NFL says Ed Hochuli should not have called roughing the passer

The Seattle Seahawks received a gift against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday when Niners linebacker Nick Moody was called for a crucial roughing the passer penalty. We know this because even the NFL has admitted to it.

On Monday morning, NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said referee Ed Hochuli got the call wrong.

“In looking at it, it was not (the correct call),” Blandino said on NFL Network’s NFL AM. “The rule protects a passer from two types of hits: Hits to the head or neck, or hits with the crown or forehead, which is just below the crown part of the helmet, and that’s what the referee called. It’s close, but when you look at it on tape, (49ers linebacker Nick) Moody’s head is up, he hits with more of the side and the facemask to the body of the quarterback, and in our review, with the ability to look at it in slow motion, it’s not a foul.”

The call gave the Seahawks a first down on 3rd-and-5. Had Hochuli not thrown the flag, Seattle would have had to settle for a field goal and gone up 13-7. They went on to score a touchdown and take a two-score lead.

You can watch a video of the controversial play here.

Hochuli stuck by the call after the game, but Blandino said he should not have thrown a flag from where he was standing.

“Certainly, if he doesn’t see the whole action, we don’t want him to throw the flag,” he said. “Ed was getting into position and he saw him, or what he thought he saw ducking the head and making the contact, so he wouldn’t throw the flag if he didn’t see it, but it obviously happens quick, it’s full-speed, and he doesn’t have the benefit of the slow motion replays that we all do after the fact.”

Bad call or no bad call, Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers once again failed to move the ball against the Seahawks. With the way both teams were playing, we doubt the Niners would have pulled out a win even if Hochuli kept the flag in his pocket.