Monday Night Football between the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions came to a controversial end last night after Kam Chancellor punched the ball loose from Lions WR Calvin Johnson as he stretched the ball out towards the end zone.
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It was an ugly performance by the home team, filled with offensive mistakes and two fourth-quarter fumbles by Wilson, the second returned 27 yards for a touchdown by Caraun Reid to pull Detroit to 13-10.
With less than two minutes to go, Seattle’s Kam Chancellor knocked the ball out of Johnson’s hands inches from the goal line. Or, as NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino said in a statement following the game, Corrente’s crew-led by back judge Gregory Wilson, who had his eyes right on the play and was in flawless view the whole time-didn’t believe Wright’s intent was to violate the rule. But Wright should have been called for an illegal bat for hitting the ball out of the end zone. “That is a foul”.
But, as is the case with Monday night games in Seattle and specifically that end zone, officiating controversy followed.
“What can you do?” said Detroit Coach Jim Calwell, whose team dropped to 0-4. Game defining moment’s should always be revuable, in fact, why doesn’t the National Football League just toss out the can’t revue this or that play and make every play revuable? The officials in the top tier get to work playoff games; the others don’t, with officials in the lowest-performing third tier subject to “enhanced training” and “a focus on them and their development”, Blandino said per ESPN.
“I want to catch passes”, White said. “I don’t anticipate the doctors have to look at him, that kind of thing, but it is pretty significant”.
Baby steps: The Lions’ much maligned offensive line did not allow a sack Monday for the first time this year, and Caldwell said he group took a step forward with its improved play today. “The protection; we didn’t run the ball as well as we wanted tonight and we obviously had trouble protecting”, Carroll said. The bad news continues to mount for Detroit – Caldwell said defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker is out for the season with a dislocated ankle and broken leg. Wright got in on the action and swatted the ball out the back of the endzone to make sure the touchback was secure.
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“In general, the ball had to be batted backwards, if you’re doing it intentionally, and it doesn’t matter where you’re doing it on the field”. Russell Wilson’s 24-yard hookup with Doug Baldwin in the second quarter was the first score of the game. Win that game as they rightfully should have and they’re 1-3 but just one game back of second place Minnesota. With the Chicago Bears having pulled off a somewhat surprising victory in Jay Cutler’s return, the Lions are now the only winless team left, and are of course projected based on current standings to have the number one overall draft pick. And we just keep coming back for more.
