Global InformationFail Mary information
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| Date | September 24, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Packers by 3[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Wayne Elliott | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 68,218 | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Lisa Salters | ||||||||||||||||||
The Fail Mary,[2] also known as the Inaccurate Reception or the Intertouchdownception,[3] was a play in the National Football League (NFL) game played between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks on September 24, 2012, at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington.[4] In a nationally televised game on ESPN's Monday Night Football, the Seahawks defeated the Packers, 14–12, in controversial fashion.
On the final play of the tightly contested game, Seattle rookie quarterback Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary pass into the end zone intended for wide receiver Golden Tate.[5][6] Both Tate and Packers defender M. D. Jennings got their hands on the ball while both players were still in the air and attempting to gain possession. The two officials near the play initially gave separate signals of touchdown and touchback, before ruling the players had simultaneous possession, resulting in a Seahawks game-winning touchdown.[7] Prior to the catch, Tate shoved Packers cornerback Sam Shields with both hands, which the NFL later acknowledged should have drawn an offensive pass interference penalty that would have negated the touchdown and resulted in a Packers victory.[8] The lack of a pass interference penalty and the ruling of a touchdown via simultaneous catch were widely questioned in the aftermath of the game, drawing comments from the game's announcers, NFL players, and the media. The NFL subsequently released a statement defending the touchdown ruling, while admitting that offensive pass interference did occur, which would have resulted in a Packers win.
The controversial ending followed weeks of criticism regarding the quality of officiating by replacement officials employed by the NFL during the 2012 NFL referee lockout.[9] Two days after the game, the NFL and the NFL Referees Association announced that they had reached an agreement to end the lockout.[10][11] NFL commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged that the negative attention the game drew to the referee situation was an impetus for ending the labor dispute.
- ^ Borden, Sam (September 25, 2012). "Some Bettors Get Relief on Game Decided by Botched Call". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ "'Fail Mary' official fighting depression". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures, LLC. January 13, 2015. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ "The 'Inaccurate Reception' still haunts the Green Bay Packers". LombardiAve.com. December 13, 2012. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ "Replacement refs decide game as Seahawks top Packers on Hail Mary". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. September 25, 2012. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ Wilson: 'I gave him a shot and he came down with it'. Seahawks.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. September 24, 2012. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ Nevada Daily Mail (September 28, 2012). "Column: : NFL replacements: Train wreck or blessing in disguise?". Nevada Daily Mail. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ "Oklahoman Derrick Rhone-Dunn plays key role in Monday Night Football debacle". The Oklahoman. September 25, 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- ^ "NFL upholds Seahawks' disputed win over Packers". Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. September 25, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
{{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter|agency=ignored (help) - ^ "NFL referees agree deal with league to end lockout". Reuters. September 27, 2012. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ "NFL, referees reach agreement; refs back on field Thursday". National Football League. September 26, 2012. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- ^ "Refs due back Thursday night". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. September 27, 2012. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.