Did NFL officials dictate outcome of Rams Seahawks game?

Fans of the LA Rams saw in disbelief over the questionable calls made in the LA Rams season finale with the Seattle Seahawks. That game was decided in overtime and was quite a thriller on its own merits. But the game, as entertaining as it was, left a bad taste in the mouths of NFL fans.

You see, the Detroit Lions needed the Rams to defeat the Seattle Seahawks. And if you talk to NFL fans in Los Angeles, California, and in Detroit, Michigan, the Rams did that. But the Rams did not defeat the combined might of the Seattle Seahawks and the biased NFL officiating crew who called multiple penalties throughout the game, all of which more than a little suspiciously benefitted the hometown Seahawks.

In a regular season game, that type of preplanned game outcome can be swept under the rug. “Calls go both ways,” is the rationale, and for the most part, depending on the game, they do. But this was a screw job. On multiple occasions, the NFL rules were ignored completely in a game that impacted multiple NFL teams and the upcoming NFL Playoffs.

If this was just about the LA Rams, you can bet nothing would be said of the matter. But this game involved the suddenly red-hot Detroit Lions as well.

You got some ‘splaining to do

So it looks like some NFL refs got some ‘splaining to do:

The referees turned blind eyes towards the Seattle Seahawks, allowing their players to taunt the visiting LA Rams bench and players multiple times. The referees determined that an LA Rams player, who was clearly blocked and falling backward, which is addressed specifically as not a penalty in the NFL rule book, was running into the kicker.

Sure, there are the disgruntled Saints fans who have already begun to post images of the uncalled pass interference of Nickell Robey-Coleman from the NFC Championship game. But this is a different animal altogether. The controversy of that play inspired rule changes, instant replays, and booth reviews, to prevent it from happening again.

Only it didn’t.

And the blown calls actually benefited the LA Rams. As a result, the Rams’ draft position is more favorable. The blown calls screwed the Detroit Lions and their fans. In the end, the Seattle Seahawks did not defeat the LA Rams in the rematch. The Seahawks plus the Refs did. And as a result, the NFL fanbase loses.