The Seahawks were up 10-7 on the Giants in the second half of Sunday’s game when Eli Manning lost a fumble to give them the ball on the Giants’ 38-yard-line.
It would be 17-7 Seahawks after one play, but sorting out exactly what happened on that play took some time. Russell Wilson ran a flea flicker and threw the ball to Paul Richardson, who went up to get it with Giants safety Landon Collins in close pursuit. The two men wrestled for the ball on the way down before officials ruled it was a touchdown for Seattle. The call stood after a review that found the two players had simultaneous possession of the ball and ties go to the offense.
Collins was not thrilled with that interpretation.
“It was an interception,” Collins said, via the New York Post. “I came down with the ball. … Once I rolled over, he’s trying to fight back into position for it. Once that happened, he had no possession of the ball anymore. It’s crazy.”
In a pool report, referee Tony Corrente explained why Collins didn’t get his way.
“The receiver went into the air, had control of the ball, lost control, re-grasped the ball and at the same time he did, the defender grabbed the ball, also,” Corrente said. “They went to the ground simultaneously with the football. Then they started a little wrestling match. It’s over now. That catch is established because if the defender was to pull the ball out of his hands now, it’s still a catch because the defender has a second action. So at that point when they were on the ground together, and they’re tussling to begin with, the catch is over, that’s the touchdown. Now, after that is when he rolled over and we don’t have any clear view of, quote unquote, anything happening after that. So that’s where it stands.”
The Seahawks would add another touchdown for a 24-7 win and the Giants added another frustrating moment to a season overflowing with them.