Fail Mary
A disputed Hail Mary touchdown that ended a replacement-officiated game.
The Fail Mary, also known as the Inaccurate Reception, was the final play of a Monday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks on September 24, 2012, at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. The Seahawks defeated the Packers 14–12 on a controversial Hail Mary touchdown catch by Golden Tate, ruled a simultaneous possession with Packers defender M. D. Jennings. The play drew immediate criticism from announcers, players, and media, and became a flashpoint in the ongoing NFL referee lockout, with the league later acknowledging a missed offensive pass interference penalty that would have given the Packers the win.
Quick Facts
- Visitor
- Green Bay Packers
- Visitor coach
- Mike McCarthy
- Visitor record
- 1–1
- Home
- Seattle Seahawks
- Home coach
- Pete Carroll
- Visitor total
- 12
- Home total
- 14
- Date
- September 24, 2012
Facts from the source article.
Background
The Green Bay Packers started the 2012 season 1–1 after an opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers and a Week 2 victory against the Chicago Bears. The Seattle Seahawks also started 1–1, losing in Week 1 to the Arizona Cardinals before beating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Prior to the season, the NFL Referees Association and the NFL had a labor dispute. After negotiations failed for a new collective bargaining agreement, the NFL locked out the referees and began hiring replacement officials, primarily from lower college divisions or high schools. Through the first few weeks of the season, officiating controversies occurred during various games, leading many analysts and players to complain about the poor quality of the officiating.
Game summary
The Seahawks scored first on a five-play, 58-yard drive capped by a 41-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Golden Tate, taking a 7–0 lead into halftime. The Packers opened the second half with two field goals, cutting the lead to 7–6. After a Seahawks three-and-out, Green Bay drove 82 yards in 16 plays, converting four third downs, and scored on a one-yard Cedric Benson run. A failed two-point conversion left the Packers ahead 12–7. The Seahawks drove to the seven-yard line but were stopped on fourth down for a turnover on downs. On the Packers' next play, Benson fumbled, recovered by the Packers for a five-yard loss. Green Bay ran two more running plays, forcing Seattle to use all its timeouts and bringing the game clock down to 57 seconds. The Packers punted and the Seahawks began their drive at midfield. Wilson threw five consecutive deep passes, connecting on one for 22 yards to get the Seahawks to the 24-yard line. With eight seconds left, facing fourth-and-10, Wilson threw a Hail Mary into the end zone. Packers safety M. D. Jennings and Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate each got their hands on the ball. Side judge Lance Easley signaled touchdown; back judge Derrick Rhone-Dunn waved his arms to signal stoppage of the clock. The ruling on the field was a touchdown, with Tate and Jennings maintaining simultaneous possession. Replay official Howard Slavin initiated a video review; referee Wayne Elliott determined there was not adequate evidence to overturn the call, so the ruling stood as a touchdown.
Aftermath
The NFL released a statement defending the touchdown ruling while conceding that offensive pass interference did occur, which would have resulted in a Packers win. Prior to the catch, Tate shoved Packers cornerback Sam Shields with both hands, which the NFL later acknowledged should have drawn an offensive pass interference penalty that would have negated the touchdown. The lack of a pass interference penalty and the ruling of a touchdown via simultaneous catch were widely questioned in the aftermath of the game, drawing comments from the game's announcers, NFL players, and the media. Two days after the game, the NFL and the NFL Referees Association announced they had reached an agreement to end the lockout. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged that the negative attention the game drew to the referee situation was an impetus for ending the labor dispute.
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