49ers coach Kyle Shanahan gives blunt response on whether NFL apologizes to team after it misses key muffs
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan admits that NFL didn’t offer any apologies after the wrong call amid the Seattle Seahawks game on Thursday.
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Kyle Shanahan broke silence on wrong referee call amid Seattle Seahawks game (Image via Imago/NY Post)
The Seattle Seahawks avoided a potential turnover in their Thursday night loss against the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field. The 49ers won the game 36-24 and claimed the top spot in the NFC East.
In the fourth quarter, Seahawks cornerback Dee Williams attempted to field a punt from the 49ers. Initially, it looked as though the ball grazed Williams’ finger before bouncing into the air and seemingly being recovered by the 49ers. However, the NFL officials ruled that the ball was downed and had not touched Williams. San Francisco challenged the call, but the ruling was upheld, giving rise to speculations.
Nevertheless, The Prime Video replay did seem to show the ball glancing off Williams’ finger, yet there was a quandary. The NFL Command Centre, devoid of the best angle, failed to identify the same. The league admitted the mistake almost immediately.
Speaking on the latest controversy, San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan responded to a question about whether the league has issued any apologies.
No. You don’t get any apologies, but apologies aren’t that big of a deal. Once it happens, you’ve got to move on with your life. Apologies don’t make it better. I’m just glad that it all worked out and just move on.
Kyle Shanahan said
The San Francisco 49ers braved the incorrect referee call and cruised to a victory through a cutesy 6-yard in the end. Neither Shanahan nor the fans would have sung the same tune if it wasn’t for a win. In an almost must-win game, an incorrect decision by the referees goes a long way. The Seahawks reclaimed the ball while it was rightfully of the 49ers.
NFL dumps 49ers-Seahawks wrong call on non-availability of the feed
Post the game, Kyle Shanahan duly noted that he expected that there would be multiple angles while explaining the decision to call the challenge. Mark Butterworth, the NFL’s Vice President of Replay Training and Development, explained after the match that the replay office only caught sight of the decisive angle at the same time the audience saw it.
Butterworth said that this coincided with the same moment that the referee Craig Wolstad proclaimed the decision to stand. He attributed the mistake to the non-availability of the feed and the broadcaster for not sending the enhanced shot.
We went through all available angles, and we get the raw feed from the truck. And there was not clear and obvious video evidence that the returner touched the ball… Once Craig made his announcement and they came back from TV, the network had an enhanced shot that they did not send at all until after they played his announcement.
Mark Butterworth said
The NFL’s dependence on broadcast networks for crucial replays raises concerns, considering that key angles are missed. For example, NBC’s camera caught a crucial out-of-bounds play in Week 1 that changed the game’s result.
The result might have not been different if it was a less prominent game during which typically fewer cameras had been present. The league has long been urged to install its static cameras to cover the entire field, but an unwillingness to spend takes priority.
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Mohammed Bazim
(425 Articles Published)