The Packers Were Robbed on Monday Night Football, and Seahawks Fans Should Never, Ever Complain About Super Bowl XL Again

Seattle Seahawks fans always talk about Super Bowl XL with contempt because they maintain to this very day that their team was robbed of a championship. Things on their hit-list from that day: The offensive pass interference call on Darrell Jackson for pushing off during a touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck; the Ben Roethlisberger touchdown that was called, but should have been reversed, even though there wasn't any conclusive evidence to do so; and of course, the holding penalty early in the 4th quarter that shouldn't have been called because it wiped out a 1st and goal situation for Seattle. Seahawks fans have always been pretty adamant that all three of these calls should have gone in their team's favor even though you can make a case for all three going in the Steelers' favor, which of course, they did.

Well, I don't know if it'll make up for Super Bowl XL, but last night, on Monday Night Football, the Seattle Seahawks were the benefactors of maybe the most obvious blown off in the history of the NFL, when Golden Tate was credited with a last-second, game-winning touchdown catch on a Hail Mary pass from Seattle qb Russell Wilson in a 14-12 victory over the Green Bay Packers. 

Tate was credited with the touchdown for having simultaneous possession of the football with Packers defensive back M.D. Jennings, but it clearly looks as if Jennings has full control of the football and an interception, while Tate just appears to reach over and grab the ball after Jennings had already established possession.

One official signals a touchdown, while the other appears to be getting ready to signal a touchback. It is finally ruled a touchdown on the field. The play is reviewed, as all scoring plays are these days, and even though the replay officials cannot make the call for the referee, it's pretty obvious on tape, and it's just a matter of the ref simply correcting the mistake and the Packers win the game.

Not so fast.

For reasons only known to him, the referee concludes that the "simultaneous possession goes to the offensive receiver rule" is in play and doesn't change the call.

Wow!

It's fair to point out that these were replacement officials, and that's an element that you cannot ignore. But replacement officials or not, everyone has eyes, and it clearly wasn't simultaneous possession.

These might be replacement officials, but these games still count in the standings, and this could forever alter Green Bay's season.

Last week, in this article on Behind the Steel Curtain, I predicted that the replacement officials would screw up the end of a game with one of their blown calls. I just didn't think that it would happen in such an obvious way, and that the Seattle Seahawks would so greatly benefit.

 Seahawks fans need to be very quiet now.