What the NFL Should Have Said in its Statement on the Packers-Seahawks Game

The end to Monday night's game: an affront to the integrity of the NFL

The NFL issued a formal statement today regarding the ending of last night's Packers-Seahawks game.  Here's the statement they should have issued:

To all NFL players, coaches, and fans:

We messed up.  As anyone watching the ending of Monday night's Packers-Seahawks game can attest, Packers' defensive back M.D. Jennings intercepted the pass on the final play.  As ESPN's replay cameras showed rather clearly, Jennings gained control of the ball first.  Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate did not, nor was control gained simultaneously by both players.  As such, Seattle should not have scored a touchdown and the game should have ended with the Packers winning, 12-7.

The incorrect ruling on the field was that of a simultaneous catch, in which the offense is awarded possession and, in this case, a touchdown.  The replay official did not find conclusive evidence to overturn that ruling.  As such, the ruling on the field could not be overturned, the play stood as called, and Seattle was awarded a touchdown and the resultant victory.

If the NFL stands for anything, it is the integrity of its game.  Without that integrity, the league as we know it ceases to exist.  It's one of the biggest reasons pro football has achieved its current level of popularity.  There is no question that our regular corps of officials, while still also prone to human error (see this blown call from one of our best, Ed Hochuli), are far superior to the current crews officiating our games today.  We know that integrity will be enhanced once the regular officials are back to work.  Please know that we are doing everything in our power to do so.  At the same time, please respect the fact that this is a labor dispute and that both our position and the officials union's position has merit.  We promise that we're working to find common ground.  In the meantime, we are happy to announce that we have hired Miles Austin, a retired official with 27 years' experience, and Mike Pereira, for NFL Head of Officiating, from their jobs at ESPN and FOX, respectively, to serve as special replay booth advisers.  Either Miles or Mike will receive a live replay feed from every game from league offices in New York, and their input will be considered by the officials during every replay review.  We hope this will aid the officials on the field.  We ask you all to support them as much as you can, as they are doing their very best to act as a short-term remedy for our league.  Without the replacement officials, there would be no NFL season.

As for last night's finish, we are making an unprecedented decision: the league office is overturning the call on the field.  Citing conclusive -- if not quite indisputable -- evidence, the league office is holding the position that the ball was intercepted, and, as such, is awarding the Packers a 12-7 victory and the Seahawks a 12-7 loss.

We have no doubt that the millions of NFL fans watching replays on TV agree with us that our officiating crew made the wrong call on the field.  And we feel it is in the best interest of the integrity of the game to, above all else, get the call right.

We realize that this precedent, if abused, could be quite dangerous.  As such, the league decrees that rulings on the field may be changed or overturned outside the course of the normal review process only under the following 3 conditions:

1. That the play in question is either the last play of the game or the last play before a kneel situation to run out the clock.*
2. That the outcome of regulation (a win for either team or overtime) or, in the case of overtime, the outcome of overtime (a win for either team or a tie) be swung by the decision.
3. That a preponderance of the video evidence support the overturning of the call.  Note that the burden of proof is NOT conclusive evidence, as we believe that video replay technology is sufficiently advanced that, with sufficient angles and time to review, it is a far better means of deciding a close play than the real-time reaction of an official who may or may not have the perfect angle.

[note: The 2 sentences below were added the day after the original post and were inspired by Feedback from reader Belbogen.]

Also, the "outside-the-process" review must happen before the officials leave the field at the game.  Meaning this is the only time we'll ever reverse a ruling the day after a game goes "final."


It is our sincere hope that this is the last time the league office will have to make such a decision.  We are sure it will be met with backlash -- as difficult as it must have been for Green Bay to lose last night in the fashion it did, it must be ten times worse for the Seahawks to lose the day after.

However, we once again must base our decision in this matter on the integrity of the game.  The Packers intercepted the ball.  Everyone saw it.  The right call is an interception.  And in this case, that means reversing the outcome of the game.

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*- Kneel situation defined as any situation in which:
(1) The team with the ball is leading
(2) The time on the clock is less than 40 seconds times (the number of downs until fourth down minus the number of timeouts the trailing team has)