NEW YORK, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- The National Football League admitted Monday that game officials had botched a call at the end of Sunday's wild card playoff game between San Francisco and the New York Giants, thus costing the Giants a chance to win the game.
The Giants, having lost a 24-point lead and trailing by one point, attempted a 41-yard field goal with six seconds remaining. But the snap was bad and holder Matt Allen wound up throwing a desperation pass that headed in the direction of New York guard Rich Seubert.
Just before the ball arrived, however, Seubert was hit by San Francisco defensive end Chike Okeafor in what appeared to be obvious pass interference.
No flag was thrown for interference. Instead, the Giants were flagged for having an ineligible receiver downfield, thus ending the game. If interference had been called, there would have been offsetting penalties and the Giants would have had a second chance to kick the field goal.
Commentators on radio and television indicated that because Seubert was an ineligible receiver, no interference could be called. The league said Monday, however, that Seubert was, indeed, an eligible receiver.
"The New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers were informed today that
a defensive pass interference penalty should have been called on the final
play of Sunday's game," the league said in a statement.
"A videotape review by NFL Director of Officiating Mike Pereira of
the final play -- the Giants' 41-yard field goal attempt with six seconds
remaining -- determined the following:
"Tam Hopkins of the Giants lined up as the left guard and was illegally downfield on the pass attempt. The three flags thrown on this play were for this penalty.
"Guard Rich Seubert was an eligible receiver on Giants field goal attempts. This was reported to the officiating crew prior to the game as is routinely done prior to every game.
"49ers defensive end Chike Okeafor interfered with Seubert downfield when he was attempting to catch Giants holder Matt Allen's pass. This defensive pass interference penalty against the 49ers was not called.
"If defensive pass interference had been called, there would have been offsetting penalties (ineligible receiver against the Giants and pass interference against the 49ers) with the down replayed at the original line of scrimmage, the San Francisco 23-yard line.
"Although time had expired, a game cannot end with offsetting penalties. Thus, the game would have been extended by one untimed down."
The league also said that Allen did not have the option of spiking the ball to stop the clock once he fielded the poor snap.
"That only can be done by taking a hand-to-hand snap directly from the center," the league said. "If Allen had spiked the ball, it would have been a penalty for intentionally grounding the ball and the game would have ended due to a 10-second runoff of the clock."
