Controversial refereeing decisions have affected the NFL all season and Monday night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears was no different.
The Seahawks have had a difficult time of late as their record has now fallen to 4-4 on the season. Losing to the Bears was a real blow but there were some controversial decisions going against the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Mike Macdonald was keen to admit after the game that his side were beaten by the better team in all three phases of the game. However, there were a lot of fans left frustrated by some of the decisions from the officials.
However, referee Shawn Smith responded to some of the big calls straight after the game as he defended his and his team's decisions at Lumen Field.
One of the biggest controversies was the no-call on Sam Darnold as Devin Bush clattered into him as he was sliding to the ground. Darnold was clearly caught in the helmet by the linebacker, but the referees did not throw a flag on the play.
Question from Brady Henderson: On the Sam Darnold run where he was hit while scrambling, what did you see there (Seattle 3rd-and-8, Seattle 31, 4:20, first quarter)?
Smith: He was scrambling and became a runner. We didn't see any contact to his head and neck area when he hit the ground. Once he gave himself up, we didn't see that on the field.
Question: Is the defender allowed to hit him while he is sliding, even if he doesn't hit him in the head or neck area?
Smith: The defender committed and he made contact. So, the runner becomes defenceless once he starts to slide and he can't be hit in the head or neck area.
Question: Are you saying that he slid late?
Smith: No, I did not say that.
Question: When a quarterback is sliding, isn't he typically protected?
Smith: He is protected from getting hit in the head or neck area, or getting hit late.
The footage from the broadcast clearly showed Bush throwing himself into the tackle with Darnold's helmet rocking back as his grasp on the ball gave up. This type of hit is frequently penalised in the NFL on a weekly basis.
However, the precedent had been set very early on in the game by the officials which certainly did not go down well with the home fans in the Pacific Northwest.
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