The NFL has effectively backed up what Seahawks fans were already saying about one of the key moments in Seattle’s loss to San Francisco.
On the final drive against the 49ers, Jaxon Smith-Njigba absorbed a heavy shot from San Francisco safety Malik Mustapha at midfield. It came on 1st and 10, two plays before Smith-Njigba was unable to haul in a deep ball from Sam Darnold. Smith-Njigba was shaken up on the play, but no flag came out for hitting a defenseless receiver.
That changed when the league levied a $6,998 fine against Mustapha for a “hit on the defenseless player” violation. In practical terms, that is as close as the NFL gets to saying the no-call should have been a penalty. If the officials had thrown the flag in real time, Seattle would have been at the 49ers 35-yard line and inside range for a game-tying field goal.
None of that guarantees the Seahawks would have forced overtime or pulled out the win, especially with an offense that was living dangerously for much of the afternoon. But the missed call clearly mattered in the flow of the finish, and the league’s decision only sharpens that point.
No one else from the game was fined. Elijah Arroyo was a possible candidate after his personal foul at the end of Sam Darnold’s second interception, when he punched at Renardo Green. On closer inspection, though, Arroyo appeared to be going for the ball at the same time Green was going to the ground.
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