Seahawks jobbed by poor officiating in first half of Cardinals game Week 12

The Seattle Seahawks need all the breaks they can get. They began the season 3-0 and then went on a skid before coming back from the bye week and getting a surprising victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Still, the NFC West is such a bunched-up mess that every team needs all the opportunities it can get.

This includes an Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray fumble on an attempted pass where Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams hit his arm and caused the ball to come out. The ball rolled on the ground until Seattle picked it up and ran it into the end zone. On the field, the play was not blown dead, and Seattle got the touchdown. Then there was a review.

The key is that the play was not called incomplete on the field. Murray did begin his motion to throw the ball but certainly had not gone full motion to throw. Williams stopped that. The ball does not come out unless Williams hits Murray's arm. 40 years ago, the NFL would have ruled the play a fumble. In 2024, the league wants to protect the offense.

Seahawks get robbed by the officials in first half versus the Cardinals in Week 12

Is it fair? No. But just like the old sexist saying, "chicks dig the long ball" in baseball, we know the NFL loves its points. Only not defensive points but offenses scoring points. If Murray and the Cardinals did not score, it did not count. Literally.

The play was not a clear incompletion so the ruling on the field should have stood, right? To be fair, if one was a Cardinals fan, if they truly exist, they might argue Murray was in his throwing motion. But he never reached the peak of his point of throwing and he could have lost the ball on his own. If he had, it would have been a fumble. Instead, Williams hit his hand and the officials ended up jobbing the Seahawks.

The first half was a defensive struggle. There is a good chance that bad overturn of a non-call changes the game for Seattle. Let's hope not.

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