate in the end zone but the ball was batted away with 18 seconds left. He threw over the head of Evan Moore on second down leaving 12 seconds remaining and missed Tate again at the 5.
Wilson took the final snap with 8 seconds remaining. He appeared to be looking for Rice on the right side of the end zone, but rolled left and threw for Tate, who was in a crowd of three Packers defenders. His shove of Shields was obvious and it was never clear who had possession between Tate and Jennings.
Seattle instantly celebrated while the Packers argued with anyone in a striped shirt. Both teams were eventually shoved to the sidelines as Tate stomped through the end zone in celebration. Following the review, Elliott’s announcement sent the stadium into delirium and even more confusion ensued until the teams finally returned to the field for the extra point.
“From what I understood from the officials it was a simultaneous catch. Tie goes to the runner. Good call,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.
Rodgers had quite a different opinion.
“It was awful. Just look at the replay. And then the fact that it was reviewed, it was awful,” he said. “That’s all I’m going to say about it.
“We shouldn’t have been in that position.
It was Tate’s second touchdown of the game after catching a 41-yard TD in the second quarter to give Seattle a 7-0 lead. He finished with three catches for 68 yards, while Wilson was 10 of 21 for 130 yards.
Green Bay shook off a disastrous first half where Rodgers was sacked eight times and completely controlled possession in the final 30 minutes. Green Bay ran 41 offensive plays in the second half, got field goals of 29 and 40 yards from Mason Crosby and Cedric Benson’s 1-yard TD run with 8:44 left to take a 12-7 lead.
Others spoke their mind by tweeting.
Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman tweeted “These games are a joke,” while NBA MVP LeBron James tweeted “I simply just LOVE the NFL to much to see these mistakes. I’m sick like I just played for the Packers.”
Around the league
• LIONS MUM ON QB STAFFORD’S LEG: The Matthew Stafford health watch has begun anew, an unpleasantly familiar move for the Detroit Lions.
Stafford left late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 44-41 overtime loss at Tennessee with a strained muscle in his right leg, and although Shaun Hill played well in a relief role, the last thing the Lions want is a return to the days when their franchise quarterback wasn’t able to stay healthy. Stafford was banged up as a rookie in 2009 and played only 10 games, and he was limited to three the following season because of problems with his throwing shoulder.
• JETS’ REVIS HAS TORN ACL, WILL LIKELY MISS SEASON: The NFL’s top shutdown cornerback will likely be shut down for the season.
Darrelle Revis has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that will require surgery, a huge blow for the New York Jets that leaves coach Rex Ryan without his best defensive player.
A somber Ryan stopped short of ruling Revis out for the season on Monday, saying he just learned of the MRI results. But Revis will have to wait two or three weeks before surgery, Ryan said, and the recovery from an ACL tear is usually six-to-nine months. So the chances of Revis returning this season appear extremely slim.
The 27-year-old Revis was injured in the third quarter of the Jets’ 23-20 overtime victory at Miami on Sunday, falling awkwardly and grabbing his knee even before he hit the grass.
• COACHES FOX, DEL RIO FINED FOR ABUSING OFFICIALS: Denver Broncos head coach John Fox has been fined $30,000 and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has been docked $25,000 for verbal abuse of the replacement officials.
They were fined for their actions in last Monday night’s loss in Atlanta.
NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson says he is reviewing incidents from Sunday night’s New England-Baltimore game involving Patriots coach Bill Belichick and the Ravens’ John Harbaugh. Anderson also is looking at actions by Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in their loss to Cincinnati.
• NFL SEEKING TO BLOCK VILMA’S REQUEST FOR EVIDENCE: The NFL has asked a federal judge to block Jonathan Vilma from demanding evidence in the league’s bounty probe related to the Saints linebacker’s defamation lawsuit against Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The league says Vilma’s lawyer, Peter Ginsburg, has this month subpoenaed the NFL, Goodell, NFL investigator Joe Hummel, former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and former Saints defensive assistant Mike Cerullo.
Ginsberg has demanded documents and sought to schedule depositions, including a deposition of Goodell on Oct. 23.
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