ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Seattle Seahawks aren’t anticipating any apologies from the NFL this week, even though the team might feel one is necessary.
For the second time in three road games, the Seahawks were left muttering about what they believed to be an assortment of blown calls, oversights and mistakes by an officiating crew. The calls played a part in Seattle’s 27-22 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.
“It’s very frustrating,” Seahawks safety Damien Robinson said. “We feel like we had an opportunity to win. And to play a game against the players and the refs is tough.”
Three weeks ago, the team received an apology from the NFL after an officiating error played a crucial role in the Seahawks’ 44-41 loss at Baltimore. On Sunday, the controversial calls were nearly as devastating.
Among the disputed plays were:
None of the plays would have assured a Seattle victory, nor were they all certain to be mistakes. But the Seahawks said one or two of the calls could have been the difference between a surprising win and another disappointing road defeat.
“When you’re on the road, you’ve got to expect for things not to go your way,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to beat the team and the refs when you’re on the road.”
The Engram play was the most obvious because of its place – both in terms of field position and game situation. On a long pass in the final minute, he slipped in between two St. Louis defenders on a post pattern and looked like he might have a chance at Hasselbeck’s pass until Steed tripped and fell at his feet. Engram got tangled up with Steed, causing him to tumble to the turf as the ball fell into and out of the arms of Rams linebacker Tommy Polley.
“I felt good about at least having a chance to make that play,” Engram said. “I don’t really know if I would have made it, but at least I would have had an attempt to make it. I understand that he’s trying to do his job, but you hope it wouldn’t come down to a situation like that.”
Steed said his feet got tangled up, causing him to get in Engram’s way.
“As I returned to retreat – or to get deeper, as I should say – my feet got caught up, and I went down to the ground,” he told a pool reporter at the game.
Referee Walt Coleman said that Steed’s mistake was a circumstance that could not alter the resolution of the play.
“We are just part of the field, and unfortunately if we get in the way, we just get in the way,” Coleman said. “We try not to, but if we do, it is just part of what happens.”
While Hasselbeck ran down the field to protest, Rams defensive lineman Grant Wistrom bowled him over from behind. The collision was so fierce that trainers had to attend to Hasselbeck for a few seconds while Seahawks offensive lineman Chris Terry got into a fracas with Wistrom.
No penalty was called on the play, which might have been because the hit happened so far behind the action that none of the officials saw it.
“It was a late hit,” Terry said. “(Hasselbeck) was just going down the field, not doing anything, and (Wistrom) hit him out of nowhere.
“We got penalized all night. Then a guy comes out of nowhere and nails the quarterback after the play. You wonder, where is the call?”
Wistrom contends that he did not see Hasselbeck, that the pair ran into each other while chasing the play, and that the quarterback took a dive.
“He really launched himself into me more than anything,” Wistrom said. “I don’t think he was hurt all that bad. I think he was trying to draw a 15-yard penalty, doing a bit of acting out there.”
Later, as he left the locker room, Wistrom showed a bit more remorse.
“I hope he isn’t hurt,” the veteran defensive lineman said. “I didn’t mean any harm. And I hope the (NFL) people reviewing tapes see the same thing. I don’t want to get fined.”
A more subtle play of contention came on Marshall Faulk’s 6-yard reception on third-and-4 conversion, which Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said should have been called back because of a clip on linebacker Chad Brown. Robinson went one step further when recalling the key play on the Rams’ final drive.
“First of all, (right tackle Kyle) Turley moved,” the veteran safety said. “Then after that, they clipped Chad. And I got held. There were a lot of calls, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Jackson’s 15-yard penalty in the first half drew the ire of Holmgren, who berated two officials during the television timeout.
“I thought the call was wrong,” Holmgren said afterward. “Now (Monday) if I am wrong, I will phone up the officials I talked to and apologize.”
Maybe after watching tape of the game, Holmgren will indeed make a phone call to say he is sorry. But a similar call from the NFL won’t be necessary.
“We’ve had a couple apologies already,” offensive lineman Robbie Tobeck harrumphed, unwilling to accept another show of remorse.
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