Replacement ref Lance Easley stands by Packers-Seahawks Hail Mary call

Lance Easley may go down as one of the most infamous NFL officials of all time, and he only officiated a few regular-season games. As you probably know, Easley is the referee who ruled that Packers cornerback M.D. Jennings and Seahawks receiver Golden Tate had simultaneous possession on this Hail Mary play that gave Seattle a win over Green Bay. The replay appeared to show Easley made the wrong call.

While the two players may have eventually shared possession of the ball, that appeared to happen when Tate clearly wrestled his arms into the mix after Jennings had already established possession. Easley didn’t see it that way then and he doesn’t see it that way now.

“Yes,” Easley said on TODAY when asked if he believes it was the right call. “Until they change the rule, I can’t do anything about the call.”

Easley added that he wishes the players would have batted the ball down instead so the situation could have been avoided, but he believes he made the right call based on the rules. Most would argue that the blown call resulted in the end of the referee lockout, but Easley believes that would have happened following week three regardless.

“I think (the lockout) was pretty much resolved before that issue,” he explained. “It kind of was an exclamation point on the whole deal. The controversy (was) on a play that’s never happened in the history of the NFL. You can go back to the archives. You will not find that play.”

Easley, who never seemed all that fazed by the call and was out partying that night, has clearly made peace with the situation. He is not the only one who thinks the call was the right one, but he’s certainly a part of the minority. If he can successfully convince himself that the Green Bay-Seattle game was well-officiated, more power to him.