Why Darnell Mooney’s TD was shockingly taken off the board against the Seahawks

Week 14 was not very kind to Atlanta Falconswho were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 37-9 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. While the loss was indeed frustrating, one play that really left the team and fans shaking their heads was Darnell MooneyTouchdown is disallowed.

It all happened late in the second quarter with the score tied 3-3, and Atlanta was driving near Seattle’s 25-yard line on 3rd-and-5. Quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​sent a deep pass down the left sideline, and Mooney appeared to make a game-changing move in the end zone. However, officials ruled the play incomplete.

To clear up the confusion, Chief Justice Alex Kemp provided an explanation after the game during an interview with Athletic Falcons reporter Josh Kendall.

“We determined that he didn’t re-establish himself in bounds, that he got out on his own,” Kemp said. “He wasn’t forced out.”

Kemp explained that Mooney had to establish himself with both legs. Mooney did, but here’s why the play is still rated incomplete.

“If he had (reestablished himself in the game) and he would have touched first, it would have been a foul for illegal touching on the pass,” Kemp said. “The penalty on that would have been exactly the same as an incomplete pass. It’s a loss on the previous spot. If we had ruled what we ruled or otherwise, the result of the game would have been exactly the same.”

Atlanta coach Rahim Morris expressed frustration and called for a review of the play, hoping for potential defensive penalties such as pass interference or illegal contact. That said, Kemp confirmed that any challenge would only review whether Mooney was out of bounds, meaning the outcome would remain unchanged.

Instead of converting a potential touchdown, the Falcons settled for a 43-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez for a three-point halftime lead. The Seahawks immediately matched with a 48-yard field goal, sending the teams into the locker room tied 6-6.

An overturned result, however, would not change the final outcome; it was just another disappointment in a season full of disappointments.

Atlanta’s offense was 1-for-13 on third downs, and Kirk Cousins ​​threw two interceptions while completing 15 of 20 passes for 162 yards. The team allowed a season-high 37 points, including a 100-yard punt return against Seattle.

The loss dropped the Falcons to 4-9 and eliminated them from the playoffs, extending their postseason drought to eight seasons. They will next take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a short week on Thursday Night Football.