Although the vast majority of fans and members of the media agree that the officials botched the Seahawks’ game-winning Hail Mary touchdown on the final play of Monday night’s controversial 14-12 win over the Packers, the man who was awarded the touchdown insists that he did, in fact, catch the ball.
Seahawks receiver Golden Tate said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he caught the pass in the end zone at the same time as Packers defensive back M.D. Jennings, and the officials ruled the play correctly by giving simultaneous possession to the offense.
“Yes, I did,” Tate said. “I know I had the ball in my hands the entire -- from the moment that it was catchable. I had my hands on the ball, just fought for it and tried to come down with it.”
Tate said he was as confused as anyone when the two officials on top of the play initially signaled two different things -- one official signaled touchdown, while the other signaled timeout without clarifying who caught the ball.
“I didn’t know what they called, I just know that I had the ball in my hands and at the bottom of the pile I was just fighting to maintain that,” Tate said.
While Tate is celebrating, Green Bay players are furious. Packers receiver Greg Jennings said after the game that he’d like Tate to take a lie detector test. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers pronounced the ending “awful.” And several Packers have taken to Twitter for a series of profane messages about the NFL and the replacement officials.
Tate may “know” he had the ball. And the officials may think he had it. Almost everyone else thinks the Packers got screwed.