Referee Shawn Smith Explains No-Call on Jadeveon Clowney's Hit on Carson Wentz

A referee from the Seattle Seahawks' 17-9 NFC wild-card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles explained why Jadeveon Clowney avoided a penalty for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Carson Wentz.  

"He was a runner, and he did not give himself up," NFL referee Shawn Smith said of Wentz, per the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane. "We saw incidental helmet contact, and in our judgement, we didn't rule that to be a foul."

Wentz left the game for further evaluation after the hit in the first quarter and didn't return.

Clowney told reporters after the game he didn't intend to injure Wentz.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson focused less on the hit and more on the injury:

Tight end Zach Ertz and left tackle Jason Peters commented on the tackle as well, with Peters calling it "dirty":

At the very least, Clowney likely would've been guilty of targeting if this were a college game. The circumstances of his hit on Wentz didn't differ significantly from those that earned Shaun Wade an ejection in the Fiesta Bowl.

Eagles fans felt particularly aggrieved since Derek Barnett was flagged for roughing the passer later in the game for a hit on Russell Wilson in the pocket.

Philadelphia was already without the services of numerous key players prior to Wentz's injury. Even if he had stayed in the game, the Eagles faced an uphill battle to stay alive against Seattle.

His exit all but sealed the team's fate, though, and the fact Clowney avoided a penalty highlighted the discrepancy between how a quarterback is protected inside and outside the pocket.