The Bizarre Seahawks Penalty That Wasn't, Explained

The penalty-that-wasn't took place in the early moments of the game and, according to Sports Illustrated, apparently wasn't noticed until a Twitter user pointed it out. Specifically, early in the first quarter — with just a few seconds having been ticked off of the clock — Raiders' quarterback Derek Carr threw his first pass of the day, only to have it caught not by his intended receiver but by Seattle safety Quandre Diggs, who intercepted it and then returned it for a few yards.

Seahawks linebacker Darrell Taylor (#52, above) assisted Diggs in the play by getting in front of him and blocking. The only problem was Diggs was on the sidelines when the play began, and NFL rules prevent him from running onto the field while the play is active. That, and his presence on the field, meant that there were 12 men in Seahawks uniform on the field at the same time instead of the customary 11. Had an official noticed, it would have brought a flag.

This would not be the first time that an officiating crew failed to notice a 12th man on the field. Earlier in the 2022-2023 season, according to CBS Sports, the Buffalo Bills at one time had 12 men on the field, and the officiating crew failed to notice. Fortunately, this didn't adversely affect the outcome of the game, as the Vikings went on to win.

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