Seahawks vs. Cardinals: Replacement Referee Apologizes for Crucial Missed Call

Well, at least he admits it now.

In the Week 1 NFL matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, the game sat on a knife's edge with less than a minute to play.

With the Cardinals leading 20-16 in the dying stages, rookie third-round draft pick Russell Wilson was leading the Seahawks in a threatening last-minute drive for victory.

After a costly pass-interference call on Arizona corner Patrick Peterson turned what looked to be a fourth-down stop into a Seattle first down at the Cards' 27-yard line, the game looked poised for a dramatic conclusion.

Two plays later, a pass from Wilson fell incomplete after receiver Doug Baldwin was unable to corral it. After the play, Baldwin stayed on the ground injured. As there were less than two minutes left, the NFL rulebook dictates that this should have cost the Seahawks their third and final timeout.

So what happened next? Running back Marshawn Lynch ran the ball up the middle, and the Seahawks took a timeout with 30 seconds left.

That's right, the officials granted the Seahawks a phantom fourth timeout of the half.

After a ridiculously long conference on the field, where alternate referees even got involved, head official Bruce Hermansen stated:

"

Seattle did have a timeout to use. Their third timeout was the result of an incomplete pass, followed by an injury. The clock was not running; they were not charged with that timeout. This was their third and final timeout.

"

Almost immediately, the Fox broadcast brought on its analyst, Mike Pereira, former vice president of officiating for the NFL, to confirm that it was indeed a blown call with tremendous potential ramifications.

So what effect could the ruling have had on the game?

Well, the clock would have ticked down another 10 seconds or so while the Seahawks scrambled to the line to set up a spike. Instead, they didn't have to waste their second-down play on a spike and got to set up for the play in full.

Thankfully, the ruling had no effect on the outcome of the game, as the Cardinals were able to force Wilson into three straight incompletions and escape with the Week 1 victory.

The Cardinals released a statement on behalf of (head official) Hermansen, who sought to acknowledge his mistake after the game. Via ESPN.com:

"

It was my error. We gave them (Seattle) the additional timeout because of the incomplete pass stopping the clock before the injury occurred. When in effect, the clock has no bearing on the play at all, whether it's stopped or running, we should not have given them the additional timeout.

"

Still, the fact that these officials blew such a momentous call and came that close to influencing the result of a game is disturbing.

Here's hoping that a new deal is reached swiftly with the referees association. It's a cry that no one would have expected to hear just months ago: Bring back Ed Hochuli!

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