In a Week 16 showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks, we saw one of the most bizarre-and ultimately correct-calls of the 2025 NFL season. With just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks found themselves in the middle of a wild sequence that turned confusion into a crucial two-point conversion.
Let’s set the scene: the Seahawks had just punched in a touchdown to cut the Rams’ lead to 30-28. With momentum swinging their way, they lined up for the two-point attempt to tie the game. That’s when things got weird.
Sam Darnold took the snap and tossed what looked like a lateral-a backward pass. A Rams defender batted the ball, which then floated forward and rolled into the end zone.
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet hustled after it and scooped it up in the end zone. But whistles were already blowing.
The officials had ruled the play dead, calling it an incomplete forward pass.
Cue the confusion. Was it a fumble?
Was it a pass? And if the play was blown dead, could the recovery even count?
Here’s where the NFL rulebook-and the power of replay-stepped in.
Backward Pass, Live Ball
First, the replay review made it clear: Darnold’s throw was a backward pass. That’s not a judgment call-it’s a directional fact.
The ball left his hand and traveled backward relative to the line of scrimmage. That makes it a live ball the moment it hits the turf, regardless of how it was deflected after that.
It doesn’t matter that a Rams player batted the ball forward. The rulebook is clear: the direction of the pass when it leaves the quarterback’s hand is what counts.
And in this case, it was backward. That’s not a fumble, and it’s not an incomplete pass.
It’s a live ball until someone recovers it or it goes out of bounds.
The Whistle and the Recovery
Now, about that whistle. Normally, when officials blow a play dead prematurely, it creates an “inadvertent whistle” situation. But the NFL has a specific clause-Rule 15-2-3-that covers this exact type of scenario.
When a play is incorrectly ruled dead (like an incomplete pass), but replay shows the ball was still live, possession can still be awarded-if a player clearly recovers the ball in what’s called “immediate continuing action.” That doesn’t mean the ball has to be recovered instantly, but it does mean the player has to be actively pursuing the ball as the play continues to unfold.
That’s exactly what Charbonnet did. As the ball rolled into the end zone, he didn’t hesitate.
He tracked it down, picked it up while in the end zone, and secured possession. That effort was enough to meet the rule’s standard for continuing action.
The Call: Two Points
After the replay review, Referee Brad Allen made the announcement: the pass was backward, the ball was live, and the Seahawks recovered it in the end zone. That’s a successful two-point conversion.
It was one of those moments where the rulebook, replay, and hustle all aligned to create a play that felt chaotic in real time but made total sense once the dust settled.
Why It Matters
This play is a perfect example of why the NFL’s replay system exists-not just to correct mistakes, but to reward effort and execution when the game gets messy. The initial call was wrong, but the process worked. The rules allowed the officials to get it right, and the Seahawks got the two points they earned.
It also highlights how critical it is for players to keep playing through the whistle-especially in moments of uncertainty. Charbonnet didn’t stop.
He saw a live ball and went after it. That kind of awareness can be the difference between a tie game and a missed opportunity.
In a league where games are often decided by a handful of plays, this one stood out-not just for its strangeness, but for how it showcased the intersection of rules, replay, and real-time decision-making. The Seahawks tied the game in a way that few could’ve predicted. But they did it by knowing the rules and playing through the chaos.