Report: Multiple Coaches, Execs Unhappy With Seahawks-Rams Officiating; Want Changes

Many across the NFL were reportedly unhappy with the officiating in last weekend's game between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, which resulted in Seattle earning a playoff berth.

The Seahawks pulled off a 19-16 overtime win, which catapulted Seattle into the playoffs with the help of the Detroit Lions' 20-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, multiple NFL executives and coaches felt calls favored Seattle in the game and ultimately cost Detroit a chance to make the playoffs.

As a result, there is a desire within the NFL for the league to improve its process of "screening, hiring and training" its officials.

Schefter noted that even the NFL's competition committee was "frustrated" by the way the Seahawks vs. Rams game was officiated, and one league source called it "the worst-officiated game of the year."

Regarding Seattle's victory knocking Detroit out of playoff contention, another source told Schefter: "The Lions should be livid. It was an awful way for them to end their season."

The Week 18 meeting between Seattle and L.A. featured many questionable calls and non-calls, including one on the Seahawks' second-to-last drive of regulation, which ended with a game-tying field goal.

After the Rams seemingly forced a three-and-out, defensive end Jonah Williams was called for running into Seahawks punter Michael Dickson.

Williams was pushed into Dickson by a Seahawks player, which should have negated the contact he made, but the penalty kept Seattle's drive alive, and they went on to tie the game with 2:19 remaining.

In overtime, Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs intercepted Rams quarterback Baker Mayfield and gestured toward Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner on the sidelines as he ran out of bounds.

That would typically be called taunting and knocked the Seahawks back 15 yards, but no penalty was assessed. The Seahawks took advantage of the non-call, as they drove into Rams territory and won the game on a 32-yard field goal by Jason Myers.

As noted by Schefter, there were several other questionable decisions made in the game by the officiating crew as well, which played a role in the reported negative reaction by executives and coaches.

Despite technically having nothing to play for because of Seattle's win, the Lions upset the Packers, knocking them out of playoff contention and punching the Seahawks' ticket to the postseason.

Seattle secured the No. 7 seed in the NFC, and it will kick off the 2022-23 NFL playoff slate Saturday when it faces the second-seeded San Francisco 49ers on the road at 4:30 p.m. ET.